The South Korean government is deciding whether to acquire eight refurbished ex-US Navy Lockheed Martin P-3B Orions or to wait until 2005 when P-3C production may restart. A decision by Seoul in favour of used aircraft would deal a blow to Lockheed Martin's efforts to build the financial case for renewed P-3C production.
The South Korean navy has issued a formal request to the Ministry of National Defence (MND) for eight extra P-3Cs to bolster the eight it received in the mid-1990s for maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare. However, Seoul is reluctant to help fund the reopening of the P-3C line, which was shut in 1995.
Lockheed Martin is pinning its hopes on an early decision by Taiwan to proceed with the purchase of 12 new-build P-3C Update IIIs. Taipei submitted a request for pricing and availability data to the US Department of Defense after the US government cleared a P-3 sale to Taiwan.Taipei, however, is unlikely to have funding available before 2005.
The USN plans to brief Taiwan on the P-3C in October, but government sources say their priority is buying four ex-USN guided missile destroyers.
Source: Flight International
