This article is about the North Korean Air Force, see also the article about the South Korean Air Force.

one of the types armed forces DPRK. They were formed on August 20, 1947. First combat use happened June 25, 1950. North Korean aircraft took part in the Korean War. The basis of the technical park is Soviet aircraft and helicopters, mostly from the 50s and 70s. However, more modern aircraft, such as the MiG-29, are also in service.

North Korea has about 1,100 military aircraft and helicopters.

Story

Flag of the DPRK Air Force

The formation of the North Korean air force began a few months after the liberation of Korea from the Japanese occupying troops. This process was complicated by the fact that the air bases and aircraft repair enterprises of Japanese aviation were located mainly in South Korea, and the Koreans who served in the Japanese Air Force were viewed as traitors to their homeland. Thus, the training of personnel for aviation was carried out on the basis of aviation clubs in Pyongyang, Sinju, and Chongjin. The technical equipment of the aviation clubs and instructors for them was provided by Soviet troops stationed in North Korea after the war. The first planes on which Korean pilots were trained were Po-2, UT-2, Yak-18. The problem of qualified personnel was also solved at the expense of Korean army Korean officers Soviet army. The communists tried to attract the most literate young men and women to aviation clubs and later military aviation schools, primarily from among the students. Later, flight technical personnel were trained in the USSR and China.

The activities of the new Air Force in northern Korea began at the end of 1947, when mixed Soviet-Korean crews began to make regular flights of Li-2 and C-47 military transport aircraft from Pyongyang to the USSR and China.

After the creation of the Korean People's Army in 1948 and the formation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the strength of the Air Force began to grow rapidly. By the middle of 1950, the military aviation of the DPRK consisted of one mixed air division - 93 Il-10, 1 fighter - 79 Yak-9. 1 training 67 training aircraft and communications aircraft) and 2 aviation technical battalions. There were three or four squadrons in each regiment, in the training one there was a squadron of two-seat Yak-11s. The 56th IAP was commanded by the famous North Korean pilot Lee Dong Kyu, who became an ace during the war. The transport aviation most likely consisted of one squadron of Li-2s and C-47s. The total strength of the Air Force was 2829 people. The DPRK air force was commanded by General Van Len, his adviser was Colonel Petrachev of the Soviet Army.

Monument to Korean pilots - participants in the war of 1950-1953.

After the start Korean War The DPRK Air Force provided air support to tank and infantry formations advancing south. For the battles in the area of ​​Taejon, the title of "Guards Taejon" was also awarded to the Fighter Regiment of the DPRK Air Force. However, after the US Army and its allies intervened in the war, most of the DPRK aircraft were destroyed, and the remnants of the Air Force flew to China. By August 21, 1950, the KPA aviation still had 21 combat-ready aircraft, of which 20 were attack aircraft and 1 fighter. In the winter of 1950-51, a regiment of night bombers was active, flying first on the Po-2, then on the Yak-11 and Yak-18, which inflicted quite serious blows on the Americans. Later, a couple of squadrons from the 56th Fighter Aviation Regiment and some Chinese squadrons, who flew mainly La-9 / La-11, were connected to night work.

In November-December 1950, the formation of the Sino-Korean United air army commanded by Chinese general Liu Zhen. On June 10, 1951, the KPA Air Force had 136 aircraft and 60 well-trained pilots. In December, two Chinese fighter divisions on the MiG-15 began combat operations. Later, they were joined by the KPA air division. The advanced line aviation was based at Andong airfields, then by July 1951 Miaogou and in 1952 Dapu, as well as in Dagushan.

basis air defense North Korea were Soviet "volunteer" pilots. AT different time fighter formations were commanded by the famous Soviet pilots I. Kozhedub, A. Alelyukhin, A. Kumanichkin, A. Shevtsov and others. The main aircraft of the Soviet fighter aviation was then the jet MiG-15. Also, by order of Kim Il Sung on December 2, 1950, groups of “shooter-aircraft hunters” were created en masse in the rifle regiments of the KPA, fighting enemy aircraft with the help of heavy and light machine guns, as well as cables pulled between the tops of nearby hills.

During the Korean War, the first dogfights between jet fighters took place.

According to official figures, the DPRK Air Force shot down 164 enemy aircraft during the war. Some DPRK pilots have achieved significant success in air combat:

Kim Gin Ok 17 wins.
Lee Dong Chu 9 wins.
Kang Den Dec 8 wins.
Kim Di Sun 6 wins.

There were also female pilots among the North Korean pilots. One of them, Squadron Commander Tha Sen-Hi, became a Hero of the DPRK.

At the time of the signing of the armistice on July 27, 1953, the KPA aviation was already quantitatively larger than the pre-war one and amounted to about 350-400 aircraft, including at least 200 MiG-15s. Due to the fact that the airfield and other infrastructure of the DPRK was destroyed by bombing, Korean aviation was based on Chinese territory. Even before the end of the war, the first Il-28 jet bombers arrived, ten of them took part in the Victory Parade on July 28, 1953 over Pyongyang.

