P-3 Orion Articles: 1994

• 3 March 1994. Orions Ride a Maverick

  SIGONELLA, Sicily (NNS) -- In the midst of an early morning on Jan. 28, two P-3c "Orions" of Patrol Squadron 26 (VP-26) took off from NAS Sigonella, Sicily, on a seek and destroy mission. The target was an ex-German World War II coastal freighter anchored off the coast of Sardinia. Armed with AGM-65F "Maverick" missiles, the Orions flew in formation toward the target. The ship was spotted and they locked on target. The missiles were fired. Scratch one freighter.

  "This was a historical event because it was the first Maverick warshot from a P-3," said LT Chris Ramsden, VP-26 tactical coordinator who targeted the missile and locked it on target. "It is nice to know that we now have such a great ability for surface combat air patrol (SUCAP). The P-3 is an excellent SUCAP platform with its extremely long on-station capability." Some of the missions carried out by the P-3 are maritime patrol and surveillance, anti-submarine warfare and drug interdiction.

  With the addition of the Maverick, VP-26 acquired a new weapon for the operation "Sharp Guard" arsenal. The Maverick is an infrared surface-to-ship missile.

  The ship was fired upon afterward by the destroyer USS Arthur W. Radford (DD 968) and then later sunk by an explosive ordnance demolition (EOD) team. Courtesy NAVEUR News

• 3 November 1994. P-3 Replacement Squadron To Get New Hangar

  JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (NNS) -- The consolidation of Navy P-3 fleet replacement squadrons got a boost Oct. 28 when ground was broken for a new hangar that will become the new home of Patrol Squadron (VP) 30 at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla. The fleet replacement squadron currently trains Navy pilots, naval flight officers, airborne systems specialists and ground maintenance personnel in the operation of the P-3 Orion aircraft. In October 1993, VP-30 became the sole Navy fleet replacement squadron upon the disestablishment of VP-31 on the west coast. The new hangar is expected to be completed in August 1996.

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