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The Korean People's Army Air Force (KPAF; ;
Hanja Hanja (; ), alternatively spelled Hancha, are Chinese characters used to write the Korean language. After characters were introduced to Korea to write Literary Chinese, they were adapted to write Korean as early as the Gojoseon period. () ...
: 朝鮮人民軍 空軍) is the unified military aviation force of
North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...
. It is the second largest branch of the
Korean People's Army The Korean People's Army (KPA; ) encompasses the combined military forces of North Korea and the armed wing of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). The KPA consists of five branches: the Korean People's Army Ground Force, Ground Force, the Ko ...
comprising an estimated 110,000 members.North Korea Country Study
, pp. 18-19
As of 2024, it is estimated to possess some 570 combat aircraft, 200 helicopters, and a few transporters, mostly of decades-old Soviet and Chinese origin. Its primary task is to defend North Korean airspace. In April 2022, the
Korean People's Army The Korean People's Army (KPA; ) encompasses the combined military forces of North Korea and the armed wing of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). The KPA consists of five branches: the Korean People's Army Ground Force, Ground Force, the Ko ...
Air and Anti-Air Force name was changed to Korean People's Army Air Force.


History


Early years (1945–1949)

The Korean People's Army Air Force began as the "Korean Aviation Society (조선 항공대)" in 1945. It was organized along the lines of flying clubs in the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
. In 1946, the society became a military organization and became an aviation division of the
Korean People's Army The Korean People's Army (KPA; ) encompasses the combined military forces of North Korea and the armed wing of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). The KPA consists of five branches: the Korean People's Army Ground Force, Ground Force, the Ko ...
(KPA). It became a branch of the army in its own right in November 1948. Training personnel for what was now known as the "Korean People's Air Force Air Corps" was a major hurdle, with the Soviets reporting in May 1950 that of the 120 trained pilots, only 32 were combat qualified. The only experienced pilots in North Korea before this were those who flew for the IJAAF. These pilots were however rejected by society and the regime. Nevertheless, on June 25, 1950, the KPAF started flying support missions for the Invasion of South Korea.


Korean War: Invasion of South Korea and UN Offensive (June – November 1950)

During the early period of the war, the Il-10 Beasts were the main bombers used in the strikes against airfields in South Korea, while Yak-9/9P Franks as well other trainer and fighter aircraft were used in CAP and Strafing attacks. North Korea's Air Force also at that time had many Japanese aircraft including a Ki-54 transport. Only one encounter with
USAF The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
aircraft occurred when two unknown North Korean aircraft attacked two F-82 Twin Mustangs. The KPAF aircraft were out of range and thus failed to score any kills. On June 27, a USAF F-82 shot down a Yak-11 Trainer that was escorted by four Yak-9s. On the 29th, after Seoul fell, a strike was conducted on Suwon Airfield by 3 Il-10s and 6 Yak-9s, destroying an American
C-54 Skymaster The Douglas C-54 Skymaster is a four-engined transport aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces in World War II and the Korean War. Like the Douglas C-47 Skytrain derived from the DC-3, the C-54 Skymaster was derived from a civilian ...
on the ground. A second strike on Suwon was however intercepted by F-80C Shooting Stars. Throughout July and August, the KPAF continued in supporting the ground offensive near the Pusan Perimeter. During that time, they came into increasing contact with USAF and USN jet aircraft, resulting in more losses. During the first-ever strike by carrier-borne jet aircraft on July 3, 1950, VF-51, from USS ''Valley Forge'' CV-45, claimed the first kill by a naval jet when an F9F-3 Panther shot down a KPAF Yak-9P. On that day, many KPAF Yak-9Ps were caught on the ground scrambling, with many reportedly taking off towards each other. In the end, the
Pyongyang Pyongyang () is the Capital city, capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is sometimes labeled as the "Capital of the Revolution" (). Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. Accordi ...
, Pyongyang East and Onjong-Ni Airfields (which were targeted in the strike), were hit successfully while the KPAF lost many of their aircraft. At the same time, USAF B-29 Superfortresses, P-80Cs, F-51 Mustangs and A-26 Invaders began to attack ground targets inside North Korea, encountering very little resistance from the KPAF. Soviet sources reported that the KPAF was no longer operating after August 10 and was finally wiped out by a strike by USN aircraft on August 22. For their part, the KPAF only shot down 3 US aircraft in air combat (a
B-29 The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is a retired American four-engined Propeller (aeronautics), propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to ...
, an L-4 and an L-5). On November 6, 1950, two Yak-9Ps were shot down by F-51Ds from 67th FBS became the last KPAF propeller aircraft lost.


