[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] 'Submarine Killer' Maritime Patrol Aircraft "Mission Ready"

Naval Aviation Command Maintenance Unit Visit
Maintenance in Progress After P-3C Maritime Patrol Aircraft Flight
Over 300 Maintenance Items... 40-50 Technicians Involved

As you enter the hangar of the 652 Maintenance Battalion of the Naval Aviation Command in Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do, maintenance is in full swing on a P-3C maritime patrol aircraft marked with the number '918'. Maintenance personnel on both wings of the patrol aircraft were closely inspecting the engines while securing cables connected to the hangar ceiling around their waists. Outside the maritime patrol aircraft, the soot on the exhaust pipes disassembled from the engine clearly showed traces of flight.

'Submarine Killer' Maritime Patrol Aircraft

The P-3C maritime patrol aircraft operated by our Navy is an aircraft that flies over the sea to detect and attack enemy submarines. Submarines, which move stealthily underwater to attack enemy vessels, have long been the most feared presence in naval warfare. Especially, German submarines were nearly invincible. To defeat German submarines during World War II, the United States developed maritime patrol aircraft such as the 'PV-1 Ventura' and 'PV-2 Harpoon'. At that time, submarines surfaced to replenish air and observe sea conditions, during which maritime patrol aircraft would bombard them. As submarine technology advanced, the functions of maritime patrol aircraft also diversified.

The P-3C is a powerful detection tool capable of detecting North Korea's Pukguksong-4 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) before launch. It is an upgraded version of the P-3, originally developed by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin) in the 1950s. Powered by four turboprop engines, the P-3C carries torpedoes and Harpoon missiles and can perform missions for over 12 hours. The Republic of Korea Navy also operates 16 P-3CKs, which are upgraded versions of the P-3C.

The P-3C is famously known as the 'archenemy of submarines.' It flies over vast ocean areas and immediately launches torpedoes to attack upon detecting submarines. For submarines, maritime patrol aircraft pose a deadly threat. In fact, the P-3C can stay airborne for about 16 hours and carry armaments weighing as much as an 8.5-ton truck. Its flight range is approximately 8,900 km.

In addition to sonobuoys, the P-3C is equipped with a Magnetic Anomaly Detector (MAD). These two sensory devices are used to detect submarines. The MAD uses magnetic fields. The Earth acts like a giant magnet, with a consistent magnetic field flowing between the South and North Poles. When a large metal object like a submarine passes through this magnetic field, it disturbs the field. The MAD detects these disturbances. This principle allows the P-3C to detect submarines without even a drop of water touching it.

Along with these devices, the P-3C carries a powerful spear to sink submarines: torpedoes. Torpedoes are underwater missiles that attack submarines by moving at about 85 km/h underwater and can strike submarines up to 10 km away. Additionally, the P-3C is equipped with anti-ship missiles to attack enemy vessels.

Maritime patrol aircraft adjust their flight altitude depending on the mission. In anti-submarine warfare, where they search for and attack submarines beneath the surface, they fly at low altitudes around 91.4 meters. Because of this, maritime patrol aircraft are prone to corrosion of the airframe and mechanical systems due to sea salt. Although corrosion from salt is not visible externally, over time it can compromise aircraft safety, making regular maintenance essential.

Aircraft maintenance is broadly divided into ▲unscheduled maintenance ▲scheduled planned maintenance ▲and depot maintenance. The aircraft numbered 918 undergoing maintenance at the Pohang Naval Base was in the middle of scheduled maintenance, which occurs every 32 weeks. There are over 300 items to inspect during the two-week maintenance period. Forty to fifty maintenance personnel are deployed for planned maintenance. The reporter also connected a cable to the waist and climbed onto the wing. The wing height is approximately 3 meters from the ground, and the cable is an essential safety device to prevent falls while inspecting inside the engine.

Inspection of Imaging Cables for Engine Microbalance Check

The first thing that caught the eye was maintenance personnel inserting more than half their bodies into the engine to inspect the interior using imaging cables. Maintenance personnel outside the engine monitored the inside through the cables. The screen magnified every corner inside the engine like an endoscopic examination. The maintenance personnel were highly attentive because missing even a tiny crack in the engine could cause the patrol aircraft to crash into the sea.

Inside the aircraft, the cockpit had only one pilot seat. Two other seats, including the co-pilot's, were removed to inspect the aircraft interior. Scheduled maintenance requires replacing all parts used for a certain period, exposing the aircraft's internal structure. Although the P-3C looks like a small civilian aircraft, it has no passenger seats. One side of the corridor-like passage houses computer servers, while the other side contains acoustic and non-acoustic control stations.

