North Korea has celebrated the 80th anniversary of its air force, posting images of key platforms and weapons but offering little visibility on actual capabilities.
The event took place on 28 November at Kalma airport, with dictator Kim Jong Un and his teenage daughter presiding over the event, according to official North Korean propaganda mouthpiece Rodong Sinmun.
Kim, smoking a cigarette, reviewed a flying display that featured RAC MiG-29s and Sukhoi Su-25s.
“The pilots [flew] at low altitude over the observation platform to express their absolute loyalty to and the most ardent trust in Kim Jong Un,” reports Rodong Sinmun.
Images from the event show that the Saebyeol-4 and Saebyeol-9 unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) also participated in the display.
The Saebyeol-4 bears a stark resemblance to the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk, while the Saebyeol-9 closely resembles the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9 Reaper.
Both UAVs also appeared in a small static park that was assembled for the anniversary. Little is known about the capabilities of either UAV or their operational status.
Two freshly painted Su-25s and MiG-29s were also on display, with both types equipped with noteworthy weapons that bear a curious resemblance to systems operated by North Korea’s rival, South Korea.
In an image of Kim shaking an officer’s hand, the weapons loadout of an Su-25’s left wing is visible, with the load spread among five hardpoints. The hardpoint closest to the wing root holds a large cruise missile that resembles the KEPD Taurus 350, a heavy weapon that equips Seoul’s Boeing F-15Ks.
The wing’s three centre hardpoints carry a total of nine weapons that resemble the Raytheon Stormbreaker II all-weather precision glide bomb, also known as the SDB II. In 2023, the US government cleared Seoul to buy 118 Stormbreaker IIs under the Foreign Military Sales process.
The Su-25’s fifth pylon carries what appears to be a Vympel K-13 infrared homing missile. The K-13 entered service in the 1960s and is based on the reverse engineering of the Raytheon AIM-9 Sidewinder.
Wide shots of the event show a MiG-29 carrying an air-to-air missile that resembles the Diehl IRIS-T. South Korea selected the IRIS-T to serve as the Korea Aerospace Industries KF-21’s primary short-range air-to-air missile.
The new weapons and UAVs could represent fresh or anticipated capabilities, but it is suspicious that they so closely resemble South Korean equipment.
Pyongyang’s air force is comprised of obsolescent Soviet-era types that would fare poorly in a war on the Korean peninsula. It is possible, even likely, that the weapons represent a propaganda bluff.
The event also featured an airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft based on the Ilyushin Il-76. The status and capability of this asset is also unclear. The aircraft’s presence could also be Pyongyang’s way of suggesting that it is keeping up with Seoul on the AEW&C front.
AEW&C aircraft are an important capability for the Republic of Korea Air Force, which operates four Boeing E-7 Wedgetails and is acquiring a new AEW&C platform based on the Bombardier Global 6500.
The Rodong Sinmun’s coverage of the event revealed nothing about future acquisition plans for North Korea. However, given Pyongyang’s staunch support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, there are reports that Moscow has supplied air-to-air missiles. There is also speculation that Russia could provide new aircraft.
