The Lockheed EP-3 is an electronic signals reconnaissance variant of the P-3 Orion, primarily operated by the United States Navy.

Development 
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. The aircraft is known by the acronym ARIES, or "Airborne Reconnaissance Integrated Electronic System". and has Signals intelligence (SIGINT) capabilities. SIGINT is the interception of signals, whether communications between people (communications intelligence—abbreviated to COMINT) or from electronic signals not directly used in communication (electronic intelligence—abbreviated to ELINT). The EP-3E generally has a crew of 24, including linguists, cryptographers and technicians.

The squadrons that flew the EP-3E also flew the Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star from 1962 to 1974 and the Douglas EA-3B Skywarrior from 1960 to 1991.  There are 11 EP-3Es in the Navy's inventory, the last of which was delivered in 1997.

Hainan Island incident

On 1 April 2001, an aerial collision between a United States Navy EP-3E ARIES II, a signals reconnaissance version and a People's Liberation Army Navy Shenyang J-8II fighter resulted in an international incident between the United States and China.  Operating about 70 miles (110 km) away from the PRC island province of Hainan Island, the EP-3 was intercepted by two J-8II fighters.  One of the J-8IIs collided with it.  The J-8II crashed into the sea and the pilot, Lt. Cdr. Wang, was seen to eject after the collision.  His body was never recovered and he was declared dead.  The EP-3 came close to becoming uncontrollable, at one point sustaining a nearly inverted roll, but was able to make a successful, unauthorized  emergency landing at Lingshui airfield on Hainan island, where the two J-8II fighters involved in the incident had been based. At least 15 distress signals from the Orion had gone unanswered.  The crew and the plane were subsequently detained by Chinese authorities because of the death of the Chinese pilot.

After several days of interrogations, the crew was repatriated separately to the United States while the aircraft remained in China, reportedly taken apart for research on American intelligence technology.  Although the crew attempted to destroy as much classified material, hardware, and software on the aircraft prior to the emergency landing, there is little doubt that the EP-3 was exploited by Chinese intelligence services.  An American team was later permitted to enter Hainan in order to dismantle the aircraft, which was subsequently airlifted on board two of Russia's Polet Airlines Antonov An-124 Ruslan back to the United States for reassembly and repair.

Other incidents 
On 29 January 2018, a near accident was reported on the Black Sea, when a Russian Su-27 passed a U.S. EP-3 at a distance of several feet.

In a separate incident, on 5 November 2018, a U.S. EP-3 was again claimed to have been closely passed in international airspace by a Russian Su-27.

On 19 July 2019, a U.S. EP-3 was "performing a multi-nationally recognized and approved mission in international airspace" over the Caribbean Sea, when a Venezuelan Su-30 aggressively shadowed it at an unsafe distance.

Fictional incidents

EP-X
Boeing has started working on an unscheduled replacement aircraft, the EP-X, based on their 737.

On 16 August 2009, The Navy issued an "EP-X Analysis of Alternatives" that called for "information useful for the execution of the Electronic Patrol-X (EP-X) program which will recapitalize the EP-3E aircraft to provide tactical, theater, and national level Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Targeting (ISR&T) support to Carrier Strike Groups and to Theater, Combatant, and National Commanders."

On 23 September 2009, leaked Navy budget documents for FY2011 revealed that the EP-X program would be delayed rather than started in that year.

On 1 February 2010, President Obama unveiled his proposed budget for 2010. This budget called for, among other things, canceling the EP-X program.

Replacement
After the cancellation of the EP-X Program, the U.S. Navy has planned to replace the EP-3E Aries II with the Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft and the MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned helicopter. All P-3 Orion aircraft assigned to special projects squadrons (VPU) and all EP-3E Aries II aircraft are expected to fully retire by 2025.