Transport An-2 of the DPRK Air Force

A deep reorganization of the Air Force began, accompanied by extensive deliveries of new military equipment from the USSR. The construction of dozens of air bases began, along the demarcation line with South Korea, one system Air defense, anti-aircraft artillery closed big cities. In 1953, the complete transition of the DPRK Air Force or jet technology began.

Organizational changes took place in military aviation. From the Air Force were allocated: the air defense command, naval and army aviation. The air defense headquarters included an air target detection system, anti-aircraft artillery and fighter aircraft. Naval aviation included several fighter squadrons that covered major ports, and did not a large number of Il-28, designed for reconnaissance and attack of naval targets. Army Aviation since 1953, she also conducted all civil air transportation within the DPRK, especially in the first post-war years. Army aviation received An-2, Il-12 and Yak-12.

After the end of the war, aviation of both North and South Korea participated in reconnaissance and sabotage operations of the countries against each other. DPRK aviation played important role in supply and communication with numerous partisan detachments operating in South Korea. Reconnaissance activities and violations by aviation of the sides of the demarcation border took place throughout the entire post-war period.

MiG-17 DPRK Air Force

After 1956, the Air Force received several dozen MiG-17F fighters, Mi-4 and Mi-4PL helicopters. In 1958, the Koreans received MiG-17PF interceptor fighters from the USSR, after the signing of the Treaty on Mutual Assistance and Defense Cooperation between the USSR and the DPRK, the DPRK Air Force received MiG-19S supersonic fighters and S-25 Berkut anti-aircraft missile systems in 1961-62 , after 1965 MiG-21F fighters and S-75 Dvina anti-aircraft missile systems.

The sixties and seventies for the DPRK Air Force became the time of numerous border incidents involving the Air Force:

  • On May 17, 1963, an American OH-23 helicopter of the 8th Army was shot down by ground-based air defense systems over the territory of the DPRK. Both pilots were taken prisoner and were released a year later.
  • On January 19, 1967, the Tang Po patrol vessel of the South Korean Navy was attacked by North Korean ships north of the demarcation zone, and then sunk by MiG-21 fighters.
  • On January 23, 1968, the DPRK aviation participated in the detention of the US Navy reconnaissance ship Pueblo. The ship was captured by North Korean sailors and towed to the port of Wonsan.
  • On April 15, 1969, two MiG-17s of the DPRK Air Force shot down an EU-121 early warning aircraft of the US Navy. The plane with 31 soldiers on board crashed into the Sea of ​​Japan.
  • On July 14, 1977, MiG-21 aircraft shot down an American CH-47 Chinook helicopter in North Korean airspace. Two days later, the surviving pilot and bodies of three other crew members were extradited by the US.
  • On December 17, 1994, an American OH-58D helicopter was shot down from the Wha-Sung MANPADS, which plunged 4 miles into the airspace of the DPRK. One pilot was killed, the second was captured and released after 13 days.

By the beginning of the 80s, another modernization of the Air Force took place. In addition to the previously available 150 MiG-21s, military service 60 MiG-23P interceptor fighters and MiG-23ML front-line fighters enter, and 150 Q-5 Nanchang attack aircraft from China. The list of helicopters has been replenished: 10 more Mi-2s and 50 Mi-24s. In May-June 1988, the first six MiG-29s arrived in the DPRK, and by the end of the year, the transfer of the entire batch of 30 aircraft and another 20 Su-25K attack aircraft was completed. In the late 80s, 87 American Hughes MD-500 helicopters were purchased through third countries, of which at least 60 were converted into combat ones.

MiG-29 DPRK Air Force

With the collapse of the socialist camp in the late 1980s and early 1990s military aviation The DPRK began to experience significant difficulties. Aircraft of Soviet and Chinese production, which is in service with the DPRK Air Force, for the most part are physically and morally obsolete, and their crews, trained according to outdated methods and in conditions of acute fuel shortages, really have little experience. At the same time, North Korean aircraft are securely hidden in underground hangars, and there are plenty of runways for them. In the DPRK, many kilometers of highways with concrete pavement and arched reinforced concrete tunnels have been built, which in case of war can be used as military airfields. Based on this, it can be argued that it is unlikely that it will be possible to destroy North Korean aviation with a first strike. The powerful air defense system, which US intelligence considers "the densest anti-missile and anti-aircraft defense system in the world", has more than 9 thousand anti-aircraft artillery systems: from light anti-aircraft machine guns to the world's most powerful 100-mm anti-aircraft guns, as well as self-propelled anti-aircraft guns ZSU-57 and ZSU-23-4 "Shilka". There are several thousand launchers anti-aircraft missiles from stationary complexes S-25, S-75, S-125 and mobile "Cube" and "Strela-10" to portable installations. By the beginning of the 1990s, there were more than 100 CJ-5 and CJ-6 piston aircraft, 12 Czechoslovak-made L-39 jet aircraft, as well as several dozen combat training MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-29 and Su-25. First of all, pilots of the elite 50th Guards and 57th Fighter Aviation Regiments, armed with MiG-23 and MiG-29 aircraft, fly on them; they are based near Pyongyang and cover the capital of the DPRK from the air. Instructors who trained aviation specialists in many countries of the "third world" have also accumulated considerable experience. The North Korean Air Force today is a rather impressive force that potential adversaries have to reckon with.

