Korean Air will take charge of the performance upgrade project for the Navy’s P-3C maritime patrol aircraft. This follows its securing of the depot maintenance contract for the new P-8A maritime patrol aircraft in August, expanding its role to include upgrades for aging patrol planes. The company is expected to establish competitiveness in the next-generation maritime patrol aircraft program, which is estimated at 5 trillion won.
According to industry sources on the 9th, Korean Air received notification that it had been selected as the preferred bidder for the P-3C maritime patrol aircraft performance upgrade project by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. Korean Air was the sole participant in this bid, and a contract is expected to be signed within the year. The project budget is 138.877 billion won.
The core of this project is replacing the aging communication systems on the P-3C maritime patrol aircraft operated by the Navy. It involves replacing the existing Joint Maritime Tactical Data Link (Link-11) with the next-generation system (Link-22), and applying the next-generation frequency-hopping method (SATURN), which enhances resistance to radio interference, to air-to-ground communication radios.
Korean Air previously signed a depot maintenance contract for the new P-8A maritime patrol aircraft with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration in August. Depot maintenance involves disassembling an aircraft to inspect and repair major components and the airframe’s condition. Through this project, Korean Air has expanded its business scope from maritime patrol aircraft maintenance to performance upgrades.
Korean Air is expected to use this project as a springboard to participate in the next-generation maritime patrol aircraft introduction program, estimated at 5 trillion won. The Navy raised the need for new patrol aircraft early this year to replace aging models and strengthen its capabilities. Currently, options such as additional imports of foreign-made aircraft and domestic development are being discussed. If domestic production is pursued, a competitive landscape between Korean Air and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) is anticipated.
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