Lockheed Martin to Produce New Wings and Service Life Extension Kits for P-3 and CP-140 Aircraft

MARIETTA, Ga., Nov. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT - News) will open a new outer wing production line at its Marietta, Ga. facility supporting service life extension of the P-3 and CP-140 aircraft around the world.

"Interest in extending the service life of the world's P-3 and CP-140 fleet has increased as a result of the P-3 Structural Life Assessment Program (SLAP)," said Rick Kirkland, head of Lockheed Martin's Maritime Surveillance Enterprise. The SLAP program, a full scale fatigue test, equivalent to two additional lifetimes, benchmarked the P-3 airframe and revealed that the P-3 was accumulating fatigue damage faster than had been previously believed. "With many of the P-3 aircraft in operation now reaching their service life limits sooner than expected, and with no affordable replacement maritime patrol aircraft available, a service life extension is the only way for nations to maintain this vital operational capability," said Kirkland.

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