South Korea will receive the first batch of MH-60R Seahawk helicopters from U.S. aerospace and defense manufacturer Lockheed Martin within this year. 

The South Korean Navy announced on Wednesday that the first batch will arrive in the country in December.

In 2020, South Korea decided to purchase 12 MH-60R Seahawk helicopters in a 960 billion won project to improve the Navy’s anti-submarine warfare capabilities.

The Seahawk's greatest strengths are its long endurance and range. It can remain airborne for four hours and has a flight range of 834 kilometers, making it superior to the Navy’s current fleet of Wildcat and Lynx helicopters.

The new helicopters, along with the Poseidon P-8A maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft that arrived in June, are expected to become the core of the country’s maritime capabilities.