Reorganization (November 1950–1953)

After the heavy losses encountered in July and August 1950, the Soviets began to train the North Koreans to fly the MiG-15 Fagot, although the Soviets were the first to fly the MiG against the UN Forces. Although many North Korean pilots were experienced when they flew the MiG-15, the Soviets admitted that most were highly inexperienced.


Post-Korean War

The KPAF has on occasion deployed abroad. It deployed a fighter squadron to
North Vietnam North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; ; VNDCCH), was a country in Southeast Asia from 1945 to 1976, with sovereignty fully recognized in 1954 Geneva Conference, 1954. A member of the communist Eastern Bloc, it o ...
during the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
.
Kim Il Sung Kim Il Sung (born Kim Song Ju; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he led as its first Supreme Leader (North Korean title), supreme leader from North Korea#Founding, its establishm ...
reportedly told the North Korean pilots "to fight in the war as if the Vietnamese sky were their own." On April 15, 1969, MiG-21s of the KPAF shot down a
Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star The Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star is an American airborne early warning and control radar surveillance aircraft operational in the 1950s in both the United States Navy (USN) and United States Air Force (USAF). The military version of the Lock ...
in international waters, in the
Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it ...
. In 1973, a North Korean flight of MiG-21s deployed to Bir Arida to help defend southern
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
during the October 1973 War. In 1990–91, North Korea activated four forward air bases near the
Korean Demilitarized Zone The Korean Demilitarized Zone () is a heavily militarized strip of land running across the Korea, Korean Peninsula near the 38th parallel north. The demilitarized zone (DMZ) is a border barrier that divides the peninsula roughly in half. It wa ...
(DMZ).


