Korean People's Air Force

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The Korean People's Air Force (aka North Korean Air Force) is the air force of North Korea. It equipped mainly with Soviet-era and non-vital Chinese technology. When the People's Army Group was formed, the aviation unit became its air force branch on August 20, 1947. North Korea celebrates August 20 as the Air Force Foundation Day.

As of 2007, North Korea's airforce comprises about 1,200 - 1500 aircraft and 110,000 personnel, about twice the number of aircraft as the South, though the operational status of many of these aircraft is unknown. Most of its aircraft are obsolete Soviet and Chinese models, but it has been modernizing since the 1980s, acquiring relatively new aircraft such as the MiG-29. North Korea does not manufacture its own aircraft, although it does produce spare parts for many of its aircraft. The small village named Tokhyon on the way to Uiju from Sinuiju is the home to North Korea"s largest munitions factory that produces aircraft. There is another aircraft plant in a suburb of Chongjin, North Hamgyong province. An assessment by US analysts GlobalSecurity.org reported that the air force "has a marginal capability for defending North Korean airspace and a limited ability to conduct air operations against South Korea."^[1]

Contents 1 History 2 Organization 3 Personnel 4 Training 5 Operational doctrine 6 Aircraft Inventory 7 Aircraft subtypes and capabilities 7.1 Soviet/Russian AAM 7.2 Chinese AAM 8 Air Defense 9 Major air bases 9.1 Northwest 9.2 West Coast and Pyongyang 9.3 DMZ area 9.4 East Coast 9.5 Far Northeast 10 Defections 11 See also 12 References 13 External links

[edit] History

Kim Il-sung set up the Aviation Association branches in Pyongyang, Sinuiju and other parts of the country right after the liberation of the country. In December Juche 34 (1945), he merged them into the Aviation Association of Korea. The air force became a separate service in 1948. In 1990-91, North Korea activated four forward air bases near the DMZ

[edit] Organization

Immediately subordinate to the KPAF commander are the Chief of Staff, Deputy Political Commander, Deputy Flight Commander, Deputy Technical Commander, Deputy Rear Service Commander, Deputy Air Defense Commander, military prosecution office and military justice office. The air staff consists of the following departments: Chemical, Communications, Construction, Cryptographic (classified materials), Engineer, Enlisted Personnel, Finance, a guard company, Medical, Meteorology, Officer (Cadre) Personnel, Operations, Ordnance, Reconnaissance (Intelligence) and Training. Each airfield has a commander, chief of staff, political deputy base commander, rear services deputy base commander and safety department commander. A typical airbase consists of a guard company, transport company, communications platoon, engineer platoon, fuel depot, supply depot, weather station, medical clinic, nursery and military store.

[edit] Personnel

The KPAF is estimated to possess a total strength of 110,000. Personnel for the KPAF are obtained through voluntary enlistment, conscription and assignments from other branches of the KPA. The selection criteria for the KPAF are higher than for the ground forces or navy. This has resulted in a force which is qualitatively above the national average in the level of education, technical proficiency, political reliability and ideological conviction. In general, Non-commander officers and privates of the KPAF are required to serve three years and those with technical specialisations serve four years. Officers serve for 20-30 years and are usually discharged only for physical disability, illegal activities or political reasons. All pilots are believed to be members of the Korean Workers' Party. Base pay is determined by duty assignment and rank rather than by rank alone. All officers receive longevity pay and pilots are given several additional allowances. Pilots receive a higher rate of flight pay for hours flown during adverse weather or at night. Enlisted ground crews receive only base pay. Air crews probably receive base pay plus small allowances. The pilots receive better treatment than officers of the same rank in the KPAF or equivalent ranks in the other armed forces. In spite of the severe shortage of food within North Korea during the 1990s, pilots - although they do not receive a full ration - had priority for food in their units. Pilots' food rations consisted in 2000 about 850 per day. This is was increased to 950 during periods of flight training. On national holidays pilots also receive special rations, including buckwheat and beef. Pilots receive an extra- clothing allowance, although alcohol and cigarettes are strictly rationed. Pilots and support personnel assigned to overseas deployments live in sharp contrast to their companions at home, enjoying the use of cars, television, refrigerators and easy access to food and consumer goods. The morale among the KPAF pilots is high relative to their ground force.

From 1978 to 1995 General Jo Myong-rok was the commander of the air force. In October 1995 he was promoted to vice-marshal and appointed Chief of the KPA General Political Bureau and a member of the Korean Workers' Party Central Military Committee. His place as commander of the Air Force was taken by Colonel General Oh Gum-chol.

[edit] Training

In general, pilot education is conducted under a plan by which fighter pilots are trained by the type of aircraft they will fly, then assigned to units having that type of aircraft. Transport and helicopter pilot training follows a similar pattern. The KPAF's two primary schools are the Kim Ch'aek Air Force Academy located at Chongjin and the Kyongsong Flight Officers School. In addition to these, there are a number of smaller specialized schools and courses. For example, during the mid 1990s the Kim Ch'aek Air Force Academy could not meet the demand for officers and so a short-term course was established at the KPAF headquarters located at Chunghwa-kun, Pyongyang-Si. It was a one year course for senior enlisted personnel which concentrated upon command and administration. Courses typically last four years. The majority of the cadets enrolled in the pilot training program are graduates of high schools or colleges and come from families with reliable political backgrounds.

[edit] Operational doctrine

Given North Korea's experience with heavy U.S. bombardments in the Korean War, its aim has been mainly to defend North Korean airspace. The heavy reliance on fighter aircraft, SAM and AAA reflects this. However, since some of North Korea's aircraft inventory consists of aging and obsolete Soviet and Chinese aircraft, the primary goal of the air force may have changed in the last years to providing ground support for the land forces and threatening South Korean population centers and military targets with a massive air attack. In this way, North Korea could try to maintain military parity with South Korea by using its air force as a deterrent, much like its ballistic missiles, instead of trying to maintain a technological parity in aircraft types for individual air to air roles. This seems to be confirmed by the recent redeployment of 120 mostly obsolete fighters, bombers and transport aircraft closer to the demilitarized zone, however they also have 440 modern aircraft near the DMZ. Keeping in mind the production, storage and use of a vast chemical, biological and possibly nuclear weapons inventory by North Korea, this change in doctrine is even more meaningful and significant. Given the small size of the country, and given the use of almost 500,000 motorized vehicles in the land force, the most important role of the air transport regiments, both fixed wing and rotary, would be to insert special operation forces and saboteurs into South Korea. The reliance on small, relatively agile, slow and 'terrain-hugging' types like the An-2 biplane and the Mi-2 helicopter corroborates this.