Perhaps the most comprehensive material on the state of the Air Force and Air Defense of North Korea available in the public domain. The original text was published in the April issue of the magazine " Air Force Monthly". By the link you can also find a table indicating the aircraft in service with the DPRK, since for technical reasons it was not included in this post.

The first operation of the DPRK Air Force during the so-called. The “War to Liberate the Fatherland” (this is the official name of the war in Korea that took place in June 1950-July 1953) was the attack by Yak-9 fighters of aircraft stationed on the territory of the Seoul International Airport on June 25, 1950. Before the start of the UN operation three months later North Korean pilots on Yak-9 fighters had five confirmed air victories: one B-29, two L-5s, one F-80 and F-51D each, while not suffering losses. The situation completely changed when the air forces of the countries of the international coalition settled in the South, and the DPRK air forces were almost completely destroyed. The remaining aircraft were transferred across the Chinese border to the cities of Mukden and Anshan, where in November 1950, together with the Chinese Air Force, the United Air Force was created. The PRC continued to provide shelter and assistance to its southern neighbor, and by the end of hostilities in 1953, the CPV Air Force had approximately 135 MiG-15 fighters. A peace treaty between North and South Korea was never signed, and since then there has been a tenuous peace between the two camps.

From 1969 to this moment The DPRK Air Force is not very active, with the exception of individual false jet attacks in the area of ​​​​the Demilitarized Zone (DZ) / Line of Tactical Actions, which are supposedly aimed at testing the reaction time of the South Korean air defense. For example, since 2011, North Korean MiG-29 fighters have several times forced South Korean F-16s and F-15Ks to intercept.


Selection and training

Cadets for the Air Force are selected from other branches of the Armed Forces, called up or recruited on a voluntary basis. The aircrew are selected from the most successful members of the Youth Red Guard (composed of 17-25 year old young people) and usually come from politically influential families, distinguished by a higher educational level than the average North Korean.

The first step for those who want to become a military pilot in the DPRK is the Air Force Academy. Kim Chaeka in Chongjin, where cadets train for four years. Their flight service begins with 70 hours of flight practice on Nanchang CJ-6 training aircraft, which are Chinese copies of the Soviet Yak-18. 50 such aircraft were received in 1977-1978. They are based at two airfields on the east coast at Chongjin and Gyeongsong. Later, after receiving the rank of second lieutenant or "Sowi", cadets move on to a 22-month advanced course at the Gyeongsong Officers' Flight School. It includes 100 flight hours on MiG-15UTI combat training fighters (50 were purchased in 1953-1957) or approximately the same obsolete MiG-17 fighters, which are deployed at the nearby Oran airbase.

After graduating from flight school with the rank of first lieutenant or "Jungwi", the freshly baked pilot is assigned to a combat unit for further two years of study, after which he is considered fully prepared. Future helicopter pilots are trained on Mi-2 helicopters, and transport aviation pilots - on An-2. An officer can look forward to 30 years of service, but promotion to higher ranks, the highest of which is General of the Air Force or "Deajang", requires many additional courses, and the highest positions are political appointments.

Training follows rigid Soviet-era doctrine, and must conform to the highly centralized command and control structure of the Air Force. Through surveys of defectors in South Korea it becomes clear that poor aircraft maintenance, fuel shortages that limit flying time, and also a generally unsatisfactory training system prevent the training of pilots of the same level as their Western opponents.

Organization

The current structure of the DPRK Air Force includes headquarters, four aviation divisions, two tactical aviation brigades and such a number of sniper brigades (special forces) that are designed to carry out an airborne assault behind enemy lines in order to disorganize it during combat operations.

The main headquarters is located in Pyongyang, it directly supervises the special flight detachment (VIP transportation), the Gyeongsong officer flight school, intelligence, electronic warfare, test units, as well as all air defense units of the DPRK Air Force.

Offensive and defensive weapons are part of three aviation divisions stationed in Kaesong, Deoksan and Hwangju, which are responsible for the use of numerous anti-aircraft artillery systems and air defense systems. Remaining aviation division in Oran is intended for operational training. Two tactical transport brigades have their headquarters in Tachon and Seondeok.

Aviation divisions and tactical brigades have several airfields at their disposal, almost all of them have fortified hangars, and some have individual elements of infrastructure hidden in the mountains. But not everyone is assigned "their" aircraft. The DPRK's war plan provides for the dispersal of aircraft from the main bases in order to complicate their destruction by a preventive strike.

The Air Force has not only "stationary" air bases at its disposal: the DPRK is entwined with a network of long and straight highways, which are crossed by other highways with the help of large concrete bridges. And although this can be observed in other countries, in the DPRK there is no private transport, moreover, women are even forbidden to drive a bicycle. Goods are transported by rail, and road transport is very small. Highways are designed for the rapid movement of military units across the country, as well as alternate airfields in case of war.