Variants

 EP-3A: Seven modified for electronic reconnaissance testing.
 EP-3B: 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 U.S. Navy under Project STSPIN in May 1963, as the replacement aircraft for CIA's 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 "black" P-3As under Project Axial. Officially transferred from U.S. 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 "black" P-3As arrived in Taiwan and were officially transferred to ROCAF's top secret "Black Bat" Squadron on 22 June 1966. Armed with 4 Sidewinder short range AAM missiles for self-defense, the three "black" 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 "black" 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. The two EP-3Bs, known as "Bat Rack", owing to their period of service with Taiwan's "Black Bat" Squadron, were issued to the U.S. Navy's VQ-1 Squadron in 1969 and deployed to Da Nang, Vietnam. In the 1980s these two planes were based at the Naval Air Facility, Atsugi, Japan with the Atsugi VQ-1 detachment. Later, the two EP-3Bs were converted to EP-3E ARIES, along with 10 EP-3As. The 12 EP-3Es retired in 1990s, when replaced by 12 EP-3E ARIES II.
 EP-3: ELINT aircraft for the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force.
 EP-3E ARIES: 10 P-3As and two EP-3Bs were converted into ELINT aircraft.
 EP-3E ARIES II: 12 P-3Cs were converted into ELINT aircraft. Last delivered in 1997.
 EP-3J: Two Electronic Warfare aircraft that were extensively modified  P-3B Orions that supported the Fleet Electronic Warfare Support Group (FEWSG) . The aircraft were used as simulated adversary Electronic Warfare platforms in Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 33 (VAQ-33), then transferred to Patrol Squadron 66 (VP-66) and finally transferred to Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron 11 (VQ-11).

Operators

Current operators

Japan
 Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force – 5 EP-3

United States
 United States Navy
 Active squadrons
 VQ-1 based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island
 Former squadrons
 VQ-2 was based at Naval Station Rota, Spain until 2006 when it moved to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (disestablished on 17 May 2012).

Specifications (EP-3E-II – P-3C as indicated)

See also

 Chinese espionage in the United States

References

Further reading
 Winchester, Jim, ed. Military Aircraft of the Cold War (The Aviation Factfile). London: Grange Books plc, 2006. .

External links

 P-3C fact file  and P-3 history page on U.S. Navy site 
 
 NASA Wallops Flight Facility Aircraft Office operators of the NASA P-3
 EP-3E on CombatAircraft.com

P-003, E
1960s United States military reconnaissance aircraft
Four-engined tractor aircraft
Low-wing aircraft
Four-engined turboprop aircraft
Signals intelligence
Lockheed P-3 Orion
록히드 EP-3(Lockheed EP-3)는 미국의 록히드 마틴이 제작한 SIGINT 정찰기이다. P-3 오라이온 해상초계기를 개조한 것이다.

역사 

1960년대 후반과 1970년대 초반에 P-3C 해상초계기 12대가 신호정찰기로 개조되었다. ARIES(에리스, Airborne Reconnaissance Integrated Electronic System)라고 부른다.

업그레이드 된 EP-3E ARIES II는 1997년에 11대의 인도가 완료되었다.

EP-3 정찰기는 1969년 처음 실전에 배치됐으며 주로 적의 선박 간 또는 선박과 기지 간 통신을 도청하는 임무를 맡고 있다. EP-3는 길이가 31.8m, 폭(날개 포함)은 30m이며 24명이 탑승할 수 있고 한 번에 12시간 이상, 5555 km이상 장거리를 비행할 수 있다.

EP-3에는 지상 감시장비와 대잠 정찰장비, 지뢰 탐지장비, 각종 전자 도청 장비등 첨단 정찰장비를 탑재하고 있으며 하푼(Harpoon) 미사일과 MK-50 공중 어뢰, MK-60 공중어뢰 등 다양한 무기도 탑재할 수 있다.

미 해군은 현재 EP-3 9대로 편성된 2개 비행대를 운영하고 있으며 이중 1개 비행대는 미국 태평양연안에 기지를 두고 괌과 일본 등지에서 활동 중이며 다른 1개 비행대는 스페인에 기지를 두고 있다.

P-3 오라이온 해상초계기는 C-130 수송기, 히로시마 원폭을 투하한 B-29 폭격기와 비슷한 제원이다. 최대이륙중량 60-70톤, 프로펠러 엔진 4개를 장착한 점에서 셋 다 비슷하다. 2006년 12월, C-130는 미국 공군에서 50년간 계속 사용된 세 번째 비행기가 되었다. 2012년에는 P-3 오라이온이 50년간 미국 해군에서 사용된 비행기가 되었다.

