North Korea has unveiled its airborne early warning and control aircraft, referred to as the “North Korean Peace Eye,” for the first time. This is the first time North Korea has disclosed the aircraft—dubbed the “command post in the sky”—through its state-run media. South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities have reportedly been tracking signs that the aircraft may have been developed with Russian support. Some analysts suggest it could be a reward for North Korea’s support of the war in Ukraine.
On Thursday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guided national defense science research efforts on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Technology Union and the Electronic Warfare Detection Research Group. In the released photos, Kim can be seen aboard the airborne command aircraft, issuing orders to military officials inside. The aircraft he boarded appears to be based on Russia’s Ilyushin Il-76 transport aircraft, outfitted with a radome for protecting radar antennas from water and dust. One interior screen showed a zoomed-in map of part of the Korean Peninsula.
Airborne early warning and control aircraft serve as command posts that can manage both air and ground operations in real-time. The South Korean Air Force currently operates four E-737 Peace Eye aircraft and plans to acquire four more. At the same time, some have raised concerns that this could upset the balance in air superiority, where South Korea holds a decisive edge—military authorities assess that North Korea’s capabilities remain at a rudimentary level.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff believe the aircraft itself is a modified version of an existing North Korean model, but assess that Russia may have supplied internal components and devices. “We believe it is likely to be heavy and vulnerable to interception,” Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Lee Sung-jun stated at a briefing. “It appears to be in the final stages of completion, which is likely why it was revealed to Kim Jong Un.”
Kim also observed a test of suicide drones attacking tanks and other ground targets, as well as a flight of a reconnaissance drone that resembled the U.S. Global Hawk (RQ-4) in appearance. “In building a modernized military force, the fields of unmanned equipment and artificial intelligence technology should be given the highest priority and continuously developed,” he emphasized. This is interpreted as meaning that North Korea aims to apply its experience from the Ukraine war, where drones caused significant damage, to its drone development efforts.
Meanwhile, the Joint Chiefs also reported that North Korea has resumed previously suspended efforts to separate the South and the North near the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), including mine-laying and reinforcing border barriers under the pretext of winter training. They also stated that although 11 of the Kaesong Industrial Complex power supply towers, which North Korea began dismantling in November last year, have been removed, the first transmission tower north of the MDL has not been dismantled. Reportedly, North Korea installed a closed-circuit television camera on the tower last month, capable of monitoring a range of one to two kilometers into the South. Additionally, the Joint Chiefs revealed that North Korea sent around 11,000 troops to Russia last year and deployed another 3,000 in January and February of this year.
Na-Ri Shin journari@donga.com