[edit] Aircraft Inventory

It is very difficult to create a reasonable overview of the North Korea Air Force aircraft inventory. There's only very limited information coming out of North Korea, and there are only very few credible sources of information on this subject on the internet or in the open literature. Since these sources do not completely agree with each other, it is best to take notice of all of them, and to accept a rather large margin of error. Although Google Earth or other satellite photography can be useful, it is best to keep in mind that North Korea has built very extensive underground storage facilities for its aircraft. Also it is very likely to use dummies to deceive aerial and satellite intelligence, and to create a diversion in case of hostilities. Although many of the aircraft in this inventory are obsolete and would not be of much use on a modern battlefield (citation needed: support roles have long been filled by obsolete aircraft), there are still reasons to believe they are kept in use, and until reliable sources suggest they aren't, they should be taken into account.

Aircraft	Origin	Type	In service (Source 1)	In service (Source 2)	Notes
Harbin H-5 / Ilyushin Il-28	China  Soviet Union	bomber	80	80	H-5 is a Chinese copy of Ilyushin Il-28 Beagle, some Soviet manufactured Il-28's are thought to be part of this number. , [2]
Shenyang F-5	Soviet Union  China	fighter	107	107	Chinese copy of Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 Fresco
Shenyang F-6	China	fighter	+100	100	Chinese copy of Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 Farmer
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21PF/PFM	Soviet Union	fighter	120	160
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21bis	Soviet Union	fighter	30	30	illegally imported from Kazakhstan in 1999
Chengdu F-7B	China	fighter	40	40 according to other sources	based on Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21F Fishbed-B
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21U	Soviet Union	fighter-trainer	?	30
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23ML	Soviet Union	fighter	46	46
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23P	Soviet Union	fighter-bomber	10	0?
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23UB	Soviet Union	fighter-trainer	0	10
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29	Soviet Union	fighter	35	35
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29UB	Soviet Union	fighter-trainer	5	5
Sukhoi Su-7BMK	Soviet Union	attack	18	18
Nanchang Q-5	China	attack	40	40
Sukhoi Su-25K	Soviet Union	attack	36	36	[3]
Sukhoi Su-25UBK	Soviet Union	attack-trainer	?	4
Aero L-39C	Czechoslovakia	trainer	12	12
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15UTI	Soviet Union	trainer	30	30
Nanchang CJ-6	China	trainer	187	180
Ilyushin Il-76MD	Soviet Union	transport	3	3	in service with Air Koryo
Tupolev Tu-154B-2	Soviet Union	airliner	4	4	in service with Air Koryo
Tupolev Tu-134A-3	Soviet Union	airliner	2	2	in service with Air Koryo
Tupolev Tu-204-300	Russia	airliner	1	1	in service with Air Koryo, 1 more on order
Ilyushin Il-62M	Soviet Union	airliner	4	2	2 more in service with Air Koryo
Ilyushin Il-18	Soviet Union	airliner	2	2	in service with Air Koryo?
Antonov An-24	Soviet Union /  Ukraine	tactical transport	6	12	5 more in service with Air Koryo
Antonov An-2	China  Poland  Soviet Union  Democratic People's Republic of Korea	utility transport	~200		fleet grounded due to high fuel costs [4]
Mil Mi-24	Soviet Union	attack	24	20
Mil Mi-26	Soviet Union	transport helicopter	4	0?	[5]
Mil Mi-8	Soviet Union	transport helicopter	15	15
Mil Mi-14	Soviet Union	ASW helicopter	10	10
Harbin Z-5	China	utility helicopter	48	48	Chinese copy of Mil Mi-4
Mil Mi-2	Poland	utility helicopter	140	140
MD Helicopters 500D	United States	scout helicopter	87	86

Total aircraft holdings according to source 1 is approx. 1,500 and total aircraft holdings according to source 2 is approx. 1,200. Some types may no longer remain operational with the NKAF, but likely remain in reserve storage:

Aircraft	Origin	Type	In service	In service 2	Notes
Ilyushin Il-14	Soviet Union	personnel and cargo transport	?	?
Yakovlev Yak-18	Soviet Union	single engine propeller trainer	?	?

[edit] Aircraft subtypes and capabilities

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Fighters

• MiG-17F/F-5: It is very likely that North Korea only received the MiG-17F and MiG-17AS versions, dubbed 'Fresco-C' by NATO. Although the MiG-17AS is meant for the air to ground role, both versions are almost completely similar, besides the addition of two extra wing pylons on the 'AS'. These can be fitted with unguided rocket pods or, less likely, free fall iron bombs. Since most MiG-17F's in Soviet service, and probably in NKAF service as well, were 'upgraded' to the AS version late in their lifetime, the distinction between the F and AS versions is completely irrelevant. The NKAF also probably uses mostly Chinese F-5 copies. Despite being completely similar, the F-5's are all relatively younger: Soviet MiG-17 production ended in the late 1950s, while Chinese F-5 production ended in 1969, giving NKAF's F-5's an average age of 45 years! The MiG-17 is a completely obsolete aircraft in terms of air to air capabilities: it is subsonic and although it was considered agile during the Vietnam War, it's probably less agile - and of course a lot slower - compared to modern day unstable fly-by-wire fighters. Although only equipped with one 37 mm and two 23 mm cannons, it could be fitted with short range air to air missiles like the K-13/R-3S 'ATOLL', and Cuban versions have known to be deployed in that manner. There are no 'beyond visual range' or BVR capabilities of course, and except for a small SD-1 gunsight, there is no real radar on board. Their sole marginally useful deployment would be in the air to ground role, although they can only carry 500 kg of unguided munitions. As explained above, the use of non-conventional or CBW weapons in this role could make them still dangerous. Their ferry range is only 1080 km (without drop tanks that is), and so a typical high-low-high mission range would be somewhere around 400 km, enough to theoretically cover almost the whole of South Korea when deployed close to the DMZ.

• F-6B: The F-6 type received by North Korea is probably very similar to the basic J-6B daylight clear weather fighter, flown by the PLAAF. Although a more advanced all weather interceptor version was produced in the USSR and in China (resp. MiG-19PM and J-6IV) neither of them was a big success, and apparently none of them got exported. Chinese F-6 production ended in 1982, so NKAF F-6's are relatively young (25-40 years old). Compared to the MiG-17 or F-5, the F-6 was a lot more capable, but still is obsolete by modern standards. It is supersonic (Mach 1.3) and relatively agile, but again lacks a real radar (gunsight radar only). It is armed with three 30 mm cannon's, and can be fitted with short range Chinese Pl-2,Pl-5 and possibly Pl-7 AAM's. Over Vietnam the 'Farmer' (Nato codename) was said to be a tricky opponent, because it remained agile, but was faster than the Mig-17. Also, in mock low level dogfight combat training, the Pakistan Air Force is rumored to have found them to be hard targets for F-16A/B fighters. This still is largely irrelevant in regard to its modern air to air capabilities, since there are, again, no BVR capabilities. Therefore its main use for the NKAF would be in an air to ground scenario, although it has a low combat payload of only 1000 kg. Its operational range is said to be 640 km -with drop tanks, further reducing the useful combat load - and so could be theoretically able to reach the Strait of Korea and the adjacent outskirts of the coast of Japan when deployed close to the DMZ. A major drawback is that because of its highly swept-back wings it needs large aircraft runways (over 1 km), rendering the F-6 airbases rather vulnerable.