The main task of the DPRK Air Force is air defense, which is carried out automated system airspace control, which includes a network of radar stations located throughout the country and covering the air situation over the Korean Peninsula and southern China. The entire system consists of a single air defense district in which all operations are coordinated from a combat command post at the headquarters of the DPRK Air Force. The district is divided into four sector commands: northwestern, northeastern, southern, and the Pyongyang Air Defense Subsector. Each sector consists of a headquarters, an airspace control center, an early warning radar regiment(s), an air defense regiment(s), an air defense artillery division, and other independent air defense units. If an intruder is detected, the alarm is raised in the fighter units, the aircraft themselves take to the air, and the air defense system and anti-aircraft artillery take the target for escort. Further actions of air defense systems and artillery should be coordinated with the headquarters of fighter aviation and the combat command post.

The main nodes of the system are based around semi-mobile early warning radars, including Russian early warning radars and 5N69 guidance systems, two of which were delivered in 1984. These systems, whose declared detection range is 600 km, are supported by three ST-68U missile detection and control radars received in 1987-1988. They can simultaneously detect up to 100 air targets at a maximum range of 175 km and are optimized for detecting low-flying targets and guiding S-75 air defense missiles. Older P-10 systems, 20 of which entered service in 1953-1960, have a maximum detection range of 250 km, and five more relatively newer P-20 radars with the same detection range are elements of the radar field system. It includes at least 300 fire control radars for cannon artillery.

It is unlikely that the North Koreans have only these systems. North Korea often finds ways to circumvent international sanctions designed to prevent new weapons systems from falling into their hands.

Operational Doctrines

The actions of the DPRK Air Force, which number reaches 100,000 people, are determined by two main provisions of the basic doctrine of the North Korean army: joint operations, integration guerrilla war with the actions of regular troops; and "war on two fronts": coordination of operations of regular troops, partisan actions, and actions of forces special operations deep in South Korea. Four main tasks of the Air Force follow from this: air defense of the country, landing of special operations forces, tactical air support for ground forces and fleet, transport and logistics tasks.

Armament

The solution to the first of the four tasks, air defense, lies with the fighter aviation, which consists of about 100 Shenyang F-5 fighters (Chinese copy of the MiG-17, 200 of which were received in the 1960s), the same number of Shenyang F-6 / Shenyang F-6C (Chinese version of the MiG-19PM), delivered in 1989-1991.

The F-7B fighter is Chinese version later versions of the MiG-21. 25 MiG-21bis fighters remain in service, which are the remnants of those 30 former Kazakh Air Force vehicles illegally purchased in Kazakhstan in 1999. The DPRK Air Force received at least 174 MiG-21s of various modifications in 1966-1974. Approximately 60 MiG-23s, mainly modifications of the MiG-23ML were received in 1985-1987.

The most powerful DPRK fighters are the MiG-29B / UB, those that remained from the 45 purchased in 1988-1992. Approximately 30 of them were assembled at the Pakchon aircraft factory, which was specifically designed to assemble this particular type of aircraft. But the idea fell through due to the arms embrago imposed by Russia as a result of disputes over payments.

North Korean ingenuity is undeniable, and there is no reason to believe that, given the regime's focus on military issues, they can't keep planes that are long overdue in a scrap yard, as is the case with Iran. Of these aircraft, only the MiG-21, MiG-23 and MiG-29 are armed with air-to-air missiles: 50 R-27 (purchased in 1991), 450 R-23 (deliveries in 1985-1989) and 450 R-60s purchased at the same time. More than 1000 R-13 missiles (a Soviet copy of the American AIM-9 Sidewinder) were received in 1966-1974, but their service life should have expired by now. Additional deliveries may have taken place in violation of international sanctions.

The strike force is represented by up to 40 Nanchang A-5 Fantan-A attack aircraft delivered in 1982, the remaining 28-30 Su-7B fighter-bombers acquired in 1971, and up to 36 Su-25K / BK attack aircraft received at the end 1980s The DPRK maintains a significant number (80 or more) of Harbin H-5 front-line bombers (a Chinese copy of the Soviet Il-28) in flight condition, some of which belong to the reconnaissance modification of the HZ-5.

The direct support of the troops is carried out by most of the delivered in 1985-1986. 47 Mi-24D helicopters, of which only 20 are estimated to remain operational. They, like Mi-2 helicopters, are armed anti-tank missiles"Baby" and "Bassoon", produced in the DPRK under a Soviet license.

Part of the H-5 bombers is adapted to launch the North Korean version of the Chinese anti-ship cruise missile CSS-N-1 designated as KN-01 Keumho-1. The missile has a range of 100-120 km, 100 were fired in 1969-1974. In 1986, five Mi-14PL anti-submarine helicopters were received, but their current condition is unknown.

It is believed that the DPRK has UAVs in service, it is also known that the Russian Malachite complex with ten Shmel-1 tactical UAVs was purchased in 1994. It will not be a surprise to learn that Pyongyang used them as models for the development of its own UAVs.

Logistic support is provided by Air Koryo, the state-owned air carrier, but at the same time being the transport regiment of the DPRK Air Force. Today, the airline's fleet consists of a single Il-18V (delivered in the 1960s), as well as three Il-76TDs (in operation since 1993). Other types of aircraft are represented by the An-24 family, four Il-62Ms, the same number of Tu-154Ms, and a pair of Tu-134s and Tu-204s. The company also operates an unknown number of helicopters. Although their main purpose is military, they carry a civilian registration, which allows them to fly outside the DPRK.