Organization


Capabilities

According to a 2021 report from the US
Defense Intelligence Agency The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) is an intelligence agency and combat support agency of the United States Department of Defense (DoD) specializing in military intelligence. A component of the Department of Defense and the United States In ...
, the most modern assets of the KPAF are the
MiG-29 The Mikoyan MiG-29 (; NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) is a twinjet, twin-engine fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s, the MiG-29, along with the large ...
and
MiG-23 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 (; NATO reporting name: Flogger) is a variable-geometry fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau in the Soviet Union. It is a third-generation jet fighter, alongside similar Soviet aircra ...
, while the
Su-25 The Sukhoi Su-25 ''Grach'' ( ('' rook''); NATO reporting name: Frogfoot) is a subsonic, single-seat, twin-engine jet aircraft developed in the Soviet Union by Sukhoi. It was designed to provide close air support for Soviet Ground Forces. The ...
ground attack and Ilyushin Il-28 bomber aircraft are also deemed by the DIA as having some capability. The KPAF also maintains obsolete types including the MiG-15, MiG-17,
MiG-19 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 (; NATO reporting name: Farmer) is a Soviet second generation, single-seat, twinjet fighter aircraft. It was the first Soviet production aircraft capable of supersonic speeds in level flight. A comparable U.S. " Cen ...
, and
MiG-21 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (; NATO reporting name: Fishbed) is a supersonic jet aircraft, jet fighter aircraft, fighter and interceptor aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan, Mikoyan-Gurevich OKB, Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. Its nicknames in ...
. The DIA assesses that the North Koreans would be unable to prevail in combat against US forces "overwhelming advantages in power projection, strategic air superiority, and precision-guided standoff strike capability," and would face "considerable difficulty" against South Korean air defences, relying mostly on Antonov An-2 transports for inserting special forces into South Korea and UAVs for intelligence gathering and supplementing the air force ground attack capabilities. In 2024, Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of the
United States Indo-Pacific Command The United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) is the unified combatant command of the United States Armed Forces responsible for the Indo-Pacific, Indo-Pacific region. It is the oldest and largest of the unified combatant commands. Lead ...
told reporters that North Korea is set to receive MiG-29 and Su-27 from
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
in exchange for troops for its invasion of Ukraine. Paparo also stated that while these are older
fourth-generation fighter The fourth-generation fighter is a class of jet fighters in service from around 1980 to the present, and represents design concepts of the 1970s. Fourth-generation designs are heavily influenced by lessons learned from the previous generation o ...
s, they're still "formidable". ''The War Zone'' states that while it's unlikely that Russia will be able to transfer these aircraft on a short-term at least (with the Russian aerospace industry busy keeping the Russian Air Force fleets operational during the war in Ukraine), the delivery of these aircraft would provide a "modest − but badly needed − modernization" for the KPAF. North Korea operates a wide variety of air defense equipment, from short-range MANPADS such as 9K34 Strela-3, 9K38 Igla and ZPU-4 heavy machine guns, high-altitude upgraded S-75 Dvina, to long-range SA-5 Gammon and Pongae-5 SAM systems and large-calibre AA artillery guns. North Korea has one of the densest air defence networks in the world. Ilyushin Il-28 Beagle bombers provide a medium-range attack platform, despite being generally obsolete, although it is likely they have the ability to launch
Kh-35 The Zvezda Kh-35 (, NATO reporting name AS-20 'Kayak') is a Soviet turbojet subsonic cruise anti-ship missile. The missile can be launched from helicopters, surface ships and coastal defence batteries with the help of a rocket booster, in whic ...
and
P-15 Termit The P-15 ''Termit'' (; ) is an anti-ship missile developed by the Soviet Union's Raduga design bureau in the 1950s. Its GRAU designation was 4K40, its NATO reporting name was ''Styx'' or SS-N-2. China acquired the design in 1958 and created at ...
missiles. A large part of the ground attack aircraft are kept in heavily fortified hangars, some of which are capable of withstanding a nearby nuclear blast. Stealth capacity is known in the KPAF through researching in radar-absorbing paint and inventory deception. It has been noted that the North Korean Air Force operates a few MD-500 helicopters that were exported to North Korea by
West German West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republic after its capital c ...
merchants through Soviet vessels in the 1980s. Several were seen equipped with Soviet AT-3 anti-tank missiles during a military parade commemorating 60 years since Korean War armistice. They later made another public appearance at the Wonsan Air Festival in which they were seen sporting the new green camouflage paint scheme that has also been incorporated on An-2s and
Mi-17 The Mil Mi-17 (NATO reporting name: Hip) is a Soviet-designed Russian military helicopter family introduced in 1975 (Mi-8M), continuing in production at two factories in Russia, in Kazan and Ulan-Ude. It is known as the Mi-8M series in Russia ...
s that have also been displayed at the air show. The KPAF possesses precision guided munitions such as Kh-25 and Kh-29 air to ground missiles along jamming pods such as SPS-141 for SAM suppression. At least some of Il-28's/H-5's bombers are capable of launching air launched variant of Kumsong-3 anti-ship cruise missiles with known flight tests done in 2008 and 2011. Ground launched coastal defense variant of Kumsong-3 has range of 240 kilometers. The KPAF still incorporates many of the original Soviet air tactics, as well as North Korean experience from the UN bombings during the
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
.


Personnel

From 1978 to 1995, General Jo Myong-rok was the commander of the air force. In October 1995, he was promoted to vice-marshal and appointed Chief of the KPA General Political Bureau and a member of the Korean Workers' Party Central Military Committee. His place as commander of the Air Force was taken by Colonel General O Kum-chol.


