Portugal purchased six P-3C Orion aircraft from Germany for 45 million.
According to the resolution published in the Diário da República de Portugal, the purchase of six P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft from Germany for the Portuguese Air Force was authorized.
According to the website, the website Poder Aéreo, according to the text of the resolution, “The acquisition of the entire fleet inventory from Germany represents an opportunity to guarantee the operation of the P-3C CUP+ weapon system in the coming years without significant constraints, ensuring support with high levels of availability, because, without such resources, the increase in current aircraft readiness rates, that progressively have increasing periods of unavailability due to the need for maintenance actions for which there is no material available on the market, will be compromised.”
Also according to the document, “the Portuguese Air Force is authorized to pay for the acquisition of the entire inventory of the P-3C fleet made available by the Federal Republic of Germany, consisting of six aircraft, conjuntos Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU), spares, support equipment and test benches, as well as flight simulators and tactical procedures, the maximum amount of 45 000 000,00 EUR, VAT exempt, whose budgetary burden may not exceed, in every economic year, the following amounts: a) 2023 – 9 000 000,00 EUR; b) 2024 – 9 000 000,00 EUR; c) 2025 – 9 000 000,00 EUR; d) 2026 – 9 000 000,00 EUR; and) 2027 – 9 000 000,00 EUR.” To read the resolution in full, click here.
P-3C CUP+ Squad 601-”Lobos” parked at BA11
A 1 October 1985 an agreement was signed with Lockheed for the acquisition of 6 P-3B aircraft received from the Australian Air Force who had replaced them with the newer P-3C.
The 6 P-3B acquired by Portugal were modernized to meet operational requirements for maritime environment missions.
The Air Force and the Portuguese State began a program to replace the fleet of 6 P-3P by 5 aeronaves P-3C, acquired from the Royal Dutch Navy. Later, a contract was signed with Lockheed-Martin for the modernization of these aircraft to the current P-3C CUP+ version.
The modernization of 5 aircraft with modern sensors capable of facing the challenges of the future, turns to P-3C CUP platform + one of the most advanced in the world.
The first aircraft arrived at the Squadron 601 in August 2010, delivery of the last modernized aircraft is expected by mid- 2012.
The P-3C CUP+ aircraft has a flight range of thirteen hours, can fly to 25 thousand feet altitude, comprises a tactical crew of 13 elements and in addition to reconnaissance and surveillance, it has its own weapons that it can use whenever necessary., featuring a high-resolution camera in the nose that transmits and sends images in real time to the ground.
O P-3C CUP+, it is the third fastest aircraft in the world in its turboprop segment, surpassed only by the Airbus A400 and the Tupolev 195 and it will be in the skies of Portugal the eyes of the forces that are on land, in particular from the UCC.
