In October 2003 Germany took the first steps towards buying Lockheed Martin P-3C CUP (Capability Upkeep Program) Orions from the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) when it signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) for the purchase of ten aircraft. Although at that time the Dutch Parliament had not decided to sell the Orions, the LoI prompted urgent discussions between Parliament and the Dutch Ministry of Defence (MoD). The outcome, on April 28, 2004, was a decision to sell the P-3s and to close RNLNAS (Royal Netherlands Naval Air Station) Valkenburg (the home of the P-3 fleet). Hardly two months later, on July 20, 2004, an agreement was reached for the sale of eight P-3C CUP Orions to Germany.
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