South Korea begins search for replacement for aging P-3CK patrol aircraft

South Korea's navy plans to retire its seven Lockheed P-3CK Orion maritime patrol aircraft in 2030 and is moving toward buying a replacement, according to a navy proposal reported by Yonhap.

The new aircraft would be acquired under a maritime patrol aircraft-iii requirement and enter service in the mid-2030s. The Joint Chiefs of Staff is expected to decide on the acquisition by the end of 2026.

The navy operates 15 Lockheed P-3s in total: eight P-3C-III+ aircraft and seven P-3CKs, according to the aviation analytics company Cirium. The P-3CKs average 60.3 years old; the P-3C-III+ aircraft average 31.1 years.

Industry sources said at the Seoul ADEX show in 2025 that the navy had a tentative requirement for six new maritime patrol aircraft.

The possible MPA III buy follows the start of operations with six Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft. The P-8A is likely to be a candidate. At Seoul ADEX, Embraer also floated conceptual maritime patrol variants of its E190 E2 regional jet and C-390 tactical transport; South Korea already has three C-390s on order. KAI promoted a possible MPA based on a large business jet, with four wing hardpoints for weapons and a fairing under the fuselage for internal torpedo carriage.

Fleet commonality might point to another P-8A purchase, but South Korea places strong emphasis on building its own aerospace industry, leaving room for a locally designed and produced aircraft.

The P-3 fleet is returning to service gradually after a fatal P-3CK crash in May 2025 that killed four crew. Investigators could not establish the exact cause.