• MiG-21PFM: According to most sources, the MiG-21 type in use with the NKAF is the MiG-21PFM, dubbed 'Fishbed-F' by NATO. The Mig-21PFM was a further evolution over the MiG-21PF and PFS versions, and included a new RP-21M radar (called 'Spin Scan-B' by NATO), provision for a double Gsh-23 mm gun pack and a vastly improved PKI gunsight. During the wars in the Middle East, the older MiG-21's gunsights were heavily criticized for inaccuracy by both the Egyptians and the Syrians, for being unable to cue in a +2G maneuver. Other improvements included a RWR and an IFF system. The MiG-21PFM is an all weather point defense interceptor, and generally obsolete by modern day standards. It is faster than the MiG-17 and MiG-19 (Mach 2.05), but less agile, and the US Air Force judged them to be far less dangerous opponents over the skies of Vietnam compared to the MiG-17's and Chinese F-6's. Its main weakness in a modern conflict would be its outdated radar, which is able to cue radar guided R-3S 'AA-2-2 Advanced ATOLL', but has an intercepting range of 13 km, and a lock-on range of only 7 km - far from modern day BVR ranges. The Soviet air force bypassed these shortcomings by building an extensive ground controlled interception system, relying on ground radar to provide long range target tracking, and using radio for target information transmission. This strategy has been taken over by most military ex-Soviet client states, like North Korea, but in a modern day war this solution would not be feasible in case of heavy radio jamming. To overcome this weakness once again, the Soviets installed 'Lazur' ground links, which encoded the information transmissions from ground-controlled networks, protecting it against jamming. For security reasons however, this equipment was never exported, and so it is very unlikely that the NKAF received any 'Lazur' equipped MiG-21PFM's. Once again, the NKAF would most likely use the MiG-21PFM for air to ground roles, or to provide some limited sort of air to air support for its bombers and ground attackers. The MiG-21PFM has a ferry range of about 1400 km-without drop tanks- and so would have a high-low-high combat range of around 500-600 km, giving it the same range as a F-6 equipped with drop tanks - when deployed close the DMZ, it would be theoretically able to reach the Strait of Korea and the adjacent outskirts of the coast of Japan. However, unlike the Mig-17 and F-6, most MiG-21 bases in North Korea are located more inland, which suggests a second strike or homeland air defense role. It has a maximum combat load of 2000 kg, and MiG-21's in Soviet service were able to carry a nuclear weapon. However, actual useful combat load over a 500 km range would be closer to 1000 kg, and once again even less when drop tanks are carried. MiG-21 bases on the other hand would not be as vulnerable against air attack because of the 'flap-blowing' system on the MiG-21PFM, giving it the capability to take off on a shorter runway then the F-6. MiG-21PFM production in the USSR started in 1965 and lasted until the end of the sixties, giving NKAF's MiG-21PFM's an average age of about 40 years.

• MiG-21Bis (NATO codename 'Fishbed L/N') was the final and most advanced of the original MiG-21 versions. For its design, a much stronger engine was chosen, the fuselage was built using new aircraft alloys, making it lighter and more agile, and contrary to earlier MiG-21 versions, all of the internal fuel capacity was usable, giving the MiG-21Bis a slightly longer range. Also, a new radar was chosen, the RP-22, which, for the first time, provided a limited look-down ability, a standard in modern fighters. Apart from this, the MiG-21Bis is also able to carry the R-60 (AA-8 'APHID'), a lightweight short range infrared guided AAM. A major improvement over the elderly AA-2 ATOLL IR guided missile, the R-60 is very agile, being able to track targets maneuvering at 8 G's, but has a rather small warhead and needs a direct hit to be fully effective. The missiles are therefor very commonly launched in pairs, and the MiG-21Bis was able to carry four R-60's on two underwing 'multiple' pylons, and another two R-3S radar guided 'AA-2-2 Advanced ATOLL's' on the other two pylons. All improvements left aside, the MiG-21Bis still is a 'second generation' fighter, with above all a -though improved- obsolete radar. The radar range of the RP-22 still left a lot to be desired (20-25 km tracking range), and the 'look down' ability was very limited as well. It is a generally obsolete point defence fighter. Its maximum combat load is the same as for the PFM version, and its combat range is only slightly improved to about 600 km. Once again, its main usefulness lies in the air to ground role, but NKAF deployment suggests a second strike or homeland air defense role. Also, North Korea bought the MiG-21bis second hand from Kazakhstan -which raises questions as to the state they're in - and only received 30 copies. MiG-21Bis production started in 1971, and lasted until 1974, and so NKAF MiG-21Bis's are about 35 years old.

• F-7B: the F-7B was the first truly successful Chinese MiG-21 copy, built by the Chengdu aircraft corporation. Compared to the MiG-21, there are little differences in design. It is powered by a WP-7B engine, a more reliable and slightly modified copy of the baseline MiG-21F-13's R-11F-300 turbojet engine. Operational capability is almost the same as for the baseline MiG-21. It is armed with two to four infrared guided Pl-2 AAM's - a Chinese copy of the K-13/R-2 'AA-2 ATOLL'- or with the more advanced PL-7, a Chinese license built French Matra Magic infrared AAM. It's uncertain which one is in service with the NKAF. Its radar equipment is less capable then the MiG-21's 'Spin Scan', as it's said to be equipped with a 'Type 222 gunlaying ranging radar' by most sources, suggesting a clear weather day-fighter-only role. Once again, a supporting ground controlled radar tracking and early warning system can compensate for this to some degree. However, some sources do describe the F-7B as an all weather interceptor. Whatever the case, the F-7B is generally obsolete and unfit for modern air to air engagements, lacking a modern radar and BVR weapon systems, and also being less agile then modern day FBW fighters. Also, equipped without the complicated 'flap blowing' system of the MiG-21PFM and later versions, the F-7B would need substantially larger runways, which would make F-7B bases more vulnerable to air attack. Again it would be more useful in an air to ground role. On the other hand, the NKAF received its F-7Bs in the early eighties, giving them an average age of 25 years and making them the youngest 'Fishbeds' in NKAF service. North Korea received a total of 40 F-7B's.

