South Korea to send P-8A patrol plane and mine-clearing team to waters south of Oman

South Korea's defence ministry said on November 5 that it plans to reinforce the Cheonghae naval unit with a P-8A maritime patrol aircraft and an explosive ordnance disposal team, extending its area of operations from the Gulf of Aden to waters south of Oman, according to Yonhap.

The plan also includes unmanned mine-clearing systems and 75 additional personnel, bringing the unit to 395. The mission is described as non-combat and independent of allied forces, and the aircraft would be barred from monitoring Iranian territory or the interior of the Strait of Hormuz.

Mines as the main threat

The decision comes in a week in which Iran's Revolutionary Guards claim that at least six tankers and a tugboat have struck mines or caught fire south of the strait. South Korea imports much of its oil from the Gulf, and its shipping depends on safe passage through the Arabian Sea.