Southern skies tragedy: P‑3 Orion crash shakes South Korea Navy
On 29 May 2025, a P-3 Orion patrol aircraft belonging to the South Korean Navy with four crew members on board crashed into a mountain in the southeastern city of Pohang. Here is what is known about the accident and the aircraft involved.
According to the Yonhap agency, the P-3 Orion, operated by the South Korean Navy (ROKN), took off for a training mission from the airbase in Pohang at 05:43 GMT. It crashed nearby under circumstances that remain unclear, according to an ROKN spokesperson. The most significant loss for ROKN lies not in the aircraft itself, but in the potential loss of its four crew members. It takes many years to train such specialised personnel.
P-3 Orion — a crucial, yet limited asset for ROKN
The P-3 Orion aircraft, introduced into service with ROKN in 2010, are specialised reconnaissance and patrol machines designed to combat submarines. They are constructed by Lockheed Martin, based on the Lockheed L-188 Electra passenger aircraft.
ROKN acquired eight of these aircraft, but only seven were in service following modernisation by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). After the accident, this number will decrease to six, representing a significant loss for South Korea.
Structurally, the P-3 Orion dates back to the 1960s. However, over the decades, while the exterior remained largely the same, the interior was upgraded with modern equipment. This includes advanced optoelectronic systems capable of recording images in both daylight and infrared, as well as radar systems and sonar buoys, along with the necessary equipment for data analysis.
Furthermore, the aircraft can carry a load of torpedoes, AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles, depth charges, or naval mines either in the fuselage hold or on pylons under the wings. The main task of these aircraft is to conduct a thorough search in areas of suspected enemy submarine activity, direct friendly units to these locations, or monitor the perimeter around its fleet.