관련보도 

2001년 4월 1일, 하이난섬 해안에서 미해군 EP-3E 에리스2 정찰기와 J-8 전투기(미그-21 개량형)가 충돌했다. J-8 전투기 조종사 왕웨이(王偉)가 사망했다. EP-3은 하이난섬에 불시착했다. 승무원 24명은 안전했다.

오키나와 가데나 공군기지에서 이륙한 미해군 EP-3E 에리스2 정찰기가 하이난섬 남동쪽 공해상에 진입하자 J-8 전투기 2대를 출격시켜 영공 침해를 경고했다. 이 과정에서 전투기 1대가 EP-3와 충돌했다. 미군 EP-3E 정찰기는 엔진 2개와 프로펠러 1개, 그리고 동체 앞 부분이 부서진 채 하이난섬에 비상 착륙했으나 승무원 24명 전원은 무사했다.

중국은 하이난(海南)섬에 억류중인 EP-3 미국 해군정찰기를 해체해 송환하기로 미국측과 합의했다. 승무원 24명은 11일간 중국에 억류되어 있다가 석방되었다. 영국 BBC는 이번 사건이 미국 정보당국에게는 40년 전 소련에 격추된 U-2 사건 이후 가장 심각한 사건이라고 보도했다.

2001년 6월 15일, 록히드 마틴 기술자 12명으로 구성된 해체팀이 하이난섬 링수이 공군기지에 도착, 3주일 정도 미해군 EP-3E 에리스2 정찰기를 해체한 다음, 러시아 안토노프 An-124 수송기 3대로 미국에 가져갈 계획이다. 오키나와 가데나 공군기지에 수송기가 도착해 대기중이다. 미국 화물기의 하이난섬 착륙은 거부되어서 러시아 수송기를 이용했다.

2016년 5월 17일, 중국 J-11 전투기 2대가 남중국해 북쪽에서 정찰임무 중인 미 해군 EP-3E 에리스2 정찰기에 50피트(15.24m)까지 접근해 위협을 가했다고 미 국방부가 밝혔다. EP-3 조종사는 충돌을 피하기 위해 고도를 수백 피트 아래로 낮췄다. J-11 전투기는 한국의 F-15K 전투기로서, 중국 공군의 주력 대형 전투기이다.

2017년 7월 24일, 한국 서해와 동중국해 사이의 공역을 비행 중이던 미 해군 소속 EP-3E 에리스2 정찰기 아래로 중국군 청두 J-10 전투기 두 대가 전속력으로 비행해온 뒤 속도를 줄이며 전방을 가로막았다. 미국 국방부의 한 관계자는 "청두 J-10 전투기가 미군 정찰기에 91m까지 접근했다"고 로이터 통신에 전했다. 중국 전투기들은 무장한 상태였으며, 차단 작전이 펼쳐진 곳은 중국의 칭다오에서 148 km 떨어진 지점이다. 청두 J-10 전투기는 한국의 KF-16 전투기로서, 중국 공군의 주력 중형 전투기이다.

사용국가 
  - 해상자위대 5대
  - 미국 해군 11대
 VQ-1 비행대대
 VQ-2 비행대대

제원 
일반 특성
 승무원: 22명 이상
 길이: 105 ft 11 in (32.28 m)
 날개폭: 99 ft 6 in (30.36 m)
 높이: 33 ft 7 in (10.27 m)
 날개면적: 1300 ft2 (120.8 m2)
 경하중량: 77,200 lb (35,000 kg)
 탑재화물: 57,800 lb (26,400 kg)
 만재중량: 135,000 lb (61,400 kg)
 최대이륙중량: 142,000 lb (64,400 kg)
 엔진: 4 × 앨리슨 T56-A-14 터보프롭, 4,600 shp (3,450 kW) each
 프로펠러: 4엽 해밀턴 스탠다드 프로펠러, 엔진당 1개
 프로펠러 직경: 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m)
성능
 최고속도: 780 km/h (420 knots, 485 mph)
 항속속도: 650 km/h (350 knots, 405 mph)
 거리: 3,000 nm (3452 mi / 5,556 km)
 운용고도: 30,000 feet (9,150 m)

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각주 

시진트
EP-3
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