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.
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 @shreyas_k_reddy.
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