North Korea has asserted that it recently mobilized “500 fighters of different kinds” in opposition to U.S.-ROK air drills, a dramatic show of force that has drawn attention to the DPRK’s air force capabilities.
But while the number of warplanes that Pyongyang claims took part may be striking, experts say that the Korean People’s Army (KPA) air and anti-air force is in truth a paper tiger, with an aging fleet that can’t hope to match up to modern rivals regardless of any numerical advantages.
North Korea has asserted that it recently mobilized “500 fighters of different kinds” in opposition to U.S.-ROK air drills, a dramatic show of force that has drawn attention to the DPRK’s air force capabilities.
But while the number of warplanes that Pyongyang claims took part may be striking, experts say that the Korean People’s Army (KPA) air and anti-air force is in truth a paper tiger, with an aging fleet that can’t hope to match up to modern rivals regardless of any numerical advantages.
Get the Daily Update
Please check your inbox, for an email we just sent you, and click on the confirmation message in it to get subscribed to our Daily News Update.
Shreyas Reddy is a correspondent at NK News, based in Seoul. He previously worked as a researcher at BBC Monitoring, where his work focused on news and key people and organizations from the Korean Peninsula, Japan, Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Follow him on Twitter.
Specialist news and analysis,
research tools, and unique data sets
Internet Explorer is not compatible with this website. We instead recommend using Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari.
Microsoft ceased supporting IE 10 and older in 2016.
In addition, Microsoft cyber-security chief Chris Jackson has been urging users to stop using the browser since February 2019.
Join the influential community of members who rely on NK News original news and in-depth reporting
Enter your details below
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Forgot Password?
Don’t have an account? SIGN UP
Join the influential community of members who rely on NK News original news and in-depth reporting
Already have an account? SIGN IN
Join the influential community of members who rely on NK News original news and in-depth reporting
Please enter your username or email address. You will receive a link to create a new password via email.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Don’t have an account? SIGN UP
The NK Pro, NK News and KCNA Watch websites do not support private mode or incognito browsing.
Get the Daily Update