North Korea appears close to completing its first airborne early warning
aircraft
[March 05, 2025]
By HYUNG-JIN KIM
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea appears close to completing its
first airborne early warning aircraft, satellite imagery showed, an
asset that experts say will sharply bolster the country’s air force
power when it’s deployed.
North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs pose a significant security
threat to South Korea, the U.S. and others. But its aerial surveillance
capability is far behind those of its rivals, while most of its fighter
jets and other military aircraft are aging.
38 North, a website specializing in North Korea studies, reported
Tuesday that recent commercial satellite imagery showed an Ilyushin
IL-76 aircraft parked at a Pyongyang airport, with a large radome
mounted on top of the fuselage. A radome refers to a structure that
encircles a radar system.
It called the aircraft's near-completion “a significant upgrade for an
air force that has not seen new airborne capabilities in years.”
The website said the radome has a distinctive triangle design on top,
similar to what is seen on some Chinese airborne early warning aircraft,
but not used on U.S. or Russian aircraft. “This could indicate support
or influence from China, although the triangle alone is not conclusive
proof,” the website said.
The aircraft, which was one of three IL-76s previously used by North
Korea’s national airline, Air Koryo, was moved into the airport’s
maintenance facility in October 2023 before work began on a section on
top of the fuselage, the website said.
Last November, the aircraft, then without the radome, was moved into the
adjacent hangar. It remained there until late this February, when it
appeared outside the hangar with the radome mounted, according to the
website.
[to top of second column]
|
This undated photo provided on Sept. 13, 2024, by the North Korean
government shows its leader Kim Jong Un, center, on an inspecting
visit at what they say is an institute of nuclear weapons and a
facility for nuclear materials at an undisclosed location in North
Korea. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the
event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean
government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be
independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as
provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for
Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News
Service via AP, File)
Jung Chang Wook, head of the Korea Defense Study Forum think tank in
Seoul, said the aircraft would detect and track the movements of
enemy planes and other military assets and relay information to
land-based centers. If it has technology to distribute such
information to its air and other assets and command their
operations, it will help North Korea conduct military operations in
a much faster manner.
“It’s like the North Korean air forces opening their eyes,” Jung
said.
He said that North Korea would need at least four airborne early
warning aircraft to monitor South Korea 24 hours a day, as they can
take turns to perform surveillance missions, undergo maintenance and
conduct training. He said South Korea has four U.S.-made airborne
early warning and control aircraft and plans to buy four more.
In late 2023, North Korea placed its first spy satellite into orbit,
but foreign experts question its capability.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
