Seoul: The Navy on Thursday began operating its new fleet of P-8A "Poseidon" maritime patrol aircraft tasked with detecting underwater North Korean threats, officials said. Since their arrival in South Korea last year, the Navy has made preparations for the operational deployment of the six aircraft, such as flight drills and pilot and mechanic training.
According to Yonhap News Agency, with the preparations complete, all six aircraft, manufactured by U.S. defense giant Boeing, have been assessed fit for operations and will take part in anti-submarine, anti-surface ship, and maritime patrol missions. The Navy acquired the aircraft as part of efforts to replace its aging fleet of P-3 patrol aircraft and better detect North Korean submarines and other maritime threats.
The P-8A has a maximum speed of 907 kilometers per hour, compared with the P-3's top speed of 749 kph. It is also armed with anti-ship guided missiles and torpedoes that can strike surface targets and submarines, as well as around 120 sonobuoys that can detect, identify, and track enemy submarines.
The deployment comes after a P-3 plane fatally crashed in May, killing all four crew members on board. Authorities are conducting an investigation into the cause of the crash.