Posted on 05/22/2011 9:25:47 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Pakistan has now lost two of its three Orion aircraft
Sabir Shah
Monday, May 23, 2011
LAHORE: Of just the three P-3 series Orion anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft that Pakistan had acquired from the United States in 1996, two have now been lost.
According to the website of the Pakistan Navy, one of these planes (bearing serial number 83) was lost due to an accident while carrying out routine exercises over the coastal waters of Pasni (Balochistan) on October 29, 1999.
This was one of the 46 Pakistani aircraft that had crashed between 1996 and 2000, and one of the 12 during the year 1999 alone.
After taking off from PNS Mehran Base, the P-3C Orion of the 28 Squadron was on an exercise with other ships and aircraft from Masroor Air Base in Karachi, when it had mysteriously crashed, killing 10 officers and 11 sailors on board.
The P-3C Orion plane set ablaze by terrorists in Karachi on Sunday night was also parked at the hangars of the PNS Mehran Base of the Pakistan Navy, which was commissioned on September 26, 1975 after the first of the six Westland Sea King helicopters was acquired from Britain on September 28, 1974.
The delivery of these P-3C Orion Maritime patrol aircraft had earlier been withheld due to the application of the Pressler Amendment in 1990.
Costing US$36 million or over Rs3 billion, the gutted P-3C Orion plane at Karachi was one of the 757 such aircraft developed since November 1959.
Having a length of 35.57 metres, a wingspan of 30.36 metres and a height of 10.27 metres, this aircraft was recently used by the United States in the maritime surveillance mission in Libya.
This four-engine carrier is also used for anti-surface warfare and can operate at a top speed of 745 kilometres per hour. It is manufactured by Messrs Lockheed Martin of America and Messrs Kawasaki of Japan.
The surveillance aircraft were equipped with a variety of enhanced features. COURTESY: US EMBASSY
http://tribune.com.pk/story/174151/maritime-surveillance-aircraft-p3c-orion-newly-acquired-asset/
More likely they sold it to Red China.
Can’t seem to get too upset over them losing anything these days.
No doubt.
46 crashes in 4 years? Apparently, “Insha’Allah!” isn’t how you should respond when a red light flashes on.
“Insha’Allah!” isn’t a recommended maintenance plan for high tech Western gear, either.
Somewhat related:
A friend of mine once had the task of training Saudi fighter pilots. The Saudi pilots witnessed an American pilot showing off a dangerous maneuver, flying towards the ground then pulling up at the last possible moment. The Saudi pilots were forbidden from attempting this stunt. Sure enough, a Saudi pilot crashed into the ground trying to duplicate the American’s action. The next day another Saudi pilot did the same thing. Then another. It something about the mindset.
Plenty more where that came from, courtesy of the US taxpayer.
Pakistanis are not Arabs and their pilots are pretty well respected.
Time to buy the cheap Chinese knock-off? After all, the Chinks must have reverse-engineered the Harpoon too.
Did they check their pockets?
They just cannot allow somebody else to be better then they are at anything.
It’s why they try and destroy other cultures then learn from them.
Not really. The damn airframes are old as dirt. The maintenance is
difficult even with a top quality US crew. You’re never quite certain if
your bird is going to be airworthy at the appointed time. That terrible
story about the $2000 toilet seat came from the P3 fleet. I’m frankly
surprised after many 11+ hour no $#|+ flights. Do they ever get used?
Gues they aren’t 1/2 what they use to be.
“The Saudi pilots were forbidden from attempting this stunt. Sure enough, a Saudi pilot crashed into the ground trying to duplicate the American’s action. The next day another Saudi pilot did the same thing. Then another. It something about the mindset.”
Then let’s convince them it’s macho to teach their kids that war never solves anything, that no culture is any better than any other, that what’s true for you isn’t what’s true for me, that there is no God but Gaia, that they did GREAT regardless of how they actually did, that Maxine Waters may be a fool but we must all pretend she is not because of the color of her skin, and that they can borrow their way to prosperity. Perhaps they will then self-destruct just like we have.
ping
Lost, and found in China.
They get used a lot and we’re selling 7 more to them that are being completely reworked. Deliveres start within the next several months.
India must be happy. This is Islam eating its own and others, as usual. It’s not clear whether the martyr attacks were whipped up by the idea of Bin Laden’s now alleged voluntary death (and at the hands of Obama, a muslim, no less, thus professing the Taqqya martyr system of “I kill you here so I and Islam look good and moderate there”) or if Islam just likes to murder left and right, in a blood binge, much similar to their drinking binge (since according to them only the first sip of alcohol is illegal but not the rest of the beer).
I heard of French pilots pulling a similar stunt on Libyans in the Alp mountains during a test run of the planes they were selling them.
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