• MiG-23ML: the MiG-23 was introduced in Soviet service to improve on the MiG-21's runway characteristics, range, payload and interception capabilities. Though the first, very unsatisfactory MiG-23's were introduced in the late sixties, the MiG-23ML in NKAF service is a much more advanced aircraft, first introduced in the USSR in the late seventies. It received the NATO codename 'Flogger-G'. The MiG-23ML inherited its basic capabilities from its ancestors: it has variable geometry wings which permit a higher take-off weight on a shorter runway and, coupled to a powerful engine - the Tumanskiy R-35F-300 turbojet with a dry thrust of 83.8 kN (afterburning thrust of 128 kN) - a very high top speed and acceleration rate. The higher take-off weight (compared to the MiG-21) permits the use of more fuel, which in turn permits a greater range: the MiG-23ML has a ferry range of 2800 km, giving a combat range of at least 1200 km, without drop tanks. NKAF's MiG-23ML's would, deployed close to Pyongyang, theoretically be able to cover the whole of South-Korea as well as the southern half of Japan - from the Honshu peninsula down to the island of Tokara-Rettu. When deployed on the east coast, they would even be able to reach Tokyo. The MiG-23 has a payload of up to 4400 kg, making even conventional bombs a military useful load. The MiG-23 however, was designed with an intercepting task in mind: compared to the interceptor version of the MiG-21, the Flogger features a far more powerful radar, the Sapfir RP-23DIII -at least in later models. It uses the 'envelope detection' technique - common in east and west 1960's radar designs - to provide a look-down ability in ranges up to 25 km, and a normal detection range against fighter-sized targets of up to 65 km, and even a little more against bigger targets. Moreover, the MiG-23ML can use the R-23R and T AAM's, respectively SARH and infrared guided, with a range of up to 25 km for the R version, which provided the NKAF with its first -limited- BVR capability. The R model had a minimum range of up to 2 km tough, and both missiles aren't really agile: maximum g-force on maneuvering targets is 5g. Since no sources report the more advanced MiG-23MLA or MLD to be in use with the NKAF, the upgraded variants of these missiles, the associated R-24R/T AAM's (with ranges of up to 50 km and better agility) are unlikely to be in North Korea's arsenal. Also, an IRST is used on the MiG-23ML, giving it, again with the use of a ground controlled interception system, the possibility of attacking targets -using the R-24T AAM up to 11 km away- without using its radar. The R-60 AAM is the standard short range dogfighting missile. However, as a dogfighter the MiG-23 was, especially in its earlier versions, a complete failure: its agility left much to be desired (being even less agile then the MiG-21). Its powerful acceleration and high top speed (Mach 2.35 at altitude) only compensated this to a certain degree. Later versions, like the ML, were made 'lightweight' to increase agility somewhat, reducing the total weight with 1250 kg. Its combat history with Syria against Israeli F-16's and F-4's in 1982 has not at all been that impressive, mostly due to superior IAF training, AWACS use, and heavy jamming of the vulnerable Syrian ground controlled network, which left the Syrian pilots completely unable to oversee the combat situation. Its basic capability as an interceptor however was not to blame, and in the Angola-South African and the Iraq-Iran conflicts it seems to have held its own against western types of the same era: respectively the Mirage F1 and F-4 Phantom. Although not on a par with more modern western fighters, like late model F-16's and F-15's, it is still regarded as a capable interceptor. NKAF deployment - close to Pyongyang - suggests a definite use as a homeland air defence interceptor, although with a 4 tonne payload, a ground-attack role would be feasible as well. Off course, due to its variable geometry wings, low level flight characteristics would be good, and because of its low runway requirement, NKAF MiG-23 bases would not be as vulnerable from air attack. The MiG-23P, which is credited by some sources to be in use with the NKAF, is not an attack aircraft, but was the MiG-23ML interceptor version in use with the Soviet PVO, or homeland air defense, with some altered details. North Korea seems to have received a total of -very probably new built- 60 MiG-23's in the early 1980s, giving them an average age of 25 years, which is rather young for a NKAF aircraft.

• MiG-29A: The MiG-29 was developed in the late 1970s and introduced in Soviet air force service in the early 1980s, and dubbed 'Fulcrum' by NATO. The early MiG-29 was a compromise between the delays in the solid state electronic developments in the USSR and the need to counter the new and highly effective NATO 'teen series' aircraft - F-14, F-15 and F-16. The Soviet fighters and interceptors of the era - MiG-25, -23 and -21 - left a lot to be desired regarding agility and electronic refinements. The west had chosen a new approach to increase agility: instability and FBW, made possible by large advances in computers and solid state electronics. For the USSR however, this path seemed less likely in the early seventies, and although development of similar systems was made a priority, the MiG-29 would for the time being have to make do without. Instead, a highly aerodynamically refined but naturally stable design was created, resulting in an extremely agile and clean aircraft. The radar however, remained a problem: though the Sapfir 29 N019 is a modern pulse doppler radar, capable of look-down/shoot-down tracking and coupled to a Ts100.02-02 digital computer, a lot of problems remained: the signal processor was rather slow and had trouble filtering out ground clutter, reducing look-down ranges. The missile guidance in the SARH mode was also restricted to one missile, meaning that a MiG-29 could only engage one aircraft at a time in BVR mode, and the radar was thought to be vulnerable to electronic jamming. A new radar, the N019M Topaz with increased range was introduced in later versions, but it is unclear if the NKAF has received any of these. The N019 radar has a tracking range against a fighter-sized target of only about 70 km (38 nm) in the frontal aspect and 35 km (19 nm) in the rear aspect. Range against bomber-sized targets is roughly double. Ten targets can be displayed in search mode. The radar is credited with putting a high workload on the pilots, and in general is not as effective as western radars of the same era. Once again however, Soviet air defence doctrine placed fighters under a ground controlled radar network, compensating for these shortcomings. Moreover, the IRST and laser rangefinder on the MiG-29 were very capable sensors and, coupled to a helmet mounted sight and the very capable and agile Vympel R-73 short range AAM, gave the MiG-29 a superior dogfighting capability compared to the F-15 and F-16. However, it is very unlikely that the NKAF originally received the R-73 (NATO codename AA-11 Archer), since the Soviets refused to export the missile out of security concerns, and so the NKAF probably had to use the R-60. The fall of the Soviet Union and the proliferation of modern weapon systems since 1992 means that the NKAF very likely has acquired the R-73 by now though. The MiG-29 Fulcrum C model was designed with an integrated active radar jammer in its spine, upgraded avionics and a very slightly increased fuel load, and since 2000 the NKAF is rumoured to have acquired this improved MiG-29, but credible sources are unavailable. To improve fighter survivability, the Mig-29 has two powerful RD-33 turbofans, providing about 50 kN in dry thrust and 81 kN in afterburning mode each. The MiG-29 was also designed to use short and unprepared airstrips, and the older Fulcrum A features a foreign object ingestion shutter system. Range however was not a prime concern of the Soviets, since the Su-27 was designed to be the standard long range air superiority fighter, while the MiG-29 was meant as a shorter range tactical fighter. Consequently, the combat range is a rather modest 700 km without drop tanks, giving NKAF's MiG-29's, deployed close to Pyongyang, the ability to cover the whole of South Korea, the Strait of Korea and the adjacent shores of Japan. Maximum combat load is 4000 kg - with range further reduced. Given the deployment close to Pyongyang, the NKAF probably intends to use its Mig-29s as homeland air defence fighters. The BVR AAM is the Vympel R-27 AAM, which comes in both a radar and infrared guided version (R-27R and T resp.) and have been upgraded over the years to increase their ranges. The NKAF very likely only uses the standard range R-27R and T, having a range of about 70 km. Short range AAM's are the R-60M and as described above probably also the R-73. Although upgraded Mig-29's are being marketed by MiG, their capabilities should not be confused with those of the NKAF: North Korean Fulcrums are not capable of using the superlative Vympel R-77 active radar guided missile (comparable to the AIM-120), are not equipped with the more modern N010 Zhuk M multimode flat slotted planar antenna radar, and are not capable of using PGM's. However, they are very capable short range air superiority fighters, on a par with modern western fighters. Most sources agree that North Korea has received about 40 copies of the MiG-29, starting in 1988, giving the NKAF Fulcrums an average age of less then 20 years.

