Lockheed CP-140 Aurora

Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) / Maritime Patrol Aircraft [ 1980 ]

The Canadian Lockheed CP-140 Aurora is based on the American P-3 Orion outfitted with the equipment of the Lockheed S-3 Viking.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 07/06/2020 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

Image from the Royal Canadian Air Force.

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Maritime Patrol (CP) is one of the most important roles for a country like Canada to fill given its long-running coastline. In response, the nation fields the Lockheed CP-140 "Aurora" developed from the proven American Lockheed P-3 "Orion" used by the United States Navy (USN). Between the 18 x CP-140M and 3 x CP-140A marks, production has totaled 21 airframes in all since service introduction in 1980. The prototype went airborne for the first time on March 22nd, 1979.

The CP-140 is a multi-mission military aircraft, capable of handling a wide variety of over-water tasks including general patrolling, Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Search & Rescue (SAR), Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR), and waterway enforcement/protection - such is its versatility. Its capabilities are also not limited to maritime work as the aircraft can operate equally effectively over land and from land bases as needed.

The Aurora was taken into service by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) to succeed an aging fleet of CP-107 "Argus" platforms in same role. The Canadair Argus, introduced in 1957, was produced in 33 examples and operated into 1982 before seeing retirement.

As in the Orion before it, the Aurora showcases a conventional design arrangement which sees straight, low-mounted mainplanes affixed to the underside of a streamlined, tubular fuselage. The tail unit incorporates a traditional single-finned configuration with low-set horizontal planes. The cockpit/flight deck is set over a short nosecone in the usual way and a retractable, wheeled undercarriage is used for ground-running.

Power is through 4 x Allison T-56-A-14-LFT turboprop engines developing 4,600 horsepower each driving four-bladed propeller units. This supplies the airframe with a maximum speed up to 462 miles-per-hour with a range out to 5,800 miles, up to a service ceiling of 35,000 feet.

For its roles, the aircraft can be outfitted with torpedoes, air-to-surface missiles, depth charges, general purpose drop bombs, and naval mines. Additionally, the aircraft is cleared to carry active and passive Sonobuoys for its submarine hunting charge. This makes the CP-140 an all-in-one solution for the RCAF in terms of deterrence and direct-attack of enemy sea-based elements.

At its core, the Aurora series is a localized offshoot of the Orion, however, and its wingtip pods are specialized to Canadian air service needs. Additionally, the internal equipment ("workspace") of the aircraft is different from its American counterpart, the CP-140 essentially a melding of the P-3 airframe with the mission equipment of the USN's Lockheed S-3 "Viking" (S-3A variant).

Onboard systems include the Texas Instruments ()TI) APS-116 Search Radar, the TI ASQ-501 MAD (Magnetic Anomaly Detector), and the AYK-10 processing compute.

Dimensions of the aircraft include a running length of 116.9 feet, a wingspan of 99.7 feet, and a height of 34.4 feet. Loaded weight reaches 61,400lb. The aircraft is home to approximately fifteen crew with a total capacity for 20 personnel but can be operated with a Skeleton Crew of just eight is need be.

The last ASW forms were delivered in 1981 while Lockheed's production at its storied Burbank, California facility ended with Arcturus airframes as the company relocated efforts to Marietta, Georgia. The final CP-140A was delivered in 1991. Three airframes were supplied by Lockheed that year though without their ASW equipment (however still retaining APS-134 radar) to which the RCAF utilized them in the crew training/general patrol roles under the designation of CP-140A "Arcturus". CP-140A aircraft were all retired in 2011, leaving the modernized CP-140M as the only Auroras remaining in active service.

The CP-140 line has been progressively updated across four major "Blocks" under the "Aurora Incremental Modernization Project" of the late 1990s (producing the CP-140M designation). Work was primarily directed at upgrading onboard electronics and tactical mission equipment to keep the series viable into the 2020s. The latest incarnation is the "Block 4" series which is undergoing testing as of this writing (2020). At least fourteen of the fleet will be given all-new wings under the "Aurora Structural Life Extension Program" (ASLEP) to further extend their service lives.

Currently (2020), the CP-140 is operated by the 404 Long Range Patrol and Training Squadron, the 405 Long Range Patrol Squadron, the 407 Long Range Patrol Squadron, and the 415 Long Range Patrol Force Development Squadron.©MilitaryFactory.com

Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

February 2020 - Tests have begun on the new, modernized CP-140 Block 4 aircraft.

Specifications

Service Year

1980

Origin

Canada

Status

ACTIVE
In Active Service.

Crew

12

Production

21
UNITS

Lockheed Martin - USA

(View other Aviaton-Related Manufacturers)

Canada

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Special-Mission: Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)
Equipped to search, track, and engage enemy underwater elements by way of specialized onboard equipment and weapons.

✓ Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR), Scout
Surveil ground targets / target areas to assess environmental threat levels, enemy strength, or enemy movement.

Length

116.8 ft
(35.61 m)

Width/Span

99.7 ft
(30.40 m)

Height

34.4 ft
(10.50 m)

Empty Wgt

18,739 lb
(8,500 kg)

MTOW

66,139 lb
(30,000 kg)

Wgt Diff

+47,399 lb
(+21,500 kg)

(Showcased structural values pertain to the base Lockheed CP-140 Aurora production variant)

Installed: 4 x Allison T-56-A-14-LFE turboprop engines developing 4,600 horsepower each driving four-bladed propeller units.

Max Speed

466 mph
(750 kph | 405 kts)

Ceiling

35,105 ft
(10,700 m | 7 mi)

Range

5,779 mi
(9,300 km | 17,224 nm)

♦ MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base Lockheed CP-140 Aurora production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)

External and internal ordnance loads carried and includes support for Mk 46 Mov V torpedoes, naval mines, depth charges, air-to-surface rockets and missiles and conventional drop bombs.

Supported Types

Graphical image of aircraft aerial rockets

Graphical image of an aircraft conventional drop bomb munition

Graphical image of an aircraft aerial torpedo

(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)

Hardpoint Mountings: 4

CP-140 "Aurora" - Base Series Designation; initial production form; AN/APS-506 surface search radar fit; 18 examples completed.

CP-140A "Arcturus" - General maritime reconnaissance and crew trainer platform lacking ASW suite; improved fuel efficiency; AN/APS-507 surface search radar fit; sans mission systems of CP-140 model; three examples completed.

CP-140 Block 4

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Image from the Royal Canadian Air Force.