Maritime patrol helicopters use a 'Dipping Sonar' connected by a cable, which is lowered into the sea and dragged to capture underwater sounds. However, maritime patrol aircraft drop 'sonobuoys' into the sea. Sonobuoy is a portmanteau of SONAR (sound navigation and ranging) and buoy, referring to sonar devices that float on the sea like buoys. The P-3C can directly deploy sonobuoys into the sea to detect noises generated by submarines in addition to magnetic detection. They are consumables (whether they are subject to replacement is explained). Maritime patrol aircraft, which search vast areas, can simultaneously deploy sonobuoys throughout the operational area to monitor multiple locations at once.

Right next to the acoustic and non-acoustic control stations is a device for deploying sonobuoys into the sea. It looks like a small box. Sonobuoys perform missions underwater for 40 minutes to 5 hours before sinking.

The tires of maritime patrol aircraft are also subject to replacement. Until now, maintenance personnel have manually replaced the tires. However, due to safety concerns, the maintenance battalion developed tire replacement equipment last year. Moving and lifting the tires is now done swiftly. Maritime patrol aircraft typically replace all tires once a month. Because the tires must withstand the weight of missiles, bombs, and other armaments, their interiors are made of multiple layers of fiber cords. One tire for the maritime patrol aircraft costs about 1.5 million KRW. The four rear tires alone cost 6 million KRW.

Chief Aircraft Mechanic Seobow said, “Unlike other aircraft, maritime patrol aircraft fly just above the sea surface, so post-mission maintenance must include salt removal and other checks,” adding, “This is the secret to 40 years of accident-free flying covering 15.3 million kilometers.”

Additional Next-Generation Maritime Patrol Aircraft Poseidon to be Introduced by Next Year

The Navy plans to introduce six additional next-generation P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft by next year. The P-8A, which completed its first flight in 2009 by Boeing in the United States, is a modified B737 passenger aircraft. Equipped with two turbofan engines, the P-8A's top speed is over 100 km/h faster than the P-3C. It has a maximum speed of 907 km/h, a cruising range of 7,500 km, and an operational radius of about 2,200 km.

The greatest advantage of the P-8A is its excellent sensor fusion capability. It integrates information collected by radar, optical, infrared, and electronic detection equipment to locate enemy submarines. The AN/APY-10 X-band radar detects maritime targets up to 470 km away, and the AN/ALQ-213(V) electronic warfare system collects all radio waves above the sea surface.

In addition to torpedoes and Harpoon missiles, it can use precision-guided munitions such as the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM). It employs a hydrocarbon detection system to detect diesel submarine exhaust gases from long distances, enabling rapid deployment to suspected submarine activity areas. Equipped with powerful electronic warfare equipment, it can also perform reconnaissance missions.

Currently, there are few Western maritime patrol aircraft that can compete with the P-8A, and the P-8A is gradually expanding its operational scope. The U.S. Navy, which plans to purchase 130 units, intends to significantly enhance maritime surveillance capabilities through integration with the high-altitude maritime patrol unmanned reconnaissance aircraft MQ-4. India, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Norway, Australia, and Germany have also decided to acquire it.

Our Navy first acquired aircraft in 1951. The 'Aviation Section' organized at the Jinhae Naval Arsenal took over U.S. Air Force aircraft and used them as naval seaplane reconnaissance aircraft. This reconnaissance aircraft was the Navy's first aircraft, named 'Haechwiho (Sea Eagle)'. Subsequently, the Navy modified several aircraft such as Seohaeho (1954), Jehaeho (1957), and Tonghaeho (1958), and after the 'Fleet Aviation Group' in 1977, it advanced to the '6th Air Wing' in 1986. Last year, it was upgraded to the Aviation Command.

There have been many achievements. The Navy's S-2 maritime patrol aircraft played a key role in sinking the Geomundo spy ship (July 1978) and the Ulleungdo spy mother ship (August 1983). It also extended a helping hand overseas, such as in the search for the missing Malaysian passenger plane (May 2014) and the Indonesian passenger plane search operation (January 2015). The Naval Aviation Command continues to maintain accident-free flights. In February, the 615th Flight Squadron of the 6th Air Wing achieved a '40 years accident-free' flight record with the P-3 maritime patrol aircraft.

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