[Yang Nak-gyu's Defense Club] Can North Korean Fighter Jets Conduct Counter-Flights Against China?

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yang Nak-gyu] North Korea has recently been reported to have increased flight activities to defend its airspace. In particular, as China has strengthened its flight activities, North Korea is also increasing the number of air force patrol flights around the West Sea North Korea-China Military Demarcation Line.

On the 14th, a Joint Chiefs of Staff official stated, "There have been activities of Sukhoi and MiG series fighter jets in the air," adding, "Sukhoi fighter jets fired air-to-ground weapons around Wonsan, Gangwon Province."

He continued, "Recently, North Korea has increased air force activities, reporting a lack of winter training due to the impact of COVID-19," and said, "Our military is closely monitoring the active flight activities of the North Korean air force to defend its airspace around the West Sea North Korea-China Military Demarcation Line."

According to the 2018 Defense White Paper published by the Ministry of National Defense, North Korea's main aircraft include about 810 combat mission aircraft, about 30 surveillance and control aircraft, airborne mobility aircraft (including AN-2), about 170 training aircraft, and about 290 helicopters (including naval helicopters). The aircraft capable of actual air combat are approximately 100 MiG-19 fighters, about 200 MiG-21 and its Chinese-made replica J-7 fighters, 56 MiG-23 fighters, about 20 MiG-29A fighters, totaling around 370, and about 34 Su-25 attack aircraft, totaling around 400. Some of the MiG-21s stationed at Koksan Air Base and MiG-19s at Hwangju Air Base have been forward-deployed to Taetan and Nuchon-ri Air Bases, respectively. All are outdated models. During the Yeonpyeong Island shelling, 8 to 9 MiG-23 fighters were forward-deployed to Hwangju Air Base.

Among these, the former Soviet-made MiG-17 and MiG-21 are North Korea's main fighters, mostly outdated models produced before the 1960s. The MiG-29, considered a newer model, is a fighter comparable to South Korea's main fighter, the F-16, and North Korea began acquiring this aircraft in the early 1990s. The Sukhoi Su-25 is an attack aircraft produced by Sukhoi. North Korea was the first in Asia to acquire about 30 Su-25s, which were deployed to bases such as Sunchon Air Base. It is a single-seat twin-engine aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight similar to the KF-16 and A-10C, about 20 tons. The Su-25 can carry 4.4 tons of armaments.

As the aging of its air force fighters became severe, North Korea requested support from Russia. In 2011, when Chairman Kim Jong-il visited Russia, Air Force Commander Ri Byong-chol (General) accompanied him. Chairman Kim arrived in Ulan-Ude a day before the summit and visited Russia's representative military aircraft production factory, which has been producing Sukhoi and MiG fighters and helicopters since the late 1930s. During the North Korea-Russia summits in 2001 and 2002, Kim also requested the sale of new weapons such as Sukhoi fighters from Russia, but then-President Vladimir Putin (currently Prime Minister) refused, causing the deal to fall through.

Intelligence authorities analyze that North Korea has stockpiled 1.5 million tons of fuel in preparation for wartime. If North Korea has significantly increased the number of fighter flights, it is highly likely that a considerable amount of wartime reserve fuel was expended amid chronic economic difficulties. This indicates that North Korea is 'all-in' on responding to China's flight activities.