Japan will build 30 more Lockheed P-3C planes.

Japan’s defense agency has signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Department of Defense for the procurement of the additional Lockheed-California Co. P-3C Orion anti-submarine aircraft. Lockheed officials said the document brings the total number of Orions in service or on order by Japan to 75, extending the original 1979 memorandum that authorized 45 P-3Cs. Most will be built under license by Japan’s Kawasaki Heavy Industries at its Gifu production facility. Lockheed said that, in addition to receiving licensing fees, it will receive $1.5 million per plane for P-3Cs components and subsystems for planes to be built in Japan.