Annual flying hours

The number of annual flying hours (AFH) per pilot is, like almost every other aspect of the KPAF, very hard to estimate. Most sources on the subject abstain from giving hard numbers, but all of them estimate the average annual flying hours per pilot as being 'low' to 'very low'. The number of annual flying hours is very important in estimating the individual skill and experience of the pilots of an air force: more annual flying hours suggests better trained pilots. Most estimates present a rather grim picture: AFH per pilot for the KPAF are said to be only 15 or 25 hours per pilot each year - comparable to the flying hours of air forces in ex-Soviet countries in the early 1990s. In comparison, most NATO fighter pilots fly at least 150 hours a year. Ground training, both in classrooms, on instructional airframes or in a flight simulator can only substitute for 'the real thing' to a certain degree, and the low number of modern jet trainers in the KPAF arsenal points to a very modest amount of flying time for the formation of new pilots. There are a number of possible explanations for the low AFH: concern over the aging of equipment, scarcity of spare parts - especially for the older aircraft - difficulties with worn airframes, fear of defection and the scarcity of fuel are all contributing factors. It is very likely however that some 'elite' pilots and regiments receive considerably more flying hours. Especially those equipped with modern aircraft and tasked with homeland defence - like the 57th regiment flying
MiG-29 The Mikoyan MiG-29 (; NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) is a twinjet, twin-engine fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s, the MiG-29, along with the large ...
s and the 60th regiment flying
MiG-23 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 (; NATO reporting name: Flogger) is a variable-geometry fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau in the Soviet Union. It is a third-generation jet fighter, alongside similar Soviet aircra ...
s - are receiving multiple times the average AFH per pilot; however, aging equipment, the scarcity of fuel and the general economic crisis in North Korea will affect these regiments as well, and keep their AFH low compared to
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
AFH.
Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse (; AFP) is a French international news agency headquartered in Paris, France. Founded in 1835 as Havas, it is the world's oldest news agency. With 2,400 employees of 100 nationalities, AFP has an editorial presence in 260 c ...
reported on January 23, 2012, that the KPAF had conducted more flight training than average in 2011. ''
The Chosun Ilbo ''The Chosun Ilbo'' (, ), also known as ''The Chosun Daily,'' is a Korean-language newspaper of record for South Korea and among the oldest active newspapers in the country. With a daily circulation of more than 1,800,000, ''The'' ''Chosun Ilbo ...
'' reported on March 29, 2012, that the KPAF had dramatically increased the number of flights to 650 per day. ''Tongil News'' reported on July 20, 2013, that the KPAF's fighter jets and helicopters had conducted 700 sorties a day for 11 days as reported by a source in the South Korean government on March 13 after the
Key Resolve Key Resolve, previously known as Reception, Staging, Onward Movement, Integration (RSOI) which was previously known as Team Spirit even earlier, is an annual command post exercise (CPX) held by United States Forces Korea with the Republic of Kore ...
military exercise started on March 11. Seven hundred hours of sorties is considered by the United States military as the capability to wage all-out war.


Structure

Following is a list of bases where North Korean Army Air Force aircraft are permanently based.


