Lockheed Martin delivered the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's sixth Mid-Life Upgraded P-3 Orion on Friday, Nov. 9, about 40 days ahead of schedule. This upgrade was completed in 11 months.

"This airplane will join the CBP fleet that has been instrumental, through third quarter this year, in interdicting more than 82,000 pounds of cocaine from crossing U.S. borders," said Ray Burick, Lockheed Martin vice president of P-3 Programs and Greenville Operations.

"Our team is extremely proud of our partnership with the CBP and being able to provide them a quality asset to effectively protect our borders."

The MLU replaces all fatigue life-limiting structures with enhanced-design components and incorporates a new metal alloy that is five times more corrosion resistant than the original material, greatly reducing the cost of ownership for P-3 operators.

The MLU solution removes current aircraft flight restrictions and extends the structural service life of the P-3 up to 15,000 hours, adding more than 20 years of operational use.