At present, there are no clear signs of North Korea's modernization of its aviation, despite the fact that a high-ranking North Korean procurement delegation visited Russia last August.

missile defense

Of course, the DPRK air defense system is based on three main "pillars" - air defense systems. This is the S-75 air defense system, in 1962-1980. 2000 missiles and 45 launchers were delivered, and this system is the most numerous. Many have recently been deployed near the 38th parallel, and most of the remainder protect three corridors - one along Kaesong, Sariwon, Pyongyang, Pakchon and Sinuiju on the west coast. The other two pass through east coast between Wonsan, Hamheung and Sinpo, and between Chongjin and Najin.

In 1985, 300 missiles and eight launchers for S-125 air defense systems were delivered, most of them covering high-value objects, especially Pyongyang and military infrastructure. In 1987, four launchers and 48 S-200 SAM missiles were purchased. These long-range systems for medium and high altitudes use the same guidance radars as the S-75. Four regiments armed with this type of air defense system are deployed next to their counterparts with S-75 air defense systems (optimized to combat high-altitude targets).

Another numerous type of air defense system is the KN-06 - a local copy of the Russian two-digit S-300 air defense system. Its firing range is estimated at 150 km. This truck-mounted system was first publicly displayed at a military parade marking the 65th anniversary of the founding of the North Korean Workers' Party in October 2010.

Significant efforts are being expended to complicate the destruction from the air missile systems and associated radars. Most of North Korea's early warning, target tracking and missile guidance radars are located either in large underground WMD-proof concrete bunkers or in excavated mountain shelters. These facilities consist of tunnels, a control room, crew quarters, and blast-resistant steel doors. If necessary, the radar antenna is lifted to the surface by a special elevator. There are also many false radars and missile launchers, as well as spare sites for the air defense systems themselves.

The DPRK Air Force is also responsible for the use of MANPADS. The most numerous are MANPADS "Strela-2", but at the same time in 1978-1993. approximately 4,500 North Korean copies of the Chinese HN-5 MANPADS were delivered to the troops. In 1997, Russia gave the DPRK a license to manufacture 1,500 Igla-1 MANPADS. Strela-2 is a first-generation MANPADS that can only be guided by near-infrared radiation, mostly engine exhaust. On the other hand, Igla-1 is equipped with a dual-mode (infrared and ultraviolet) guidance head, which can be aimed at less powerful radiation sources emanating from the aircraft airframe. Both systems are optimized for use against low-flying targets.

Speaking of artillery systems It should be noted that their backbone is the 100-mm KS-19 guns developed in the 1940s. 500 guns of this type were delivered in 1952-1980, followed by 24 guns in 1995. More deadly are about 400 self-propelled anti-aircraft guns - 57-mm ZSU-57 and 23-mm ZSU 23/4, received in 1968-1988. This arsenal covers large cities, ports, large enterprises. North Korea has also developed its own self-propelled 37mm anti-aircraft gun, called the M1992, which bears a strong resemblance to Chinese designs.

State is a pariah

The existing weapons made it possible to create one of the densest air defense systems in the world. The emphasis on air defense systems and cannon artillery is a direct result of Pyongyang's inability to acquire modern fighter jets or even spare parts for the antiques that make up the bulk of the North Korean air force. Probing the positions of China and Russia in 2010 and 2011 was rejected by both countries. As a rogue state on the world stage, the CPV has gained a reputation as a non-binding payer for goods already delivered, and even China, which has been North Korea's ally and aide for many years, is showing irritation at its southern neighbor's demeanor. Much to Beijing's annoyance, it deliberately refuses to create market economy of the same type that proved so successful in China's reforms.

Maintaining the status quo and continuing to oppress their own people are the main driving forces behind the leaders of the DPRK. It turns out that it is much cheaper to create or threaten to create nuclear weapons, which can harass and threaten potential external aggressors than to buy and maintain modern military forces. The North Korean leadership was quick to learn from the fate of Colonel Gaddafi, who succumbed to Western demands and destroyed his nuclear capability and other weapons of mass destruction by joining the "good guys" club.

Korean peninsula

The second task facing the DPRK Air Force is to deploy special operations forces to the Korean Peninsula. It is estimated that there are up to 200,000 men in the North Korean army who are called upon to carry out such a task. The landing is largely carried out thanks to 150 An-2 transport aircraft and its Chinese counterpart Nanchang / Shijiazhuang Y-5. In the 1980s about 90 Hughes 369D/E helicopters were secretly purchased to circumvent sanctions, and it is believed that today 30 of them are still capable of taking off. This type of helicopter makes up a large part of South Korea's air fleet, and if special operations forces infiltrate south of the border, they can confuse the ranks of the defenders. Interestingly, South Korea also has an unknown number of An-2s, presumably with similar tasks.

The next largest type of helicopter in service with the PRCDR is the Mi-2, of which there are about 70. But they have a very small payload. Probably, the Mi-4 veteran is also in service in small quantities. the only modern types helicopters are the Mi-26, four copies of which were received in 1995-1996. and 43 Mi-8T/MTV/Mi-17, at least eight of which were obtained illegally from Russia in 1995.

