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Description
| Notes: Modified EP-3B with active jamming capability. | ||
| Manufacturer: | Lockheed | |
| Base model: | P-3 | |
| Designation: | EP-3 | |
| Version: | J | |
| Nickname: | Orion | |
| Designation System: | U.S. Tri-Service | |
| Designation Period: | 1962-Present | |
| Basic role: | Patrol | |
| Modified Mission: | Special electronic installation | |
| See Also: | ||
Specifications
| Length: | 116' 10" | 35.6 m | |
| Height: | 33' 8" | 10.2 m | |
| Wingspan: | 99' 8" | 30.3 m | |
| Wingarea: | 1,300.0 sq ft | 120.7 sq m | |
| Max Weight: | 127,500 lb | 57,823 kg | |
Propulsion
| No. of Engines: | 4 | ||
| Powerplant: | Allison T56-A-14 | ||
| Horsepower (each): | 4600 | ||
Performance
| Range: | 4,765 miles | 7,673 km | |
| Cruise Speed: | 378 mph | 608 km/h | 328 kt |
| Max Speed: | 473 mph | 761 km/h | 411 kt |
| Climb: | 1,950 ft/min | 594 m/min | |
| Ceiling: | 35,000 ft | 10,667 m | |
Operators (Past and Present)
| USN | VAQ-33 | Key West | FL |
| USN | VP-66 | Willow Grove | PA |
Recent comments by our visitors
| JTH , WA | The fate of VQ-11 was sealed way back in the day when some brain surgeon made the decision that dedicated Electronic Attack Warfare training was not needed for the US Navy.
The end of VAQ-35, VAQ-34 and finally VAQ-33 was the end of the active duty Navy's involvement in dedicated Electronic Attack Warfare training. The death of FEWSG in 1992 signaled the end. The retirement of the Waco NKC-135's in 1996 and the retirement of Waco's EC-24A in 1998 was the end of civilian based dedicated Navy Electronic Attack Warfare training. The assets of VAQ-34 (F-18's) were forced upon the reserves to fulfill the mission requirements of Electronic Attack Warfare training, the final death of this program is not recorded in Naval history. The assets of VAQ-33 (EP-3J's) fared much better, they were given to the reserves who stood up the last dedicated Electronic Attack Warfare training squadron, VQ-11 (why they didn't call them VAQ-11 is beyond me). VQ-11 fulfilled the mission requirements of Electronic Attack Warfare training until they too were axed by the bean counters and by Naval leadership that did not get "it". Various contractors still fly Electronic Attack Warfare training missions on a much smaller scale using such aircraft as Learjet 35's. I salute the men, women and officers of VQ-11! 11/06/2010 @ 20:12 [ref: 33010] |
| SGT Andrew Van Donselaar baumholder, ME | I concer with CDR Kilger This isnot a Picture of an EP-3J and No the Squadron was not decomissioned do to the fire in the Flight Station. This A/C was a good A/C to go on the rod with It broke very little and brought us to alot of different sites. And the second EP-3J had 1 last last flight to the bone yard. 02/07/2008 @ 10:12 [ref: 19592] |
| Robert Tuttell LCDR USN (RET) , FL | I was one of the P-3 pilots in VAQ-33 (Firebirds) in Key West when the two EP-3Js was developed as a replacement for our EP-3A Electronic Warfare aircraft. VAQ-33 was flying a mix of P-3s, EA-6s and A-3s. The two aircraft were obtained from the reserve P-3B fleet and converted. The EW equipment from the EP-3A was transferred to the EP-3J along with some new EW equipment and modifications were made to the wing wiring to carry a variety of pods (see uploaded EP-3J picture). The squadron was decommissioned and the aircraft were transferred to VP-66 around 1993. 04/14/2007 @ 10:54 [ref: 16185] |
| P Kilger Merrimack, NH | I was the first XO and last CO of VQ-11. The squadron was not disestablished because of a fire, though that may have accelerated its fate. The real cause of the disestablishment was the lack of operational support (funding) from the fleet when the fleet was asked to pay for the services instead of getting them for "free" from the Reserves. The remaining operational aircraft was transferred to Davis-Montham AFB (boneyard).
VQ-11 was established in 1997 and disestablished in 2000. I concur that the photo listed is definetly not an EP-3J. 12/12/2005 @ 14:27 [ref: 11966] |
| Greg Sullivan , CA | Seeing as that I was stationed in Willow Grove and VP-66 for 8 years, I can vouch that an EP-3J is not pictured. There was nothing significantly different about the exterior of this plane than any other P-3 other than a short MAD boom.
In 1997-1998 the 2 EP-3J's in existance were transfered from VP-66 (NAS JRB Willow Grove) to form a new Squadron VQ-11 in Brunswick, ME. In less than 2 years VO-11 was disestablished due to an oxygen fire in the flight station that destroyed one plane. I do not know for sure what was done with the other plane but I heard it was taken and scrapped. 02/06/2005 @ 00:22 [ref: 9372] |
Recent photos uploaded by our visitors
