Between May 19 and July 12, 1966, three black Orions (148669, 149673 and 149678) were handed over to the Republic of China Air Force (RoCAF) (today known as Taiwan). The RoCAF flew them for a very short period in support of a covert CIA program. All CIA P-3 missions were called off as of January 25, 1967.
After all three were returned, two were converted to EP-3B (149669 – PR32 and 149678 – PR-31). As indicated in one of the related posts, the two EP-3B arrived in Japan in 1969, providing much needed relief to the overworked Willies (EC-121M).
The third buno (149673) was converted for another (non-SIGINT) special mission. Both of the EP-3Bs flew extensively for the remainder of the Vietnam War and long afterwards. Sometime in the early 1980s PR-31 went over 20,000 flight hours, making it one of the high time P-3s in the Navy (if not the highest), followed shortly thereafter by PR-32. Both continued to fly until the late 80s when they were retired and replaced by newer converted P-3s. So the PR-32 that landed in Hainan was not the original PR-32, but the replacement. The two Bravo birds (aka Batrack) had unique backends, different from the EP-3E ARIES later flown by VQ-1 and VQ-2.
Source: From Bats to Rangers (FAIRECONRON TWO)
Updated by LCDR Bob Morrison, USN retired
Station HYPO 
19 May 2019 at 11:18
There were actually three P-3A transferred to this program (149669, 149673 and 149678). After all three were returned, two were converted to EP-3B (149669 – PR32 and 149678 – PR-31). As indicated in one of the related posts, the two EP-3B arrived in Japan in 1969, providing much needed relief to the overworked Willies (EC-121M). The third buno (149673) was converted for another (non-SIGINT) special mission. Both of the EP-3Bs flew extensively for the remainder of the Vietnam War and long afterwards. Sometime in the early 1980s PR-31 went over 20,000 flight hours, making it one of the high time P-3s in the Navy (if not the highest), followed shortly thereafter by PR-32. Both continued to fly until the late 80s when they were retired and replaced by newer converted P-3s. So the PR-32 that landed in Hainan was not the original PR-32, but the replacement. The two Bravo birds (aka Batrack) had unique backends, different from the EP-3E ARIES later flown by VQ-1 and VQ-2.
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20 May 2019 at 04:15
Pretty sure all the conversion work was done by Air America at Greenville, Texas.
It was part of E-Systems, which also built the several versions of the RC135 including the Rivet Joint, Cobra Ball, and Combat Sent.
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22 May 2019 at 02:01
Backend gear (at least the NSG part) was Ling Temco Voight (LTV) which I think later evolved into E-Systems (Guy, weigh in here!). The VHF receiver used was the G-175J, which in many ways was similar to the R-1279 (built by CEI and later W-J). In addition to the receivers, there were reel-to-reel recorders that used standard 7″ reels, and a specialized demodulator. All of this stuff was LTV and did not carry a standard JAN designator. I never encountered this gear anywhere else in the Navy, only on the EP-3B.
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22 May 2019 at 08:12
LTV ELECTRONIC Systems became E-Systems, which ran Air America
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23 November 2022 at 03:16
I just wrote a long, long note on the early history of the EP-3A/B program. Did I lose it or did it make it to you?
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23 November 2022 at 03:57
Following is from long-term memory storage. Treat accordingly. I think accurate.
Of the prototype P-3s (I think 32), three were sold to another agency for (I recall) $2.5M and stricken from Navy list. They were later offered back to us, for free, but full of classified equipment. The previous owners had modified them, the work being done by LTV Greenville.
OpNav wrote a requirement that was quite unusual: Aircraft must operate for eight hours at 25,000 feet at 1000 miles from base. All other requirements were delegated to NavMat and NavAir. Due to distortions through the aft portion of the teardrop radomes on the EC-121s, we specified a symmetrical main radome.
Two early problems. First a NavAir instruction for un-striking aircraft was needed. Then, what BuNos to give them. The maint folk said must give them their original BuNos. So it was done.
Under the lead of Lt. Ralph M the detail requirements were developed and were released for competition between LTV Greenville and Lockheed Burbank. LTV was doing our other modifications after Martin went out of business and LVT Garland was sole source for most of our custom electronics, while Lockheed was the airframe mfgr and really wanted into our business.
LTV proposed an assymmetrical radome, knowing it was still better than anything we had previously, and flying on two engines, standard Navy practice for P-3s, with a price of about $2.5M for the three modifications. Lockheed’s proposal just made you drool – a 12 foot symmetrical radome mounted on jacks so it could be extended further below the fuselage when in flight. Plane to fly on four engines, with a package price of about $3.5 million.
Lt Ralph M set up a bidders meeting with LTV on one side of the room and Lockheed’s team on the other side. During the LTV presentation a Lockheed engineer interrupted, saying roughly “That plane will not fly at 25,000 feet at that gross weight on two engines.” LTV did not rebut him and later the P-3 office confirmed his comment was correct. I would make good use of this fact.
Back then we needed full funding before we could prepare any procurement documents. And, of course, we had no money. Ralph M told EM, the NavAir Comptroller that if she every had $3.5M in spare change, I had good use for it. A few weeks later, I recall at 1100, Elanore called and said “I have your money Orv. Can you spend it by COB today?” “I don’t think so, but I’ll try.” By COB I had everything on the desk of the Asst Sec of the Navy, by 0900 the next morning I had it into Contracts Division, and by noon we had a signed, sealed contract, for an entirely new aircraft type, competitively awarded to the high bidder.
There were a couple of more things that came up while I was still there.
The tail on one a/c was crooked by one degree. Lockhheed’s no-cost solution was to jack the tail up, wrinkling the fuselage. We needed to add another escape hatch. Weld the hatch in where the wrinkle appeared. The wrinkle would be permanent and the tail would be straight. Problem was caused by LTV having added a cargo hatch for the previous owners and not properly jacking up the plane when they did the work.
Safety called – “You have a problem.” They never have a problem when they call. The worst case one engine out rate of climb was -150 FPM and Navy regs require it to be positive. Lockheed suggested replacing the -10 engines with -14s. They had the engine mount kits in stock. We could requisition the 12 engines while returning the -10s. Someone in the P-3 world was probably really POed. Change was weight-neutral as the -10s were water injected and the -14s were not. The wings were still open so the tanks and plumbing were also removed.
Now we had three EP-3As with P-3B wing spars, landing gear and struts, engines, and engine mounts. It was decided to reclassify them as EP-3Bs.
At this point I was transferred to another project and lost track of the three a/c.
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