EP-3 ARIES II Poster - Naval Signals Intelligence Reconnaissance Aircraft

The Lockheed EP-3E Aries II was the United States Navy's only land-based signals intelligence reconnaissance aircraft, a highly modified version of the P-3 Orion maritime patrol airframe packed with electronic surveillance equipment designed to intercept, record, and analyze enemy communications and electronic emissions from standoff distances. Where the standard P-3 hunts submarines, the EP-3E hunts signals: the radar emissions of surface-to-air missile systems, the communications traffic of naval headquarters, the electronic fingerprints of military units preparing to move. Flying with a crew of 24, including linguists, cryptographers, and systems operators alongside the flight crew, the Aries II could operate for over 12 hours on a single mission, covering thousands of miles of contested maritime and littoral environments.

The EP-3E's most memorable moment was involuntary. On April 1, 2001, a VQ-1 Aries II collided with a Chinese Navy J-8II fighter over the South China Sea approximately 70 miles from Hainan Island. The J-8 pilot was killed; the EP-3E, severely damaged, made an emergency landing at a Chinese military airfield on Hainan without authorization. The 24 crew members were detained for 11 days while the aircraft was searched by Chinese intelligence personnel, a significant loss of signals intelligence equipment and methods. The incident became one of the defining early foreign policy crises of the George W. Bush administration. After 55 years of operational service, the final EP-3E completed its last flight on February 13, 2025, at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington, marking the end of the Navy's manned land-based reconnaissance aviation.

Our prints are museum-quality posters made on thick matte paper. They add a wonderful accent to your room or office and are sure to brighten any environment.

• Paper thickness: 10.3 mil
• Paper weight: 189 g/m²
• Opacity: 94%
• ISO brightness: 104%
• Paper is sourced from Japan

We print your poster especially for you once you place an order, which is why it takes us a bit longer to deliver it to you. Printing our posters on demand instead of in bulk helps reduce overproduction. Thank you for your understanding and making thoughtful purchasing decisions!