North Korea enhances air power with Russian aircraft deal
North Korean assistance to Russia in the form of ammunition, ballistic missiles, and the deployment of at least 12,000 soldiers comes at a specific price. According to Admiral Samuel Paparo, the commander of US forces in the Pacific, Russian aircraft are the payment for this assistance.
American sources cited by Aviation Week do not specify how many Russian aircraft are to be delivered to North Korea. During an appearance at the Reagan National Defense Forum, Admiral Samuel Paparo reportedly said that although Su-27 and MiG-29 "are not fifth-generation aircraft, they are still dangerous."
Regardless of the actual value and number of these machines, it is worth noting that the media recently speculated about Su-35 aircraft as the payment that Moscow is prepared to transfer to Pyongyang.
If Gen. Paparo's information is confirmed, it will mean that Kim Jong Un will receive significantly less modern aircraft than previously assumed, representing 20th-century technical standards. Nevertheless, from Pyongyang's perspective, it will still be a significant enhancement.
North Korea draws the world's attention with its ballistic missile tests, in which it is indeed a global leader. However, its other military forces are much less modern, and aviation is probably the most outdated part of the Korean People's Army.
North Korean aviation
The condition of its aviation is clearly demonstrated by the fact that although it is very sizable, with over 500 aircraft, the most modern machines are the MiG-29 (38 units) and Su-25 (35 units), still delivered by the USSR in the 1980s.
Aside from these few "islands of modernity," North Korean aviation comprises such aviation technology relics as several dozen MiG-23 and MiG-21 fighter jets or Ilyushin Il-28 bombers. Despite their age, they remain the more modern part of North Korea's air force.
More than half of Kim Jong Un's aviation consists of even older aircraft designs – Chengdu J-7, Shenyang J-6, and Shenyang F-5, which are Chinese copies of Russian MiG-21, MiG-19, and MiG-17 aircraft. The latter two types entered service in the first half of the 1950s, right after the Korean War.
