South Korea to Deploy Surveillance Aircraft and Mine-Clearing Team Near Hormuz

World 09:33 AM - 2026-11-05

U.S. forces patrol the Arabian Sea near the Iranian-flagged cargo ship M/V Touska on April 20, 2026.

South Korea plans to expand its anti-piracy naval mission towards the Strait of Hormuz, adding a maritime patrol aircraft, an explosives ordnance disposal team and unmanned mine-clearing equipment to help protect international shipping routes.

South Korea's Ministry of National Defence announced on Thursday that the government intends to expand the operational area of its Cheonghae naval unit, which currently operates in the Gulf of Aden, to waters south of Oman in the Arabian Sea.

The proposed expansion includes deploying a P-8A maritime patrol aircraft, a specialised explosives ordnance disposal (EOD) team and unmanned surface and underwater vehicles, alongside remotely operated equipment for detecting and clearing sea mines.

The unit's personnel ceiling is also expected to increase from 320 to 395, with an additional 75 personnel assigned to the expanded mission.

According to South Korean officials, the proposed deployment aims to protect commercial shipping, safeguard South Korean citizens and support freedom of navigation along international maritime routes.

However, Seoul stressed that the operation would remain non-combat in nature and would not involve participation in the ongoing war between the United States and Iran.

The expanded operational area will cover international waters south of Oman, outside the Strait of Hormuz. The proposed deployment does not authorise the surveillance aircraft to monitor Iranian territory or territorial waters.

The government must obtain parliamentary approval before implementing the expanded mission. South Korean officials also said that any future operation to clear mines inside the Strait of Hormuz would require separate parliamentary authorisation and appropriate security conditions, including an end to the conflict or an agreement between Washington and Tehran.

The announcement comes amid heightened tensions in the region and concerns over disruptions to maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which approximately one-fifth of the world's oil supplies normally pass.

Iran has warned South Korea against involvement in military operations related to the waterway, while Seoul maintains that its proposed contribution is intended to protect commercial shipping rather than become involved in the conflict.

The Cheonghae unit was established in 2009 and has since conducted anti-piracy operations and escorted commercial vessels in the Gulf of Aden.


PUKMEDIA