<p>Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said the two surveillance aircraft were part of Pakistan's "strategic assets and we need them".<br /><br />"Besides five such planes (we are expecting from the US), we will talk to them (US) for handing over the two," Gilani said yesterday.<br /><br />The two aircraft were destroyed on May 23 by Taliban militants who had attacked the Mehran airbase where they were parked.<br /><br />Lockheed-Martin's P3C Orion is a four-engine turbo-prop, anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft.<br /><br />As a patrol aircraft, it is said to have advanced submarine detection sensors such as directional frequency and ranging sonobuoys and magnetic anomaly detection equipment.<br /><br />The planes can carry a mixed payload of weapons internally and on wing pylons.<br /><br />US had handed over two P3C Orion aircraft to Pakistan Navy in late April 2010. By 2012 Pakistan Navy is expected to take delivery of a total of eight P3C aircraft.</p>
<p>Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said the two surveillance aircraft were part of Pakistan's "strategic assets and we need them".<br /><br />"Besides five such planes (we are expecting from the US), we will talk to them (US) for handing over the two," Gilani said yesterday.<br /><br />The two aircraft were destroyed on May 23 by Taliban militants who had attacked the Mehran airbase where they were parked.<br /><br />Lockheed-Martin's P3C Orion is a four-engine turbo-prop, anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft.<br /><br />As a patrol aircraft, it is said to have advanced submarine detection sensors such as directional frequency and ranging sonobuoys and magnetic anomaly detection equipment.<br /><br />The planes can carry a mixed payload of weapons internally and on wing pylons.<br /><br />US had handed over two P3C Orion aircraft to Pakistan Navy in late April 2010. By 2012 Pakistan Navy is expected to take delivery of a total of eight P3C aircraft.</p>