S. Korea Readies Viking Anti-submarine Planes
By Aiswarya Lakshmi
Monday, September 7, 2015
South Korea is moving ahead to introduce refurbished S-3 Viking anti-submarine warfare (ASW) planes to counter threats from North Korea, Yonhap reported quoting a military source.
The proposal to incorporate 12 former U.S. Navy Vikings into service was approved late last month by a military program review group, say sources.
The latest development comes after the Navy proposed taking over 20 Vikings that have been kept in storage since 2009 to shore up the country's detection and attack capabilities against Pyongyang's submarine fleet.
The twin-turbofan powered planes served as the primary ASW platforms aboard U.S. aircraft carriers.
Such planes can augment South Korea's 16 four-engined P-3 Orion aircraft fleet as well as helicopters like the Lynx and Super Lynx. They can, moreover, bolster the country's short-range airborne ASW capabilities that have been left vacant after the retirement of the S-2 Tracker aircraft.