• MiG-29S (SE/SD) (9.13): In early 2003, a USN P-3 Orion was intercepted by a North Korean MiG-29. This variant appears to the basic MiG-29S variant (the MiG-29S 9.13 variant), due to its characteristic "fatback" airframe. The P-3 was able to take several pictures of the MiG-29S escorting it out of the North Korean airspace (some are available on the internet, but in low quality). The MiG-29S intended to improve several flaws of the original MiG-29A. Avionics differences start with improved flight control systems. Four new computers and improved mechanical hydraulic flight control systems allow for greater control surface deflections, a 2° increase in Angle-of Attack and better agility and controllability. The addition of a new IRST sighting system also came with an improved embedded training system capable of providing IR and Radar target simulation. Several physical differences were implemented, which also aimed at improving the MiG-29's combat capability. The GSh-30-1 cannon's expended round ejector port was modified to be able to fire when a centerline fuel tank was mounted (the port was blocked by the tank on the MiG-29A). The enlarged fuselage spine (Dorsal "hump") gave it the characteristic "Fatback" airframe, which contained a L-203BE Gardeniya-1 active-jamming ECM system and 75 liters of additional internal fuel. The improvements make the MiG-29S a much more well rounded aircraft, giving it superior agility, the ability to mount more advanced weapons, and increased flight range compared to the MiG-29A. Although North Korea is said to possess both the MiG-29A and MiG-29S, some reports claim that the MiG-29S variant may be the MiG-29SE or MiG-29SD variants. The MiG-29SD model implements more BITE (Built-In Test Equipment), the Phazotron N-019M radar, improved weapons systems and more processing capability, thus rendering it capable of tracking 10 targets and engaging two with the R-77.

Ground attack fighters

• Su-7BMK: Originally designed as a fighter, the Su-7 made its first flight in 1955, and received the NATO codename 'Fitter'. The Su-7 introduced a lot of novelties: it was the first Soviet fighter to be equipped with an all moveable tailplane and a moveable nosecone to adjust supersonic airflow to the engine. Because of its swept wing - similar to the one used on the MiG-19 - and powerful engine, it was very fast, even at low altitude, reaching Mach 1. At high altitude it was even faster: it was the first Soviet aircraft to reach Mach 2. Although at first promising as a fighter, it was soon fazed out of that role and reinvented as a fighter bomber, mostly because of the competing MiG-19 and MiG-21 fighters, which became available by the end of the 1950s. It was equipped with the large and powerful but very thirsty Lyulka Al-7 engine, with a dry thrust of 63 kN, which became 91 kN with afterburner. After being slightly altered for the air to ground role as the Su-7B, it received a much needed upgrade as the Su-7BM: a more powerful Lyulka Al-7F-1 engine was installed (producing 67 kN and 94 kN respectively dry and with afterburner) and, more importantly, bladder fuel tanks in the small wings and wet underwing hardpoints for carrying external fuel tanks were added. The Su-7BMK is the commercial -export- version, which differs only very slightly from the Su-7BM. The aircraft was a capable ground attacker, being very rugged, easy to maintain, very agile at low altitude and above all fast. However, the engine is very thirsty, while the fuel capacity is rather small: of the total loaded weight -13,5 tons- only 3,2 tons are fuel, and therefore its range is very modest: only 600 km with a useful bomb load of 1000 kg, and with another 1000 kg fuel in external fuel tanks. NKAF's Fitters, when deployed close to the DMZ, would theoretically be able to cover the whole of South Korea, the Strait of Korea and the adjacent coast of Japan. Also, the afterburner only ignites after 7 seconds, being a very important drawback regarding acceleration in combat. There is no internal navigation system available, nor is there provision for modern PGM's. The big Su-7 was regarded as a 'pilots plane' though: it was very docile, predictable and easy to master, though with heavy controls. It is not known if NKAF's Fitters ever were equipped with AAM's, although it would not be impossible. There are six underwing hardpoints, and maximum useful load is 2000 kg. A major drawback, that led to a thoroughly redesigned offspring in the form of the Su-17/20/22, is the very high landing (480 km/h) and take-off speed caused by the highly swept-back wing, and because of this the Su-7BMK needs a runway of at least 1 km. Bases housing the Su-7 would therefor be very vulnerable to air attack. Given this, its lack of modern navigation systems and PGMs, its short range and its low payload, the Su-7BMK can be considered obsolete by modern standards, which, however, does not exclude it from still being effective in the air to ground role, especially when fitted with BCW weapons. North Korea probably has no more than 20 copies left of the +/- 40 it received, and since production of the BMK version started in 1967 and lasted until 1971, NKAF fitters are almost 40 years old.

