DEFENCE

Lockheed sells first P-3 AEW&C Orion BURBANK Lockheed California has made the first sale of its Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) P-3 Orion. The customer is the United States Coastguard, who will use it against drug smugglers.

The P-3 AEW&C order is subject to approval of a fiscal year 1987 supplemental appropriation by Congress. The contract covers the pur­chase and modification of a P-3B originally operated by the Royal Australian Air Force, one of a batch traded-in with Lockheed for new P-3Cs, and includes an option on three follow-on aircraft, pending additional funding approval.

US Customs Service Dep­

uty Commissioner Michael Lane says "The addition of this aircraft to our fleet puts us on the brink of success. The P-3 AEW&C will con­tribute immense versatility to our leadership in air inter­diction both in early detection and in executing airborne command and control pro­cedures."

After its scheduled delivery in 1988 the aircraft will be used to patrol the Caribbean as far south as Colombia, where most of the drug smuggling flights originate.

Lockheed's P-3 AEW&C programme manager, Denny Schule, says "The US Cus­toms Service configuration is a subset of the total suite that we're offering for full military airborne early warning and fighter control operations. Because the systems have been optimised to meet Customs Service require­ments, there are additional special-purpose communi­cations systems, but fewer total radios and automatic intercept control functions than are military."

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The Skyshark dispenser under test at Salto di Quirra

Skyshark programme begins CORSO MARCHE The first flight-tests of Skyshark, the stand-off weapon dispenser produced by the CASMU Consortium (Aeritalia/SNIA BPD), has started at the Sardinian firing range of Salto di Quirra.

In its basic configuration,

Skyshark is a gliding weapon dispenser, although it will be followed by a powered version later in the devel­opment phase. The dispenser prototypes will verify all aspects of flight character­istics.

In the Consortium, Aer-italia is responsible for the structural design and guidance of the control system, while SNIA BPD is developing the armament modules and the sub-munitions.

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