 A P-3CK, with a 30.37 meter wingspan and 35.61 meters long, equipped with four turbo engines. With its maximum speed of 761 kilometers an hour, it covers 3,835 kilometers in its operational work radius. |
The Navy has deployed 5 more patrol planes, exclusive for detecting submarines, in the East and West Sea of the Korean Peninsula, a local daily reported in its Tuesday edition. So far, a total of 11 anti-submarine patrol aircraft have been deployed by the Navy.
“The Navy placed five P-3CKs ― modified from the U.S. version ― into operation on New Year’s Day to enhance anti-submarine capabilities, following the sinking of a warship by a North Korean submarine in the West Sea in March last year,” the JoongAng Daily quoted a Navy officer as saying. So far, the patrol plane fleet has been composed of eight P-3Cs and three P-3CKs.
“Sonar and other submarine detecting devices are on destroyers and patrol boats but they have limited capabilities,” he said. “We will be able to closely check every movement of North Korean submarines in the East and West Sea after the additional patrol planes have been deployed.”
The planes also participated in the joint Korea-U.S. military drill, named Invincible Spirit, conducted in July last year on the East Sea and other anti-submarine exercises thereafter.
It is understood that the Navy has put the patrol planes into military operations, earlier than scheduled, as North Korea is forecast to engage in more provocations this year.
The Navy set up its plan to import 16 P-3C, anti-submarine patrol planes, in 1995 but only introduced eight P-3Cs due to a budget shortage. The remaining eight P-3CKs are the improved version of the P-3B, which were produced in 1966 and deployed by the United States. Each P-3CK has cost 61 billion won to improve its capabilities.
“The P-3CK is virtually new as it is improved, including the adoption of new devices, except for the body,” a Navy officer said. “It is top level in its capabilities as it is equipped with up-to-date equipment.”
‘북 잠수함 킬러’ 초계기 5대 증강
해군이 새해 들어 잠수함 탐지 전용인 해상 초계기 5대를 동•서해에 추가로 배치한 것으로 파악됐다. 이에 따라 해군이 실전배치 중인 해상초계기는 기존의 11대에서 16대로 늘어나게 됐다.
군 관계자는 3일 “지난해 3월 북한 잠수정에 의한 천안함 폭침 사건에 따라 잠수함 탐지 능력을 높이기 위해 1일 한국형 해상초계기(P-3CK) 5대를 작전배치한 것으로 안다”고 말했다. 해군 보유 해상초계기 16대의 기종은 P-3C 8대와 한국형 P-3CK 8대다.
군 관계자는 “구축함이나 초계함에도 소나 등의 잠수함 탐지 능력이 있으나 한계가 있다”며 “초계기를 추가 배치함에 따라 동해와 서해에서 북한 잠수함의 움직임을 집중 감시할 수 있게 됐다”고 말했다.
해상 초계기는 지난해 7월 동해에서 진행된 한•미연합훈련(‘불굴의 의지’)과 이후의 대잠 훈련 등에도 빠지지 않고 참가했다.
해군은 올해에도 북한이 추가로 도발할 가능성이 있다고 보고 해상 초계기의 전력화 시기를 앞당긴 것으로 파악됐다.
해군은 1995년 P-3C 대잠초계기 16대를 운용한다는 장기 계획을 세웠으나 예산 부족 등으로 P-3C 8대만 들여왔다. 나머지 P-3CK 8대는 미국이 66년 생산해 운영하던 P-3B의 성능을 개량한 것이다. 성능 개량 비용은 대당 610여억원이다. 군 관계자는 “해군에 인도된 P-3CK는 동체를 제외하고 모든 것을 새로 장착해 새것과 다름없다”며 “최신 장비를 탑재해 성능 면에서도 최고 수준”이라고 말했다.
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