Lockheed AP-3C Orion
| AP-3C Orion | |
|---|---|
 AP-3C Orion | |
| General information | |
| Type | Maritime patrol aircraft |
National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Lockheed Corporation |
| Status | Retired |
| Primary user | Royal Australian Air Force |
| Number built | 18 |
| History | |
Introduction date | 2002 |
| First flight | 19 May 1999 |
| Last flight | 5 December 2023 |
Developed from | Lockheed P-3 Orion |
The Lockheed AP-3C Orion is a variant of the P-3 Orion formerly used by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) for tasks such as naval fleet support, maritime surveillance, search and survivor supply and anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare. The 18 AP-3C Orions were upgraded from P-3Cs between 1997 and 2005, with the program taking three years longer than expected due to systems integration problems. All 18 AP-3C Orions were operated by No. 92 Wing which is based at RAAF Base Edinburgh in South Australia. Aircraft from the wing have seen service as part of Australian Defence Force operations in Australia, South East Asia and the Middle East. They were retired in 2019 following the introduction of the Boeing P-8 Poseidon to the RAAF fleet. The two AP-3C(EW) variants equipped for electronic and signals intelligence (ELINT/SIGINT) were retired in December 2023.