U.S. Navy Grounds Some P-3Cs
Dec 18, 2007
By Amy Butler Structural problems have prompted the U.S. Navy to ground 39 of its P-3C aircraft, ten of which are deployed to units abroad.The grounded aircraft are operating beyond known structural limits in an area of the lower section of their wing. Analysis of the problem and fixes are expected to take up to two years.
The fix will include a replacement of the structure at the trailing edge of the wing between the two engine nacelles, according to John Milliman, a spokesman for Naval Air Systems Command at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.
Navy officials now are exploring which airframes at home base to shuffle forward to fill the gap left by the 10 deployed aircraft that are grounded.
The Navy has 161 P-3Cs in its fleet. They were designed for antisubmarine warfare, but have since been used in missions in the littorals or over land, especially to support operations in Iraq.
The Navy has funded several structural life management programs with the P-3C fleet in recent years. Discovery of this most recent problem came about as part of routine analyses of data on the fleet.
The last P-3C will be retired in 2019 when the Navy expects to achieve full operational capability with its replacement, the new Boeing 737-based P-8. Initial operational capability for the P-8 will be in 2013.
Meanwhile, the Navy continues to struggle with shortfalls in its EP-3 surveillance aircraft fleet, which was unaffected by the P-3C grounding. Industry is forming options for the Navy as it evaluates a way ahead for its EP-X program. Northrop Grumman announced Dec. 17 that it is teamed with L-3 Communications for a proposal for that mission.