• A/Q-5II: The A-5 grew out of a PLAAF need for a dedicated ground attacker in the late 1950s. Since the F-6/MiG-19 was well liked by the PLAAF, the Nanchang factory started a redesign of the aircraft. Because of political and social difficulties in China, the first operational A-5's (dubbed Q-5 in China and 'Fantan' by NATO) were fielded a decade later, in 1970. The A-5 retains the F-6 tail, engines and wings (except for a more squared off wingroot), but has a completely redesigned front, with air intakes replaced to the side of the cockpit and a full nose. It is rumored that the nose was to be equipped with a radar which never got beyond the paper stage. Also a bomb bay, cockpit armor plating and some basic additional avionics were added, making the A-5 1,3 tons heavier then the F-6. Because of this, top speed, climb rate and service ceiling got reduced, while take off run and landing roll were both longer. Although the A-5 remained supersonic, combat range was reduced as well compared to the F-6 (less then 500 km), because of the internal bomb bay and added weight. In 1977 a redesigned version was fielded, the Q-5I/A-5I, which mainly got rid of its internal weapons bay, replacing it with more fuel to increase range to 600 km. Slightly stronger WP-6AII turbojet engines were also introduced, making its flying capabilities (top speed, climb rate and service ceiling) similar to the F-6 again. A second redesign, called A-5IA, included a chaff and flares dispenser, a RWR and a new bombing sight. It remains unclear which version the NKAF obtained, but it probably was an export version of the A-5II (a slightly modified A-5IA). The A-5 is basically a capable ground attacker, with good agility at low altitude, a high top speed and a well armoured and rugged airframe. A major weakness -which it shares with its ancestor- is its long take-off and landing roll of 1 km, again rendering A-5 airbases vulnerable to air attack. Also, it lacks the electronic refinements found in modern western ground attackers, such as a laser range finder, a HUD and an internal navigation system, making it generally obsolete by modern standards. Furthermore its payload is restricted to 2000 kg maximum, further reduced to 1000 kg over a 600 km range, similar to the F-6. Because of its increased 'survivability', the NKAF would probably use its A-5s to attack more heavily defended military targets or to defeat moving enemy ground forces. In the 1980s, with the help of western technology, the A-5 in Chinese service went through an upgrade to equip it with a HUD, ground radar, laser range finder and navigation system. Because of the 1989 Tienanmen incident, these upgrades got canceled, but in the 1990s China upgraded its A-5's with new, similar, 'indigenous' systems. However, the NKAF again received none of these new and upgraded A-5's. Since North Korea received its A-5's halfway the 1980s, they are now about 20 years old.

• Su-25K: The Sukhoi Su-25 was designed to provide the Soviet air force with a durable close air support aircraft. Design started in the late sixties, and the 'Frogfoot' (NATO codename) was accepted into service in 1978. The Su-25 is a subsonic attack aircraft (mach 0.8), with a straight, high wing and twin turbojet engines, with every part of its design conceived with survivability in mind. The aircraft is fitted with extensive titanium cockpit armour (10-24 mm thickness) able to withstand the impact of 50 23 mm AAA rounds. The fuel tanks and lines are all self-sealing, fitted with anti-explosive foam and pressurized with freon, with the fuselage fuel tanks being armoured as well while the fuel pumping system consists of 2 independent and redundant hydraulic systems. Control surfaces are actuated using titanium control rods of 40 mm thick, which are able to keep functioning when distorted and which are duplicated as well. Redundancy or armour or both was used to protect every vital part. The aircraft is also equipped with a number of modern sensors and avionics: a Klen-PS laser ranger/forward fixed target illuminator, a KN-23/DISS-7 navigation radar and computer, a HUD/gunsight, a battery of radios, a TACAN system and a comprehensive electronic defense suite consisting of a RWR, a radio jammer, Sirena radar jammer (probably not on export aircraft), an IFF and a large number of chaff/flare rounds. The Klen-PS target illuminator is fixed, but can still be used to drop PGM's by using two aircraft: one illuminating the target and the other dropping laser guided missiles (Kh-25ML and Kh-29L). Navigation is said to be very precise, and Kh-58 anti-radiation missiles can be fitted for the wild weasel role. The main weakness of the Su-25 are its outdated turbojet engines, being non-afterburning versions of the MiG-21 engine (44kN each): although simple, reliable and powerful, they are not as efficient as modern turbofan engines, resulting in a high fuel consumption and a reduced range: 1250 km with full drop tanks, 750 km without external load, and just about 400 km with full load. However, the 'Frogfoot' was meant as a close air support combat aircraft to be used from ill-equipped forward airfields, thereby reducing the importance of its small combat range. NKAF's 'Frogfoot's' with a full combat load of 4400 kg would be able to reach almost the whole of South Korea when deployed close to the DMZ. The weaponry is also very varied: there is a built in 30 mm gun and 10 underwing hardpoints for carriage of external loads. The R-60M AAM can be carried for self-defence. The Su-25 had its combat debut in the Afghanistan war, and proved very effective in the air to ground role, being very respected by combatants of both sides. The aircraft proved to be invulnerable to AAA as it took over 80 direct 20 mm hits to down it, but it was more vulnerable to MANPAD's. After suffering some unexpected Su-25 losses because of the missile threat over Afghanistan, all Su-25's were sightly upgraded with an engine and fuel tank fire extinguishing system, more armour and chaff/flare pods, effectively reducing Frogfoot losses to a degree. Although it is unclear if NKAF Su-25's received the same upgrade, it would not be difficult for North Korea to upgrade them in the same way. The Frogfoot is all in all a very effective attack aircraft on a par with western designs of the same class (except for its range), being easy to maintain and able to use precision navigation and PGM's. Furthermore it is also easy to fly and very agile, though not very fast. Therefor it would be the NKAF's prime choice for attack missions in South Korea, especially against hard, buried or very well defended targets and armoured vehicles, although it would be very unlikely for them to be used for those missions in an 'unescorted' manner. The NKAF received about 40 Su-25K's (the somewhat downgraded export version which probably lacks 'sensitive' equipment like the built-in radar jammer) halfway through the 1980s, making them about 20-25 years old.

Attack helicopters

• 500D: The MD Helicopters 500D is a civilian helicopter which North Korea imported in 1985 by circumventing United States export controls. Ironically, the airframe of the 500D was manufactured in South Korea, was assembled in the United States, and was purchased through a German export firm. The 500D has no attack capabilities, but it can be easily modified to assume the role of a gunship. Of the 87 500Ds North Korea imported, at least 60 are said to be modified in this manner. Although a modified 500D would be effective in the anti-personnel role, it only has a marginal chance of deterring lightly armored vehicles, so it is likely that the 500D would be used in a defensive role or employ guerilla tactics. With a range of 605 km, the 500D should be capable of scouting much of the Korean Peninsula. However, as the civilian version lacks a radar, its role as an observation helicopter would be limited. The ROKA operates a military variant of the 500D known as the 500MD, which could lead to deceptive operations by the North Koreans if their 500Ds were painted with ROKA livery and infiltrated South Korea. Although there are slight differences between the airframes of the 500D and the 500MD, it would be difficult to differentiate between them if a soldier is unfamiliar with the differences or if the helicopter were flying at high speeds. However, this problem could be resolved if an IFF system is implemented, thereby further limiting the 500D's role as an observation helicopter.

