P-3 Orion Articles: December 1997

• 19 December 1997. NNS5410. P-3C Orion aircraft tests Stand-off Land Attack Missile courtesy of Fleet Air Mediterranean Public Affairs; Navy News Service.

  SIGONELLA, Italy (NWSA) -- Patrol Squadron (VP) 45 recently successfully conducted the first test of a Stand- Off Land Attack Missile (SLAM) from a P-3C Orion aircraft in the Mediterranean.

  After taking off from its forward-deployed base in Sigonella, Sicily, the aircraft simulated a missile launch and flight profile. The missile's seeker head locked on to the target and simulated a successful kill.

  Prior to their current deployment to Sigonella, VP-45 crews attended SLAM training at Point Mugu, Calif. The squadron then completed a live SLAM shot at San Nicholas Island, Calif. Preparations are being made for a live SLAM shot in the Mediterranean next year.

  P-3 SLAM provides Mediterranean commanders with the ability to immediately deploy a long range responsive platform that can remain on-station for extended periods of time, retask targets in flight, and deliver up to four over- the-horizon precision weapons in minutes. The same aircraft can then remain on station and continue to target other platforms' missiles by the use of its Electro-Optical, Rapid Targeting System (RTS) and real time data link capabilities.

  "In conjunction with the P-3's E/O capability, SLAM creates a total integrated package," said, LT Rick VanDerostyne, Task Force 67 SLAM project officer. "It brings coastal strike capability to the Med in the absence of a carrier. When a carrier is here, it complements the precision strike capability against high value land or ship targets."

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