Should we be afraid of North Korea?

The North Korean military exists solely to protect the Fatherland and threaten to invade South Korea. Any such invasion would begin with a massive attack from the South from low altitudes, with special operations air forces deployed across the front lines to “shut down” strategic installations before a ground offensive across the Demilitarized Zone (DZ). Although such a threat may seem fantastic due to the state of the DPRK air force, it cannot be completely discounted. The importance that South Korea attaches to its own defense testifies to this. Over the past twenty years, four new North Korean air bases have been established near the DZ, reducing the flight time to Seoul to a few minutes. Seoul itself is a major target, one of the largest cities in the world with a population of over 10 million. More than half of South Korea's population lives in the surrounding agglomeration of Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, which is the second largest in the world: 25 million people live here and most of the country's industry is located.

There is no doubt that even if the North suffers huge losses as a result of the conflict, it will also be devastating for the South. The shock to the global economy will also be severe. It is worth mentioning that at the end of 2010, when the northerners shelled the South Korean island, there were also major maneuvers during which a large-scale air raid was practiced, which was supposedly an imitation of a large-scale war. The result, to some extent, turned into a farce, as during the exercise there were collisions of aircraft, low reliability, weak command and control, and an unsystematic plan were revealed.

No one can say in which direction the current leader of the DPRK, Kim Jong-un, will lead the country, and to what extent he is just a puppet in the hands of the old guard, who has usurped power. What you can be sure of is that there are no signs of change on the horizon. And the world community looks at the country with suspicion, and the latter nuclear tests February 12, 2013, only strengthened him in this.


Originalpublications: Air Forces Monthly, April 2013 - Sergio Santana

Translation by Andrey Frolov

DPRK Air Force North Korea photo , the People's Democratic Republic is one of the most secret states in the world. Even in the era of the dominance of satellite reconnaissance means, their composition and organization are far from being fully known.

The flag of the DPRK Air Force (left) and the emblem of the Air Force of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (right)

The date of creation of the DPRK Air Force is August 20, 1947. By the middle of 1950, they included one mixed air division (57th assault air regiment - 93 Il-10, 56th fighter - 79 Yak-9, 58th training - 67 training and communications aircraft) and two airfield technical battalions .
In the early days of the war on the Korean Peninsula, the DPRK Air Force acted quite actively, but very soon suffered big losses. By August 21, 1950, only 20 serviceable fighters and one attack aircraft remained in service. In the winter of 1950-1951, only light night bombers Po-2, Yak-11 and Yak-18 operated at the front from the air force. At the same time, within the framework of the Joint (Chinese-Korean) Air Army (JVA) on the territory of the PRC, North Korean aviation was being recreated.
By mid-1951, it included 156 aircraft and 60 trained pilots. The arrival of MiG-15 jet fighters began, gradually becoming the main type of combat aircraft of the North Korean Air Force. On the account of North Korean pilots during the Korean War, 164 official air victories.

The leader of North Korea, has the military rank of marshal, Kim Jong-un photo with employees of the 1st Guards Division of the Air Force and Air Defense

Despite the presence of a fairly developed military industry (including missiles), the Democratic People's Republic of Korea does not produce its own aircraft.
In subsequent decades, the DPRK Air Force developed on the basis of the supply of Soviet aircraft. There were also planes from China. To date, the North Korean Air Force has (according to various sources) from 1100 to 1500 and even (according to data from various sources) 1700 aircraft and helicopters. The number of personnel reaches 110 thousand people. The structure and locations of air units are far from completely known.

Air force bases of the DPRK (North Korea), far from complete data

The most numerous type of combat aviation of the DPRK Air Force is fighter. The most modern aircraft in its composition are the MiG-29, delivered from the USSR at the turn of the 80s and 90s of the last century. Machines of this type are in service with the 57th Fighter Aviation Regiment, stationed in Onchon and included in the air defense system of the capital of the DPRK, Pyongyang.

The MiG-29 fighter is in service with North Korea, judging by the photo, the state of the air fleet is deplorable, the plane is painted with oil-like paint, and this is one of the government’s propaganda, after all, the leader is present in the photo

MiG-23ML fighters serve in the 60th Air Regiment (Pukchang). The most widespread type of fighter is the MiG-21 - the DPRK Air Force has about 200 such aircraft of several modifications, including Chinese copies of the "twenty-first" (J-7). They are armed with the 56th IAP in Hwangju, the regiment in Toksan and a number of other units. Finally, there are about a hundred extremely obsolete J-6 and J-5 aircraft (Chinese "clones" of the Soviet MiG-19 and MiG-17F, respectively), which are completely unsuitable for conducting air combat in modern conditions.

MiG-19 of the DPRK Air Force at the air base of South Korea (relations between the two neighboring states are very tense), in fact, a Chinese-made aircraft making exact copies our MIGs

In the photo - J-6, hijacked on May 23, 1996 by Captain Lee Chol-soo to South Korea, see photo above, this is the same aircraft. There are about a hundred extremely outdated J-6s and J-5s in service.

