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USN - CIA - Republic of China Air Force Lockheed EP-3B
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USN - CIA - Republic of China Air Force Lockheed EP-3B
United States Navy / Central Intelligence Agency / Republic of China Air Force Lockheed EP-3A 149673 (msn 185-5014). Built as a Lockheed P-3A-15-LO Orion, 149673 was converted to EP-3A for the Central Intelligence Agency to use in overflights of the Peoples Reublic of China (PRC). As well as ELINT and SIGINT electronics 149673, (and the two similar Black P-3As), was fitted with low-noise cropped propeller blades, extended engine exhaust to reduce noise and infra-red signature and rearwards-firing AIM-9 Sidewinder Air to Air missiles, for defence. Black P-3A: Least known of all in the P-3 family. Three P-3As (BuNo 149669, BuNo 149673, and BuNo 149678) were obtained by the CIA from the US Navy under Project STSPIN in May 1963, as the replacement aircraft for CIAs own covert operation fleet of RB-69A/P2V-7Us. Converted by Aerosystems Division of LTV at Greenville, Texas, the three P-3As were simply known as.lack P-3As under Project Axial. Officially transferred from US Navy to CIA in June/July 1964. LTV Aerosystems converted the three aircraft to be both ELINT and COMINT platforms. The first of the three.lack P-3As arrived in Taiwan and were officially transferred to ROCAFs top secret Black Bat Squadron on June 22, 1966. Armed with 4 Sidewinder short range aM missiles for self-defense, the three.lack P-3As flew peripheral missions along the China coast to collect SIGINT and air samples. When the project was terminated in January 1967, all three.lack P-3As were flown to NAS Alameda, California, for long term storage. Two of the three aircraft (BuNo 149669 and BuNo 149678) were converted into the only two EP-3Bs in existence by Lockheed at Burbank in September 1967, while the third aircraft (149673) was converted by Lockheed in 1969-1970 to serve as a development aircraft for various electronic programs. Date: circa 1967
Media ID 20028812
© The Peter Butt Aviation Collection / Mary Evans Picture Library
Agency Converted Intelligence Lockheed Orion
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