The Lockheed EP-3E was a modified version of the P-3 Orion anti-submarine aircraft.

As a highly sophisticated electronic intelligence aircraft it has served the US Navy from the early 1970s to the present.

The Lockheed P-3 Orion’s large fuselage and versatility made it the ideal airframe for an electronic intelligence aircraft to replace the earlier Lockheed EC-121M from the early 1970s.

One EP-3A and two EP-3Bs were produced and so successful that they were replaced by ten EP-3Es (converted from existing P-3As) that served through the 1980s.

In turn, they were replaced by twelve more advanced EP-3E, called Aires IIs, (convetrted from P-3Cs) that served through the 1990s and into the 2000s.

EP-3Es have served in many US actions including Bosnia and the wars with Iraq.

This model represents an EP-3E flown by the US Navy squadron VQ-1 in the 1980s

Hasegawa 1/72 kit with Super Scale decals completed by Leigh Edmonds in September 2008.