Aircraft and helicopter fleet of the DPRK Air Force (approximate data)

Fighters DPRK Air Force North Korea photo

  • MiG-29/29UB - quantity 35/5
  • MiG-23ML - 56 units
  • MiG-21 PFM/bis/UM - 150
  • J-7-40
  • J-6-98
  • J-5-ok. 100

MiG-21 is the most massive DPRK Air Force fighter, about 200 pieces are in service

Bombers North Korean Air Force

  • H-5-80

Fighter-bombers, attack aircraft North Korea photo

  • Su-7BMK -18 Su-25K/UBK - 32/4

Transport aircraft, Il-76-3 pieces, Il-62 - 2, An-24 - 6, An-2 - about 300
Educational,

  • CJ-6-180
  • JJ-5-135
  • L-39C-12

Korean Air Force helicopters

  • Mi-26-4
  • Mi-8-15
  • Mi-2-ok. 140
  • Z-5 - approx. 40
  • MD 500 - approx. 90

Also obsolete is bomber aviation, numbering about 80 H-5 aircraft - Chinese copies of Soviet Il-28 front-line bombers, related to the level of technology of the middle of the 20th century. They are equipped with regiments in Orang and Uizhu. According to Western sources, no more than half of all H-5s are in flight condition. Probably about the same percentage of combat readiness in other branches of aviation. Fighter-bomber and attack aircraft are concentrated in the 55th air regiment stationed in Sunchon. It includes about two dozen obsolete Su-7BMKs and about twice as many as modern Su-25s.
Auxiliary aviation
The basis of military transport aviation is a large number (about 300) of light single-engine An-2s. Performing in Peaceful time conventional transportation, in the military they are supposed to be used for the landing of reconnaissance and sabotage groups behind enemy lines. Heavier aircraft (for example, An-24 or Il-7b) in the Air Force - a few units. The situation is somewhat corrected by the use of Air Core for military transportation - formally civil, but actually part of Air force. 1996 Training aviation is represented by about three hundred Chinese-made G-6 (copy of the Yak-18) and JJ-5 (two-seat version of the J-5), as well as a dozen Czechoslovak L-39Cs. The training of flight personnel is carried out at several air bases concentrated in the north-eastern part of the country. The North Korean helicopter fleet is dominated by light vehicles.
Among them, American-made MD 500 helicopters, acquired in Germany as civilians, and already armed in North Korea, stand out.

MD 500 Helicopters Inc purchased in Germany, later the Malyutka ATGM was installed as a weapon on them

Air defense systems of North Korea

S-200 on a launcher in the museum Hungary

North Korea has a very powerful and deeply echeloned (albeit obsolete) air defense system. In particular, there is:

  • 24 launchers for long-range S-200 air defense systems,
  • 240 medium-range complexes S-75 and 128 - S-125.
  • Military air defense is represented by the Krug, Kub, Strela and Igla MANPADS. And the anti-aircraft artillery park is measured by an astronomical figure - 11 thousand anti-aircraft guns!

In connection with the new tenseness of the situation, I want to analyze the ratio of the armed forces of the ROK and the DPRK.


The Republic of Korea

The Republic of Korea Air Force is not very large in numbers, but is very modern and in good condition.

They are based on 42 heavy F-15K fighters (60% consisting of local components). The devices are a redesigned and improved version of the F-15E, supplemented with modern infrared equipment, improved radars and an interactive helmet control system.

The most massive machine is the F-5E "Tiger" (174 aircraft in the Air Force). A significant part of the machines of local production. All machines are modifications E.

The next largest machine is the F-16 fighter, of which there are 170 (35 F-16C, 90 KF-16C and 45 KF-16D, the last machines of local assembly). All machines are adapted to modern ammunition. Modification of all machines - block 32 and above.

There are relatively fewer old machines in service. There are currently 68 F-4 Phantom-2 fighter-bombers reclassified as attack aircraft.

Light attack training aviation is represented, first of all, by 64 KAI T-50 light trainers. About 80 more such machines are planned for production. These light attack aircraft have a speed of up to 1.4-1.5 Mach, a range of 1851 kilometers, and can carry a variety of payloads, including laser bombs, air-to-air missiles and similar.

The helicopter fleet is relatively small, and includes mainly old american models transport, light and multipurpose helicopters.

The Air Force is also responsible for the country's air defense system. For 2010, it is represented by 6 batteries of 8 Patriot PAC-2 launchers (former German, there are a total of 148 missiles) and 24 MIM-24 HAWK batteries (about 600 missiles). All missile launchers are integrated into the AN/MQP-64 Sentinel radar system

Democratic People's Republic of Korea

The DPRK Air Force, in contrast, is striking in the number of cash machines, but their quality is far from ideal. In total there are about 1500 aircraft, mostly obsolete.

The newest Air Force vehicles are 35 MIG-29S fighters with an improved fire control system. These machines are, in fact, the only modern fighters. According to existing data, most of these machines are concentrated in Pyongyang's air defense, which can only be explained by the paranoia of the country's authorities (since Pyongyang's air defense is already strong enough, and 35 fighters add little to it). The cars are likely to be well maintained.

