South Korea Might Acquire 4 Boeing P-8 Poseidon Anti-Submarine Patrol Aircraft

A senior government official told the JoongAng Ilbo that there is a possibility that the South Korean military would acquire four advanced antisubmarine patrol aircraft following the successful test-firing of a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) last week by North Korea.

The cutting-edge maritime surveillance aircraft being eyed by the military is said to be a Boeing P-8 Poseidon. It costs around 250 billion and 300 billion won (US $223-268 million) each jet. The U.S. Navy, as well as the Indian and Australian navies also possess the said antisubmarine patrol aircraft.

An article by Korea Joongang Daily mentioned that the official said, "North Korea is preparing a number of strategic ways to attack the South using its submarine fleet on top of the SLBM development. We are discussing whether to purchase the latest maritime patrol aircraft to detect North Korean submarines to prevent surprise attacks from underwater."

Last Wednesday, the SLBM from North Korea reached 500 kilometers before falling into waters in the Japanese territory. Because of this, the military of South Korea calls for the expansion of its surveillance range.

The official added, "Although we need to expand the reach of our surveillance in the aftermath of the SLBM success by the North, there are limits with the outdated antisubmarine patrol aircraft currently operated by the Navy."

Currently, South Korea's Navy has 16 P-3C patrol jets which were created in the 50s. The Navy has also been requesting for newer antisubmarine patrol jets since the Cheonan warship sinking in the Yellow Sea in March 2010. The accident claimed the lives of 46 sailors. The Navy is convinced that a North Korean submarine torpedoed the ship.

The Ministry of Defense is presently eyeing four P-8 Poseidon jets that can fly 4,500 miles without refueling. Those jets fly at altitudes of up to 41,000 feet and speeds up to 490 knots and are capable of shooting submarines of the enemies by using various weaponry such as air-dropped torpedoes as soon as they detect them. The maker of the P-8 Poseidon claims "it has twice the sonobuoy processing capability and can carry 30 percent more sonobuoys than any maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft currently flying."

One Navy official also expressed his thoughts saying, "We need to detect an enemy submarine when it surfaces in our waters., Doing so requires antisubmarine aircraft with wide surveillance coverage and high speeds. The P-8 Poseidon equipped with the latest detection technology can enhance our operational capability."