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EP-3 Aries II
The Lockheed EP-3E ARIES II is the signals reconnaissance version of the P-3C Orion, operated by the United States Navy. There are 11 EP-3Es in the Navy's inventory, the last of which was delivered in 1997. A total of 12 P-3C aircraft were converted to replace older versions of the aircraft, which had been converted in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
From 1960 to 1991, the squadrons that flew the EP-3E also flew the Douglas EA-3B Skywarrior Seawing.
General characteristics
- Primary Function: Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) reconnaissance aircraft
- Contractor: Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems Company
- Unit Cost: $36 million
- Propulsion: Four Allison T-56-A-14 turboprop engines with 4,600 shaft horsepower (3,450 kW) each
- Length: 116 ft 7 in (35.57 m)
- Wingspan: 99 ft 6 in (30.36 m)
- Height: 33 ft 7 in (10.27 m)
- Weight: Max gross take-off: 142,000 pounds (64,545 kg)
- Speed: maximum - 311 knots; cruise - 228 knots
- Ceiling: 28,300 feet (8,600 m)
- Range: Maximum mission radius - 2,380 nautical miles (2,738.9 miles, 4,400 km); for three hours on station @1,500 feet (500 m) - 1,346 nautical miles (1,549 miles, 2,500 km)
- Crew: 22+
Only 2 squadrons in the entire Navy fly the EP-3: VQ-1 and VQ-2. Both are currently home ported in Whidbey Island, WA. Until recently, VQ-2 was located in Rota, Spain.
Hainan Incident
On April 1, 2001, an EP-3E was intercepted by Chinese J-8 fighter jets about 70 miles (110 km) off the Chinese island of Hainan. Though the EP-3 remained in international airspace, the Chinese claimed that it was spying on Chinese military facilities. One of the Chinese jets clipped the propeller of the left outboard engine on the EP-3E, which was forced to make an emergency landing on Hainan. The Chinese jet was destroyed during the collision. The Chinese pilot, Wang Wei, was missing and presumed dead following the incident.
The crew of 24 were detained and later released on April 11 after the U.S. issued the letter of the two sorries. The Chinese prohibited the repair of the plane so that it could be flown back out, and instead it was airlifted to Dobbins Air Force Base in Georgia on July 3, 2001, using a Antonov An-124.
The crewmembers:[1]
NAVY
- Ensign Richard Bensing of Brandon, Fla.
- Aviation Electrician's Mate 3rd Class Steven Blocher of Charlotte, N.C.
- Cryptologic Technician Seaman Bradford Borland, whose home of record was not listed.
- Aviation Electronics Technician 2nd Class David Cecka of Leavenworth, Wash.
- Lt. (j.g.) John Comerford of Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.
- Cryptologic Technician Operator 1st Class Shawn Coursen of Valdosta, Ga.
- Cryptologic Technician Collection Seaman Jeremy Crandall of Poplar Grove, Ill.
- Cryptologic Technician Interpretive 1st Class Josef Edmunds of Davis, Calif.
- Cryptologic Technician Interpretive 2nd Class Brandon Funk of Showlow, Ariz.
- Aviation Electronics Technician 2nd Class Scott Guidry of Satellite Beach, Fla.
- Cryptologic Technician 2nd Class Jason Hanser of Billings, Mont.
- Lt. Patrick Honeck of La Mesa, Calif.
- Lt. (j.g.) Regina Kauffman of Warminster, Pa.
- Aviation Machinist's Mate Senior Chief Nicholas Mellos of Ypsilanti, Mich.
- Aviation Electronics Technician 2nd Class Ramon Mercado of Moreno Valley, Calif.
- Lt. Shane Osborn of Norfolk, Neb.
- Lt. (j.g.) Richard Payne, whose home of record was not listed.
- Cryptologic Technician 2nd Class Kenneth Richter of Staten Island, N.Y.
- Lt. Marcia Sonon of Lenharstville, Pa.
- Lt. (j.g.) Jeffery Vignery of Goodland, Kan.
- Aviation Machinist 2nd Class Wendy Westbrook of Rock Creek, Ohio
- Cryptologic Technician 3rd Class Rodney Young of Katy, Texas
MARINE CORPS
- Sgt. Richard Pray of Geneseo, Ill.
AIR FORCE
- Senior Airman Curtis Towne of Haywood, Calif.
Operators
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External links
| This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "EP-3 Aries II". |
