P-3K Orion

The New Zealand Ministry of Defence (MoD) is likely to spend $332.3m on the modernisation of the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s (RNZAF) P-3K Orion maritime patrol aircraft.

Responding to an official information act request from Radio New Zealand, the MoD’s acquisition division deputy secretary Des Ashton said the original budget for the project was $377m, but was reduced by the fluctuating exchange rates.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Premium Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

The P-3K Orion upgrade project was undertaken by a mixture of foreign and local contractors in Texas, US, and Blenheim, New Zealand. It covers modernisation and retrofit of a total of six P-3K Orions of the RNZAF.

"The P-3K Orion upgrade project was undertaken by a mixture of foreign and local contractors in Texas, US, and Blenheim, New Zealand."

With completion of upgrade of the equipment such as computers, mission systems, radar systems, wiring, and antennas, the project is expected to finish halfway through this year, leaving only a software upgrade to be performed.

Ashton said: "If you go back to the configuration of the aeroplane it was quite modern compared to some P3s in the world, but the computing power that was put in the original upgrade back in the 80s/90s was about the power of a commodore 64."

See Also:

The P-3 Orion is manufactured by Lockheed Martin. It is a four-engine turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft and is used search and rescue missions, fishery protection, anti-piracy operations, and surveillance by several navies worldwide.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

The P-3K Orions are currently used by 5 Squadron based in RNZAF Base Auckland, and are scheduled to be retired from service in 2025.

Image: A RNZAF P-3K Orion lands at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, US. Photo: courtesy of the US Navy.