The Plane and Crew

In the 1990s, the Navy had 12 Lockheed-Martin P-3Cs converted into EP-3E ARIES II aircraft. These new planes were designed to replace the aging ARIES I aircraft, which were built in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Modifications to the EP-3E began in 1996, and the last aircraft was delivered in 1997. EP-3Es have been used for reconnaissance in support of several military operations, including support of NATO forces in Bosnia and joint forces in Korea.

Photo courtesy GlobalSecurity.org

The EP-3E has four Allison T56-A14 turboprop engines, each generating 4,900 shaft horsepower to propel the plane to an average cruising speed of about 345 mph (555 kph). The four propellers, four-bladed Hamilton-Standard 54H60-77s, convert the engine's shaft horsepower into thrust. The plane is built with five fuel tanks, four wing tanks and one auxiliary tank. The auxiliary tank is a bladder-type tank located in the lower fuselage.

EP-3E Aries II
Wingspan	99 feet 6 inches (30.36 meters)
Height	34 feet 3 inches (10.42 meters)
Length	105 feet 11 inches (32.28 meters)
Engines	four Allison T56-A14 turboprop engines
Crew	24
Range	3,000 miles (4828 km) or 12 hours
Max. Speed	350 knots (402 mph / 648 kph)

The unarmed plane is operated by a 24-person crew, which includes three pilots, one navigator, three tactical evaluators, one flight engineer, equipment operators, technicians and mechanics. The plane has 19 crew stations and a total seating capacity of 24.

For more information on the EP-3E Aries II and related topics, check out the links on the next page.

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