• Mi-2: The Mi-2 Hoplite is a light helicopter capable of providing limited close air support due to its ability to mount rockets and cannons. However, the helicopter is obsolete by modern standards and it is only lightly armoured, giving the Mi-2 an unlikely chance of appearing on the battlefield. Nevertheless, the Mi-2 may be used as an anti-personnel helicopter, or even as a deterrent to lightly armored vehicles when needed. Because the armour on the Mi-2 is very minimalistic, it has a marginal chance of successfully deterring vehicles with modest armour. The Mi-2 will very likely be used to transport light cargo along short distances and is unlikely to see combat action due to its limited attack capabilities.

• Mi-4: While it is unknown which variant of the Mi-4 the NKAF possesses, the Mi-4M Hound variant is capable of providing limited close air support, much like the Mi-2 Hoplite. However, much like the Mi-2, the Mi-4 only has limited attack capability and will likely be used primarily to transport cargo instead.

• Mi-8: One of the most widely used helicopters in the world, the Mi-8 Hip is a transport helicopter capable of assuming the role of a gunship. With a payload of up to 1500 kg including rockets, bombs and anti-tank missiles, the Mi-8 Hip is a capable attack helicopter, although not so much as dedicated models such as the Mi-24 Hind, a derivative of the Mi-8 Hip specialised for the attack helicopter role. Since the Hip is primarily a transport helicopter, it is much more likely to be used as a rescue helicopter for injured troops on the front line, but may also be used as a secondary anti-armour helicopter in concert with escort fighters and other dedicated anti-armour aircraft. However since its only means of self defense is by a single machine gun (unless modified as a gunship or mounting troops with MANPADS), it is a relatively easy target for enemy aircraft. Despite this weakness, as an attack helicopter, the Mi-8 is still very much capable and may be used as an auxiliary gunship during large anti-tank operations. Nevertheless, given the Hip's inferiority to dedicated gunships such as the Mi-24 Hind, the Hip is likely to see combat action only as a defensive role or light offenses against small groups of tanks or infantry.

• Mi-14: Derived from the flexible Mi-8 Hip design, the Mi-14 Haze is a naval development of the Mi-8, capable of ASW, minesweeping and SAR roles. It is unclear what the NKAF's ASW arsenal consists of, but it is unlikely that their inventory contains equipment that are feasible in anti-submarine roles by modern standards. It is much more likely that the Mi-14 will be used in the SAR role, as it is unclear which variant of the Mi-14 the NKAF possesses.

• Mi-24: Also a development from the Mi-8 design, the Mi-24 Hind is a very feasible gunship with troop-transport capability. Although it is unknown which variant of the Mi-24 the NKAF possesses, it is likely to be the Mi-24D Hind-D variant, the most common type of Mi-24 in service around the world. The Mi-24D is believed to be comparable to the American AH-64 Apache, the Hind can be internally equipped with a 12.7 mm gattling gun, a door mounted machine gun, and has a payload capacity of 1500 kg that can consist of anti-tank missiles, gunpods, rocket launchers, bombs and IR guided AAMs. While the NKAF's anti-tank arsenal is unknown, they are likely to have at least a limited inventory to fit the Mi-24 as a capable attack helicopter. The Mi-24 also has a passenger compartment capable of accommodating up to 8 passengers, with armoured plates protecting this section. The flight performance of the Mi-24 is far from agile, and its mobility would further diminish when carrying the extra passengers. The Mi-24 has a range of 450 km, making it a capable attack helicopter that can cover much of the South Korean peninsula even with a feasible combat load. The Hind would be an excellent complement to the Su-25 Frogfoot ground attack aircraft, along with escort fighters. Because it is capable of transporting troops into the front lines, the Mi-24 Hind may also rescue injured soldiers to transport them for treatment. The Mi-24 is also capable of carrying R-60 "Aphid" IR guided AAMs for self defense. Despite its age, the Mi-24 is still very much capable as a gunship and an anti-armour helicopter.

Special Forces

• An-2: The An-2 is propeller driven biplane aircraft whose design characteristics render it practically invisible to radar. A low roof gives it a small radar signature and its virtually silent engines renders it nearly immune to audio detection. Although primarily used in the civilian role as an agricultural and firefighting aircraft in other countries, the An-2, being the largest biplane in the world, is capable of transporting up to 14 passengers in its rear compartment. The North Korean Special Forces possesses around 300 of these aircraft, and due to its 845 km range, it may be used by the NKAF to deploy special forces agents well behind the South Korean front lines. Because the An-2 is almost silent and can operate at very low speeds, the An-2 may also be used as a light bomber in addition to its ability to paratroop special forces agents. Since the An-2 is a STOL aircraft that requires minimal runway space, the airfields for the An-2 are less vulnerable compared to others and may be placed discreetly along North Korea.

Aircraft of the NKAF operate the following missiles:

[edit] Soviet/Russian AAM

Name	Manufacturer	Notes
Kalinigrad AA-1 ALKALI	Kaliningrad	used in MiG-19; probably withdrawn?
Vympel AA-2 ATOLL	Vympel	used on MiG-21
Vympel AA-7 APEX	Vympel	used on MiG-23
Molyniya AA-8 APHID	Molniya	used on Su-25, MiG-23, and MiG-29?
Vympel AA-10 ALAMO	Vympel	used on MiG-29
Vympel AA-11 ARCHER	Vympel	used on MiG-29?

[edit] Chinese AAM

Name	Manufacturer	Notes
PL-2	Hanzhong Nanfeng Machine Factory (Hanzhong Air-to-Air Missile Factory)?	Chinese copy AA-2 Atoll, used on F-7
PL-5	Hanzhong Nanfeng Machine Factory (Hanzhong Air-to-Air Missile Factory)	improved version of PL-2, used on F-7?
PL-7	Factory 331 (Zhuzhou Aeroengine Factory)	Chinese copy of Matra R-550 Magic 1, used on F-7?

[edit] Air Defense

• SAM

Name	Manufacturer	Notes
SA-2 Guideline	Lavochkin
SA-3 Goa	Aleksei Mihailovich Isaev
SA-5 Gammon	NPO Almaz
SA-7 Grail	KBM Kolomna
SA-14 Gremlin
SA-16 Gimlet	KBM

[edit] Major air bases

Following is a list of bases where North Korean Air Force aircraft are permanently based^{[6] [7]}.

