27 March, 2025 North Korea's first long-range radar reconnaissance aircraft, March 2025. Photo credits: KCNA
North Korea has started testing its first long-range radar reconnaissance aircraft, similar to the Russian A-50 aircraft.
The country’s official news agency, KCNA, reported on the flight of the new aircraft.
On the 25th-26th, the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un, visited a demonstration of new North Korean reconnaissance systems, where he was presented with the first assembled long-range radar detection aircraft based on the military transport Il-76, which has been under construction for at least the past two years.
It is reported that the testing of the new equipment confirmed its “innovative characteristics,” which “will play an important role in monitoring potential threats and gathering key intelligence.”
“These weapons will demonstrate sufficient power in enhancing the ability of our army to conduct various operations for information gathering and neutralizing various enemy combat systems,” the report stated.
North Korea's first long-range radar reconnaissance aircraft
North Korea’s first long-range radar reconnaissance aircraft, March 2025. Photo credits: KCNA
North Korea's first long-range radar reconnaissance aircraft
North Korea’s first long-range radar reconnaissance aircraft, March 2025. Photo credits: KCNA
Aircraft of this class are designed for reconnaissance and airspace monitoring during flight, which increases the observation radius. For example, Russian A-50U aircraft can detect a fighter jet at a distance of up to 300 kilometers, and cruise missiles at up to 200 km.
Traditionally, specialized AEW&C aircraft can also operate in close coordination with anti-aircraft systems and aviation, providing target designation for missiles and ensuring the coordination of their operations. However, it is unknown whether such capabilities are incorporated into the North Korean aircraft, as well as the older MiG-29 fighters.
Visually, the design of the North Korean reconnaissance aircraft resembles the Soviet A-50, using the same antenna installation arrangement. However, there are also differences. In particular, the Korean aircraft does not have the fairings for housing equipment located in the nose section of Soviet/Russian aircraft in front of the doors. Additionally, there are other minor structural differences between the fuselages.
The North Korean agency released a photo of its leader from the aircraft’s control station, where the operator consoles of the onboard radar complex can be seen. Compared to the Russian counterpart, one can note a different layout and fewer workstations, which may indicate a high level of system automation.
Пункт управління на борту північнокорейського літака ДРЛВ, березень 2025. Фото KCNAControl room aboard a North Korean AEW&C aircraft, March 2025. Photo credits: KCNA The control room aboard a Russian A-50U aircraft. Photo credits: TASS
However, the key difference between the North Korean AEW&C and Soviet-era reconnaissance aircraft may lie in the design of the onboard radar antenna installation, which has a dome of a specific design. March satellite images show that the radio-transparent material outlines three sectors of coverage, which do not involve the rotation of the antennas.
This suggests that the new North Korean aircraft is equipped with three fixed antenna arrays, similar to those found on Chinese long-range radar reconnaissance aircraft. In contrast, Russian aircraft utilize a rotating system with a single antenna, offering 360-degree coverage.
Літак ДРЛВ на базі Ил-76 для військових КНДР. Фото: 38north / Pleiades NEO © / Airbus DS 2025An IL-76-based long-range radar reconnaissance aircraft for the DPRK military. Photo credits: 38north / Pleiades NEO © / Airbus DS 2025
As previously reported, North Korea is concurrently constructing two new combat surface ships of a modern design at shipyards in the cities of Nampo and Chongjin.