Goodbye to Grupo 22 P-3M Orions

On Friday 16 December 2022, after almost 50 years of service, the Ejército del Aire (EdA, (Spanish Air Force) said goodbye to the Lockheed P-3M Orion maritime patrol aircraft at Sevilla/Morón air base.

Grupo 22, which controls 221 Escadron, started to operate the Orion in July 1973, when three P-3As were delivered to the unit. In total the unit operated six model P-3A, all ex US Navy and delivered to Spain under a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract and five P-3B which were acquired from the Luftforsvaret (RNoAF, Royal Norwegian Air Force). Three P-3Bs were modified and upgraded to P-3M.

During the ceremony, for which former and current members of the unit were invited, the final active Orion, serial P.3M-12/22-35, was treated with a water salut.

Two older model Orions are preserved, one as a gate guard at Morón air base and one at the Museo de Aeronáutica y Astronáutica at Cuatro Vientos. It is not known yet what will happen to the remaining surviving aircraft. The task of the Orion will be taken over by an unknown number of Airbus Defence C295W aircraft in the near future.

Overview of the P-3 Orions once operated by the EdA, nowadays called Ejército del Aire y del Espacio (Spanish Air and Space Force):

model P-3A
P.3-1 (c/n 185-5123, FMS BuNo 152153), reregistered as P.3A-01, stored at Cuatro Vientos for future display with the museum
P.3-2 (c/n 185-5119, FMS BuNo 152149), crashed 08jul77
P.3-3 (c/n 185-5115, FMS BuNo 152145), preserved at Morón air base, marked as P.3-03/22-22
P.3-4 (c/n 185-5033, FMS BuNo 150507), returned to USA in October 1992, temporary stored at AMARC, sold to Chile as 402
P.3-5 (c/n 185-5036, FMS BuNo 150510), returned to USA in September 1991, sold to Aero Union as N917AU
P.3-6 (c/n 185-5039, FMS BuNo 150513), returned to USA in September 1991, sold to Aero Union as N920AU
P.3-7 (c/n 185-5042, FMS BuNo 150516), preserved at Cuatro Vientos as P.3-7/22-26
model P-3B and P-3M
P.3-08 (c/n 185-5264, ex Norway 583), reregistered P.3B-08, upgraded and registered P.3M-8, stored at Morón
P.3-09 (c/n 185-5301, ex Norway 599), reregistered P.3B-09, upgraded and registered P.3M-9, stored at Morón
P.3-10 (c/n 185-5302, ex Norway 600), reregistered P.3(B)-10, stored at Sevilla-San Pablo
P.3-11 (c/n 185-5303, ex Norway 601), reregistered P.3B-11, stored at Morón
P.3-12 (c/n 185-5304, ex Norway 602), reregistered P.3B-12, upgraded and registered P.3M-12, stored at Morón

Photo by Jose Rodriguez