The next oldest fighter is the MiG-23ML, of which there are 46 (another 10 MiG-23R). This machine is a lightweight, highly maneuverable version of the conventional MiG-23, focused on missile duels. In theory, the vehicles can carry the R-23 and R-60, which are in service.

The most massive fighter is the MiG-21, of which there are about 190 in service (including licensed Chinese ones). Presumably - due to problems with spare parts - only part of this fleet is airworthy. These are completely outdated, heavily worn models that formed the basis of the DPRK air fleet in 1960-1980. Most likely, at present it is also difficult for them to find pilots, because due to fuel problems, most of the fleet is idle.

Also, there are about 200 completely outdated Chinese-made Mig-17 fighters in stock. These machines are of no combat value, and, according to their characteristics, are no more combat-ready than today's light training aircraft. Presumably, they have only cannon armament. It is difficult to understand the point of maintaining a fleet of such outdated aircraft if, due to fuel problems, their pilots have not flown for a long time. the only possible application for them is the role of attack aircraft in the front line.

For unknown reasons, the DPRK Air Force still has over 80 old IL-28 jet bombers in service. It is difficult to understand what role the DPRK generals assign to these machines. Perhaps their role is supposed to be in delivering mass destruction, though it's hard to see how these old slow planes can even survive modern warfare.

Attack aviation of the DPRK is represented by a large number of aircraft, mostly old models. These are Su-7, Su-22, Q-5 - a total of over 98. Although obsolescence is not as important for attack aircraft as for fighters, these machines are currently hardly combat-ready (due to heavy wear and poor training pilots)

The only modern attack aircraft are L-29 (12 units) and Su-25, in the amount of 36 vehicles.

The helicopter fleet of the DPRK is quite strong, although still very small. It is based on helicopters of old models - Mi-2 and Mi-4 (about 200 machines), most of which are outdated. The most modern machines are combat Mi-24 (24 pieces), transport Mi-26 (4 pieces), transport vehicles Mi-8 (15 pieces) and militarized civilian helicopters MD 500D of American construction (87 pieces)

In general, judging by the state of the DPRK Air Force, they represent a very insignificant fighting force. Although INDIVIDUAL cars and pilots are probably not inferior to the southerners, in general, the level of training of pilots is most likely lower, due to lack of fuel. In addition, a significant part of the machines are physically outdated and have low security.

To a certain extent, this is compensated by the country's powerful and well-thought-out air defense system. The air defense system of the DPRK is one of the richest and most deeply echeloned in the world. Although she doesn't really effective complexes, it is still striking in its richness.

The basis of the air defense of the DPRK is 24 launchers of S-200 missiles. PREsumably, they are supplemented with a locally produced analogue of the S-300, but this information - in the face of the obvious failures of the DPRK in rocket science and electronics - does not look reliable.

The most massive air defense systems of the country are the S-125 (128 launchers) and S-75 (240 launchers) complexes

Paradoxically, the DPRK is still armed with the S-25 complex, which has been decommissioned in all countries. It's hard to explain why, but these clumsy and decrepit missiles form the backbone of Pyongyang's air defenses. Their retention in service is explained either by the absence of any possibility of replacement (which clearly does not speak in favor of the alleged production of the S-300 in the DPRK) or by the incompetence of the military leadership, who believes that "the main thing is quantity." Without a doubt, the resources devoured by this hopelessly outdated complex could have been much more wisely used to maintain the S-200!

The field is represented by the Krug, Kub, Strela, Igla and Buk complexes, in total over 1000 missiles. The exact number of launchers is unknown.

There are also over 11,000 pieces of anti-aircraft artillery in stock. For the most part, these are outdated samples of very different origins. None of them is modern, and their real combat capability is close to zero.

In general, the DPRK Air Force is a powerful force, but only thanks to the air defense system. The fighter element itself is very weak, which is further aggravated by the insufficient training of pilots.

1. In this photo, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is sitting in the cockpit of a fighter jet. His father was afraid to fly, but Kim Jong-un himself, on the contrary, has an unprecedented craving for the sky and, at times, flies planes himself. He even built some small airstrips near his palace.

2. An employee of the ground services of the airline Air Koryo at the airport in Pyongyang

4. Kim Jong-un talks to officials aboard his personal aircraft at the Pyongyang airport.

5. A flight attendant cleans up the cabin on an Air Koryo plane that arrived in Pyongyang from Beijing.

6. Two North Korean men walk past a tourist at Pyongyang airport.

7. A worker at Sunan Airport in Pyongyang near the Air Koryo plane

8. Kim Jong-un and his wife arrived at the competition site among the commanders of the North Korean Air Force

9. In this photo, Kim Jong-un is photographed next to female fighter pilots of the North Korean air force.

10 Sunan Airport Worker in Pyongyang

11. On the 62nd anniversary of the victory over militaristic Japan, a competition was held among the commanders of the air force and air defense forces. In this photo, a stormtrooper flies past a podium where North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is present.

12. On the same day, but already two fighters fly past the stands.

13. And in this photo, the plane is parked in the new terminal of Pyongyang Airport.