[edit] Northwest

• Uiju - 24th Air Regiment (1 ACC) (H-5). Grass airfield with a few small transport or trainer aircraft. ( 40°05′14″N, 124°24′27″E)
• Panghyon/Naamsi - Air Regiment (1 ACC) (MiG-17F/J-5, F-5/FT-5). Airfield near Uiju region with 2500 m runway.( 39°55′38″N, 125°12′26″E)
• Taechon - Headquarters, 5th Transport Division. Air Transport Regiment (5 TD) (An-2/Y-5). Air transport base with only An-2 aircraft; 2000 m runway.( 39°54′10″N, 125°29′21″E)
• Kaech'on - Headquarters, 1st Air Combat Command. 35th Air Regiment (MiG-19/J-6). Fighter base with 2500 m runway. Google Earth confirms presence of MiG-19 aircraft.( 39°45′10″N, 125°54′04″E)
• Pukch'ang - 60th Air Regiment (1 ACC) (MiG-23ML/MiG-23UB/MiG-15UTI); Air Transport Regiment (5 TD) (H500D/H500E/500D). Fighter base with 2500 m runway; Google Earth imagery confirms the presence of large numbers of MiG-23 aircraft.( 39°30′16″N, 125°57′52″E)
• Samjangkol - Air Transport Regiment (6 TD) (Mi-2).
• Sunchon - 55th Air Regiment (1 ACC) (Su-25K/Su-25UBK/Su-7BMK) (MiG-29 suspected). The Google Earth imagery shows what appears to be MiG-21s and Su-25s. Runway length is 2500 m. ( 39°24′41″N, 125°53′28″E)
• Kanch'on - Air Transport Regiment (6 TD) (Mi-4/Z-5/Mi-8/Mi-17/Mi-2).

[edit] West Coast and Pyongyang

• Onchon - 57th Air Regiment (1 ACC) (MiG-19/J-6/MiG-29/MiG-29UB). ( 38°53′00″N, 125°14′00″E)
• Hwangju - Headquarters, 3rd Air Combat Command. 56th Air Regiment (3 ACC) (MiG-21U/MiG-21PF/J-7). ( 38°39′00″N, 125°48′00″E)
• Kwail/Pungchon - 4th Air Regiment (3 ACC) (F-6/FT-5/MiG-19) (MiG-17/J-5 suspected). ( 38°25′00″N, 125°01′00″E)
• Taetan - Air Regiment (3 ACC) (F-5/FT-5/H-5). In October 1995 due to rising military tension, more than 20 Il-28 bombers were moved to Taetan which shortened their arrival time to Seoul from 30 minutes to 10 minutes. ( 38°08′00″N, 125°15′00″E)
• Pyongyang Sunan International Airport - Air Transport Regiment (Air Koryo) (Tu-134B/Tu-154B/Il-62/Il-76MD/Il-14/Il-18/An-24). ( 39°12′00″N, 125°40′00″E)
• Mirim - This airfield served as a light transport base and closed sometime in the 1990s. ( 39°01′00″N, 125°51′00″E)

[edit] DMZ area

• Chunghwa - Headquarters, Air Command.
• Koksan - 86th Air Regiment (3 ACC) (MiG-21PF/MiG-21U) (Q-5) (J-7 suspected). ( 38°42′00″N, 126°36′00″E)
• Hyon-ni - Air Regiment (F-5/FT-5). ( 38°37′00″N, 127°27′00″E)

[edit] East Coast

• Toksan - Headquarters, 2nd Air Combat Command. Air Regiment (2 ACC) (MiG-21PF/J-7/F-7). ( 40°00′00″N, 127°37′00″E)
• Sondok - Air Transport Regiment (Y-5/An-2). ( 39°45′00″N, 127°29′00″E)
• Kowon - Air Transport Regiment (6 TD) (Z-5/Mi-4/Mi-8/Mi-17).
• Pakhon - Air Transport Regiment (6 TD) (Z-5/Mi-4/Mi-8/Mi-17/Mi-2).
• Wonsan - Air Regiment (2 ACC) (F-6/FT-5) (about 30 MiG-19/J-6 suspected). Google Earth confirms presence of Mig-21/J-7 aircraft. ( 39°10′00″N, 127°29′00″E)

[edit] Far Northeast

• Samjiyon - Training Regiment (8 AD) (MiG-15UTI) (J-2/MiG-15 suspected). ( 41°54′00″N, 128°25′00″E)
• Hyesan - Training Regiment (8 AD) (An-2/Y-5). ( 41°23′00″N, 128°12′00″E)
• Hwangsuwon-ni - 72nd Air Regiment (2 ACC) (A-5/FT-5) (MiG-19/J-6 suspected). ( 40°41′00″N, 128°09′00″E)
• Kilchu - Training Regiment (8 AD) (Mi-2). ( 40°55′00″N, 129°19′00″E)
• Orang - Headquarters, 8th Air Division. Training Regiment (8 AD) (MiG-15UTI/J-2/MiG-15). Air Regiment (H-5). ( 41°26′00″N, 129°39′00″E)
• Changjin-up - Most pilot training is conducted here at Kim Ch'aek Air Force Academy. Training Regiment (8 AD) (CJ-6) (Yak-18 suspected). ( 40°22′00″N, 127°16′00″E)

[edit] Defections

Due to the political condition of North Korea, several disillusioned North Korean pilots have defected with their jets. These incidents include:

• On September 21, 1953, 21-year old No Kum-Sok a senior lieutenant of North Korean air force flew his Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 across to the South and landed at Kimpo Air Base near Seoul. Considered an intelligence bonanza, since this fighter plane was then the best the Communist bloc had, No was awarded the then exorbitant sum of $100,000 ($733,813 in 2006 dollars) and the right to reside in the United States. He is now a U.S. citizen named Kenneth Rowe.

• On August 5, 1960, a North Korean defector flew a MiG-15 to a landing at Kimpo, the second time a MiG-15 appeared in South Korea. This aircraft was kept by South Korea and was briefly flown in South Korean markings before being scrapped.

• In February 1983, Captain Lee Ung-Pyong of the North Korean air force used a training exercise to defect and landed his Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 at an airfield in Seoul. According to the then common practice, he received a commission in the South Korean Air Force eventually becoming a colonel and taught at the South Korean air force academy until his death in 2002. He received a reward of 1.2 billion South Korean won.

• On May 23, 1996, Captain Lee Chul-Su of the North Korean air force defected with another Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 numbered 529 to Suwon Air Base, South Korea. He reportedly left behind his wife and two children. Lee was rewarded 480 million South Korean won (the equivalent of 560,000 United States dollars at the time).

[edit] See also

• Korean People's Army
• North Korean Ground Force
• North Korean Navy

[edit] References

1. ^ Korean People's Army Air Force - North Korea
2. ^ Google Earth images here
3. ^ Google Earth image here
4. ^ Air Forces Monthly, December 2007 issue, p.27.
5. ^ Google Earth image here
6. ^ North Korean Special Weapons Facilities, Federation of American Scientists, 2006.
7. ^ North Korean Air Forces, Scramble, Dutch Aviation Society, 2006.

[edit] External links

• The North Korean Air Force by Google Earth: a compilation of Google Earth images of North Korean fighters, bombers, ground attack aircraft, transports, and special-operations aircraft.
• North Korean Airforce Equipment
• North Korean Orders, Decorations,and Medals

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