Air bases

; Northwestern area (1st Air Combat Division, HQ Kaechon) ; West Coast and Pyongyang area (''1st Air Combat Division) - HQ: Kaechon''
Pyongyang Pyongyang () is the Capital city, capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is sometimes labeled as the "Capital of the Revolution" (). Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. Accordi ...
is also the location of HQ, KPAAF * Uiju - 24th Air Regiment (H-5/Il-28, MiG-21PFM) * Kaechon - 35th Air Regiment (J-6/MiG-19) * Onchon - 36th Air Regiment (J-6/MiG-19) *
Sunchon Sunch'ŏn () is a city in South Pyongan province, North Korea. It has a population of 297,317, and is home to various manufacturing plants. The city is on the Taedong River. History In 1413, the name of the city became Sunchon, due to a rena ...
- 55th Air Regiment (Su-25K), 57th Air Regiment (MiG-29/UB) * Panghyon - 49th Air Regiment (J-5/MiG-17F, MiG-21PFM, Mi-2) * Pukchang - 58th Air Regiment (MiG-23ML/UM), 60th Air Regiment (MiG-21Bis) ; West coast and Pyongyang area (''5th Transport Division) - HQ: Taechon'' * Taechon - ?? Air Regiment (Y-5/An-2) * Kwaksan - ?? Air Regiment (Y-5/An-2) * Kangdong - ?? Air Regiment (CJ-6/BT-6) * Sonchon - ?? Air Regiment (Mi-2) * Pukchang East - 65th Air Regiment (Mi-8T, Mi-26), 64th Air Regiment (MD-500) * Pyongyang Sunan Intl - Special Service Air Transport Wing (KPAAF-CAAK) ( Air Koryo) (Tu-134B/Tu-154B-2/Il-62M/Il-76MD/Il-18/An-24/An-148) * Mirim Airfield - ?? VIP Unit (Mi-17) This base serves as a light transport base and closed sometime in the 1990s, now used as a KPA training facility. ; DMZ area (''3rd Air Combat Division) - HQ: Hwangju'' * Chunghwa - Headquarters, Air Defense and Combat Command * Taetan - 4th Air Regiment (J-5/MiG-17F, MiG-21PFM, Mi-2) * Nuchon-ni - 32nd Air Regiment (J-5/MiG-17, MiG-21PFM, Mi-2) * Kwail - 33rd Air Regiment (J-5/MiG-17F), 11th Air Regiment (J-5/MiG-17F) * Hwangju - 50th Air Regiment (MiG-21PFM) * Koksan - 86th Air Regiment (Q-5A) * Ayang-ni - 63rd Air Regiment (Mi-24D) ; East Coast area (''2nd Air Combat Division) - HQ: Toksan'' * Toksan - 56th Air Regiment (MiG-21PF/J-7/F-7) * Chanjin-Up - 25th Air Regiment (Il-28/H-5); ??th Air Regiment (MiG-21PFM) *
Wonsan Wonsan (), previously known as Wonsanjin (), is a port city and naval base located in Kangwon Province (North Korea), Kangwon Province, North Korea, along the eastern side of the Korean Peninsula, on the Sea of Japan and the provincial capital. ...
- 46th Air Regiment (MiG-21PFM,F-5), 66th Air Regiment (Mi-14PL) * Kuum Ni - 71st Air Regiment (MiG-21PFM) * Hwangsuwon - 72nd Air Regiment (MiG-21PFM) ; East Coast area (''6th Transport Division) - HQ: Sondok'' * Sondok - ?? Air Regiment (Y-5/An-2) * Yonpo - ?? Air Regiment (Y-5/An-2) * Manpo - ?? Air Regiment (Y-5/An-2) * Kuktong - ?? Air Regiment (Y-5/An-2) * Kowon - Air Transport Wing (6 TD) (Z-5/Mi-4/Mi-8/Mi-17) * Pakhon - Air Transport Wing (6 TD) (Z-5/Mi-4/Mi-8/Mi-17/Mi-2) ; Far Northeast area (''8th Training Division) - HQ: Orang'' * Samiyon Airfield - ?? Training Regiment (F-5A) * Hyesan Airfield - unknown unit * Kilchu West + East - ?? Air Regiment (Mi-2) * Orang - 41st Air Regiment (MiG-15UTI/J-2/MiG-15) * Sungam-Chonhjin - Kimchaek Air Force Academy (BT-6) * Kyongsong - Flight Officers School (BT-6) * Kang Da Ri Airfield - Underground runway near Wonsan, under construction. * Tongchŏn Airfield(MiG-21PF/J-7/F-7) * Inhung - Helipads (Mi-8/Ka-27 (possibly Ka-28/Ka-29/Ka-32)) () * Hamhŭng Airfield(MiG-21PF/J-7/F-7) * Sungam Airfield - Air Transport Wing (Y-5/An-2) * Riwon north Airfield - (MiG-15UTI/J-2/MiG-15)


Aircraft


Current inventory


Armament


Air defence


Military satellites


Retired aircraft

Aero L-39 Albatros,
Antonov An-2 The Antonov An-2 (USAF/DoD reporting name Type 22, NATO reporting name Colt) is a Soviet Union, Soviet mass-produced single-engine biplane utility/agricultural aircraft designed and manufactured by the Antonov Design Bureau beginning in 1947. I ...
, Ilyushin Il-10,
Ilyushin Il-18 The Ilyushin Il-18 (; NATO reporting name: Coot) is a large turboprop airliner that first flew in 1957 and became one of the best known Soviet aircraft of its era. The Il-18 was one of the world's principal airliners for several decades and wa ...
, Ilyushin Il-28, Lavochkin La-9, Lavochkin La-11,
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 (; USAF/DoD designation: Type 14; NATO reporting name: Fagot) is a jet fighter aircraft developed by Mikoyan-Gurevich for the Soviet Union. The MiG-15 was one of the first successful jet fighters to incorporate s ...
bis,
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 (; NATO reporting name: Farmer) is a Soviet second generation, single-seat, twinjet fighter aircraft. It was the first Soviet production aircraft capable of supersonic speeds in level flight. A comparable U.S. " Cen ...
, Mil Mi-1, Mil Mi-4,
Nakajima Ki-43 The Nakajima Ki-43 ''Hayabusa'' (, "Peregrine falcon"), formal Japanese designation is a single-engine land-based tactical Fighter aircraft, fighter used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service in World War II. The Allied World War II Allie ...
, Nanchang A-5C, Nanchang CJ-6,
Polikarpov Po-2 The Polikarpov Po-2 (also U-2 before 1944, for its initial Glossary of Russian and USSR aviation acronyms: Aircraft designations, ''uchebnyy'', 'training', role as a flight instruction aircraft) was an all-weather multirole Soviet Union, Soviet b ...
, Tupolev Tu-2, Yakovlev Yak-9P, Yakovlev Yak-18


