Russia to arm North Korea with MiG-29 and Su-27 fighter aircraft
10 December, 2024 MiG-29 UB(R) fighter ("50 blue") of the Russian Aerospace Force. Nizhny Novgorod, December 2015. Photo: Dmitry SherHunter
Russia has signed an agreement to transfer Soviet-era fighter jets in exchange for North Korean support in the war against Ukraine. Admiral Samuel Paparo, leader of the US Indo-Pacific Command, announced this during his address at the Reagan National Defense Forum on December 7. He said that the deployment of the soldiers "was proposed by North Korea on its own initiative," and now North Korean soldiers "are in the combat zone on the territory of Ukraine," although they are not participating in combat.
The admiral did not name the number of MiG-29s and Su-27s to be transferred but noted that their delivery could significantly enhance North Korea's military capabilities, especially amid the tense international situation. "Although these fighter jets were manufactured in the Soviet Union and are not the most modern models of Russian weapons, they still have significant combat potential," he said.
DPRK Combat Aviation
The DPRK Air Force, officially called the Korean People's Army Air Forces (KPAF), currently has a fleet of outdated Soviet and Chinese-made aircraft aged 40 to 80 years. These include MiG-17, MiG-19, and MiG-21 and their Chinese counterparts, as well as the MiG-23.
However, there are also relatively more modern MiG-29 fighter jets and Su-25 attack aircraft in service, received in the late 80s and early 90s. In general, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the current fleet of the Korean People's Army Air Force consists of more than 400 fighters, 80 light bombers, and more than 200 transport aircraft. Most of them are in non-flying conditions and have been stationary at airfields for many years due to obsolescence and lack of spare parts.
DPRK military personnel in front of a MiG-29 aircraft. Photo: warfor.me
The fighter jet deal should be a big step for the North Korean Air Force. The delivery will improve its capabilities and overcome decades of stagnation, although it will not reach parity with the air forces of regional adversaries such as South Korea.
The deal was revealed a year after Kim Jong-un's diplomatic visit to Russia in September 2023. Then, the North Korean leader visited the aircraft plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, where the Su-27, Su-30, Su-35, and the most modern Russian Su-57 are manufactured. Kim then expressed interest in the Su-57, which manufacturers position as a stealthy 5th generation fighter jet.
In addition, he then also inspected another Russian Su-35 aircraft that was in the process of being assembled.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects a Su-57 fighter jet at the Russian aircraft factory in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, September 15, 2023
It is unlikely that North Korea will receive state-of-the-art Russian-made aircraft in the future due to the obsolescence of its own infrastructure and the complexity and cost of the aircraft and their operation.
Instead, MiG-29s and Su-27s, which can undergo deep modernization at Russian aircraft factories before being shipped, could be a real step toward strengthening the DPRK Air Force.