Rusting North Korean Air Force
South Korea recently found out that North Korea’s requests to buy new combat aircraft were rejected by China and Russia. South Korean diplomats were pleased to learn about this, and South Korean air force officers were not at all surprised that North Koreans were desperately trying to modernize their air force.
North Korea's quick preparations for war were observed at the end of 2010, after North Korean artillery opened fire on South Korea (Yeonpyeong Island). These preparations were made without special notice. As well as the attack on the island of Yeonpyong.
South Korean analysts were particularly struck by the poor preparation of the North Korean air force during this hasty mobilization. Although it was well known that North Korean airmen had fewer and fewer flying hours over the past ten years, yet when ordered to take to the air in a massive hasty mobilization, the results were appallingly poor. Particularly striking were the disgusting flying skills of combat pilots, as well as the condition of many aircraft (given their poor maintenance). There were several crashes, many mid-air misses, and a general sense of confusion among North Korean troop and air force commanders.
Although North Korea apparently tried to impress and intimidate South Korea with a display of its air power, the effect, however, turned out to be the opposite. With the exception of ten MiG-29s, the North Korean air force consists of several hundred Soviet and Chinese Cold War warplanes. Chinese aircraft are knockoffs of old Soviet designs, and most of the North Korean aircraft fleet consists of models that are outdated as far back as the 1970s. The North Korean Air Force exercise only confirmed what many South Korean and American intelligence analysts have long suspected: the North Korean Air Force can barely fly and is unlikely to fight.
Neither China nor Russia is willing to encourage North Korea to carry out such misadventures and therefore refused to provide new aircraft. Moreover, it is difficult to do business with North Korea. She often refuses to pay or delays payment for a long time. North Korea is not a good client, and even China and Russia, who have backed the north for more than half a century, are fed up with North Korea's increasingly bizarre behavior.
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