End of the line for RAAF Orion

After a service that lasted for 55 years the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) bid farewell to the venerable Lockheed P-3 Orion on 5 December 2023. A farewell flight performed by the last two remaining active AP-3Cs, A9-657 and A9-660, both operated by 10 Squadron Strike First, marked the end of an era.

The history of the Australian Orions begins in 1968 with the introduction of the P-3B. Ten years later the P-3C was the next variant to enter service. During the mid nineties it was decided to upgrade eighteen of those to the current AP-3C model. The upgrades consisted of improved radar and mission systems.

These upgrades were not available off-the-shelf and were developed tailor made for the RAAF. The result was that deliveries met with delays of up to three years. The final AP-3C entered service in 2005 and a final round of upgrades was completed in 2011.

Several P-3C/AP-3C Orions have found their way to museums in the different States and territories of Australia. Next to these preserved aircraft, AP-3C with serial A9-753 can be found in flyable condition at the HARS (Historical Aircraft Restoration Society) Aviation Museum at Albion Park (NSW).

The maritime task has been taken over by the Boeing P-8A Poseidon, of which twelve have been delivered and two more are on order, and the Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) of which the first one will arrive in 2024.

Credit photo: Hans Jacobs (Scramble Archive)