[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Australian Urea Solution Transport Likely to Deploy 'Aerial Refueling Aircraft'

Urgent Field Supply of 200,000 Liters of Diesel Exhaust Fluid Held by Military Under Review
Some Argue Military Stockpile Distribution in Emergencies Is Inappropriate

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Military authorities are expected to deploy the multi-purpose aerial refueling transport aircraft KC-330 ‘Cygnus’ within this week to urgently transport Australian-made urea solution.

On the 8th, a military official said, “The 20,000 liters of urea solution to be imported from Australia can be loaded onto one military transport aircraft, but issues such as passing through Australian airspace remain under final coordination.”

Initially, the Air Force considered the C-130J (Super Hercules) transport aircraft, but it was excluded from the transport operation because mid-air refueling would be necessary to reach Australia.

The KC-330, which is expected to be deployed for this Australian urea solution airlift, was introduced in 2019 to perform missions such as fighter refueling, transporting citizens during overseas disasters and calamities, transporting cargo and personnel for overseas deployed units, and supporting international peacekeeping activities. Currently, four units are in operation.

The KC-330 has a wingspan of 60.3m, length of 58.8m, and height of 17.4m. Except for the fuel tanks and rear refueling equipment, the rest is identical to a passenger aircraft, capable of transporting up to about 300 personnel and 47 tons of cargo. Its maximum speed is Mach 0.86, maximum cruising altitude is approximately 12,600m, and maximum range is about 15,320 km.

In June last year, the KC-330 carried out the mission of repatriating the remains of South Korean soldiers from the Korean War, which were excavated in North Korea and transferred to Hawaii, USA. In July, it was deployed for the repatriation of Cheonghae Unit members who were collectively infected with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

In August, it transported the remains of General Hong Beom-do from Kazakhstan to South Korea and also carried out the ‘Miracle’ operation, safely transporting Afghan collaborators who had helped Korea back to the country.

Meanwhile, the military is understood to be reviewing a plan for the government to release part of the military’s stockpile of urea solution to emergency sectors amid the shortage crisis. The amount under consideration is up to 200 tons, approximately 200,000 liters. This is about ten times the volume of 20,000 liters that the government plans to urgently airlift from Australia.

The Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps are reportedly stockpiling several months’ worth of urea solution based on the number of new diesel engine vehicles requiring it. It is believed that even if some of the stockpile is released to the civilian sector, there will be no significant disruption to immediate mission execution.

However, due to the military’s nature of needing to prepare for emergencies, criticism is expected that it is inappropriate for the government to tap into the military’s stockpile. Additionally, considering that the civilian sector’s monthly urea solution demand currently reaches about 20,000 tons, the 200 tons of military stockpile being discussed is considered insufficient to fully address the urgent shortage.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.