File:EP-3B Orion of VQ-1 c1970.jpg
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A U.S. Navy Lockheed EP-3B Orion (BuNo 149678) of Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron VQ-1, circa in 1970. 149678 had been delivered as a P-3A to Patrol Squadron VP-44 on 29 October 1962. In May 1963, 3 P-3As (BuNo 149669, 149673, 149678) were obtained by the CIA from the U.S. Navy under Project STSPIN, as replacement aircraft for CIA's own covert operation fleet of Lockheed RB-69A Neptunes. Converted by Aerosystems Division of LTV at Greenville, Texas, the 3 P-3As were simply known as "black" P-3A under "Project Axial". Officially transferred from the USN to the CIA in June-July 1964, LTV Aerosystems converted the 3 aircraft to be both ELINT and COMINT platforms. The first of the 3 "black" P-3As arrived in Taiwan and was officially transferred to the ROCAF's top secret "Black Bat" Squadron on 22 June 1966. Armed with 4 AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles for self-defence, the 3 "black" P-3As flew peripheral missions along the PR China coast to collect SIGINT and air samples. When the project was terminated in January 1967, all 3 "black" P-3As were flown to NAS Alameda for long term storage. 2 of the 3 aircraft (149669 and 149678) were converted into the only 2 EP-3B versions 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 2 EP-3Bs were known as "Bat Rack", owing to their short period of service with Taiwan's "Black Bat" Squadron, were issued to US Navy's VQ-1 Squadron in 1969 and deployed to Da Nang, Vietnam. Later, the 2 aircraft were converted to EP-3E ARIES, along with 10 EP-3As. 149678 was finally retired on 10 January 1987. |
| Date | circa 1970 |
| Source | U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation photo No. 2011.023.113 |
| Author | U.S. Navy |
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This file is a work of a sailor or employee of the U.S. Navy, taken or made as part of that person's official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, it is in the public domain in the United States.
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| This file has been identified as being free of known restrictions under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights. | ||
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| current | 16:25, 10 August 2013 | | 1,893 × 1,102 (601 KB) | Cobatfor (talk | contribs) | == {{int:filedesc}} == {{Information |Description=A U.S. Navy Lockheed EP-3B ''Orion'' of Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron VQ-1, circa in 1970.<br>3 P-3A (BuNo 149669, 149673, 149678) were obtained by the CIA from the U.S. Navy under Project STSPIN in... |
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