Ranks and uniforms


Ranks

The Korean People's Air Force has five categories of ranks: general officers, senior officers, junior officers, non-commissioned officers, and airmen.


Enlisted


Officers


Marshals

Occasionally KPA Air Force officers are promoted above General of the Air Force. In that case, they wear an army-style uniform, since ranks from Vice-Marshal and above are not divided into army, navy and air force.


Uniforms

Generally as a separate service in the KPA, the service wears the same KPA uniforms but with air force blue peaked caps (especially for officers) or kepi-styled caps for men and berets for women, worn with their full dress uniforms. Pilots wear helmets and flight suits when on parade and when in flight duty while air defense personnel wear the same duty dress uniforms as their ground forces counterparts but with air force blue borders on the caps.


Defections

Due to the political condition of North Korea, several North Korean pilots from the KPAF
defected In politics, a defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one state in exchange for allegiance to another, changing sides in a way which is considered illegitimate by the first state. More broadly, defection involves abandoning a person, ca ...
with their jets. These incidents include: * On September 21, 1953, 21-year-old No Kum-sok, a senior
lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
, flew his MiG-15bis across to the South and landed at Kimpo Air Base near
Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
. Considered an intelligence bonanza, since this fighter plane was then the best the
Communist bloc The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc (Combloc), the Socialist Bloc, the Workers Bloc, and the Soviet Bloc, was an unofficial coalition of communist states of Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America that were a ...
had. No was awarded a sum of $100,000 ($ in dollars) and the right to reside in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. He was awarded American citizenship. * On August 5, 1960, a Shenyang J-5 landed at Kimpo, the second time a J-5 appeared in South Korea. This aircraft was kept by South Korea and was briefly flown in South Korean markings before being scrapped. * In February 1983, Lee Ung-pyong used a training exercise to defect and landed his Shenyang F-6C at an airfield in
Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
. According to the then common practice, he received a commission in the
Republic of Korea Air Force The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF; ), also known as the ROK Air Force or South Korean Air Force, is the Air force, aerial and Space force, space warfare service branch of South Korea, operating under the Ministry of National Defense (South K ...
(ROKAF), eventually becoming a
colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
and teaching at the South Korean academy until his death in 2002. He received a reward of 1.2 billion
South Korean won The South Korean won (symbol: ₩; code: KRW; ) is the official currency of South Korea. A single won is divided into 100 jeon, the monetary subunit. The jeon is no longer used for everyday transactions, and it appears only in foreign exchange ...
. * On May 23, 1996,
Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
Lee Chul-su defected with another Shenyang F-6C, number 529, to
Suwon Air Base Suwon Air Base is a Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) base near Suwon city. Units The base is home to the ROKAF's 10th Fighter Wing (제10전투비행단), comprising: *101st Fighter Squadron flying KF-5E/KF-5F/F-5F *153rd Fighter Squadron f ...
,
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
. He reportedly left behind his wife and two children. Lee was rewarded 480 million South Korean Won (approx. 400 thousand
US dollars The United States dollar (symbol: $; currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introduced the U.S. dollar at par with the Spanish silver dollar, divided it int ...
). He is now a colonel in the ROKAF and is an academic instructor.


See also

* Air Koryo * Jebi Sports Club * North Korean Ground Force * North Korean Navy *
Republic of Korea Air Force The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF; ), also known as the ROK Air Force or South Korean Air Force, is the Air force, aerial and Space force, space warfare service branch of South Korea, operating under the Ministry of National Defense (South K ...


References


External links


The North Korean Air Force by Google Earth:
a compilation of Google Earth images of North Korean fighters, bombers, ground attack aircraft, transports, and special-operations aircraft

by Jan Josef Safarik {{Authority control Military units and formations established in 1945