Editing Lockheed P-3 Orion (section)

===Civilian uses===
[[File:Fox-firebase-aero union-N920AU-070904-02-24.jpg|thumb|Aero Union P-3A Orion taking off from [[General William J. Fox Airfield|Fox Field]], [[Lancaster, California|Lancaster]], California, to fight the North Fire]]

Several P-3s have been N-registered and are operated by civilian agencies. The [[US Customs and Border Protection]] has several P-3A and P-3B aircraft that are used for aircraft intercept and maritime patrol. [[NOAA]] operates two [[Lockheed WP-3D Orion|WP-3D]] variants specially modified for [[hurricane]] research. One P-3, N426NA, is used by [[NASA|National Aeronautics and Space Administration]] (NASA) as an Earth science research platform, primarily for the [[NASA]] [[Science Mission Directorate]]'s Airborne Science Program; it is based at [[Goddard Space Flight Center]]'s [[Wallops Flight Facility]], [[Virginia]].

Aero Union, Inc. operated eight secondhand P-3As configured as air tankers, which were leased to the [[U.S. Forest Service]], the [[California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection]] and other agencies for [[firefighting]] use. Several of these aircraft were involved in the [[U.S. Forest Service airtanker scandal]] but have not been involved in any catastrophic aircraft mishaps. Aero Union has since gone bankrupt, and their P-3s have been put up for auction.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=http://wildfiretoday.com/2012/01/01/aero-union-to-auction-their-p-3-air-tankers/|title=Aero Union to auction their P-3 air tankers|work=wildfiretoday.com|date=2 January 2012 |access-date=8 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120914055732/http://wildfiretoday.com/2012/01/01/aero-union-to-auction-their-p-3-air-tankers/|archive-date=14 September 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>