Australia has received the first two of 18 AP-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft refitted by Raytheon to the Phase-2 configuration. This refit ($372 million for all 18 aircraft) includes a new mission computer, upgraded radars, new equipment for acoustic tracking and data processing, as well as new communications, navigation, and flight control equipment. Later upgrades are to include new datalinks, modern electro-optical night vision sensors, and a ground-based flight simulator. --Stephen V Cole