In the context of the celebrations for the 80th anniversary of the North Korean Air Force, which were presided over by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, a series of locally developed systems were unveiled, showcased through a new set of missiles and guided munitions intended to equip the Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot attack aircraft. Based on the images released by North Korea’s own Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), these appear to include a new cruise missile, as well as an anti-tank missile and an air-to-air missile.
On 30 November, the Air Force of the Korean People’s Army marked its 80th anniversary with a demonstration and exhibition of new developments and capabilities. These were presented to leader Kim Jong Un, who traveled to Wonsan Kalma Airport, located in Kangwon Province.
Upon his arrival and the start of the official ceremony, several main systems currently in service could be observed inside the main hangar, including both manned and unmanned aircraft, as well as those still under development. In this latter category, the presence stood out of the future airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, based on an Il-76 transport plane, which was expected to begin its test flights last March.
However, much of the attention from specialists focused on one of the aircraft displayed in front of the leader. Specifically, the Sukhoi Su-25, a Russian/Soviet-origin attack aircraft in service with the North Korean Air Force, which was carrying an entire array of new guided weaponry, presumably locally developed.
At first glance, what appears to be a long-range cruise missile can be seen, which visually resembles Western-origin missiles such as the KEPD 350 Taurus, used by the German Air Force as well as by the F-15K Slam Eagles of the South Korean Air Force. Other analysts have also pointed out similarities with the Russian Kh-69, which takes on relevance considering the close ties that Moscow and Pyongyang have developed in the context of the war in Ukraine and the support provided by the North Korean regime.
Moving into the realm of assumptions, since no official information is available, it can only be presumed that the development of this cruise missile—whose designation was not announced—aims to match the capabilities and characteristics of the previously mentioned models. Thus, it can be inferred that the missile might have a range of between 124 and 310 miles, and be equipped with an inertial navigation system and GPS, as well as electro-optical systems for terrain-following during its flight.
As for the rest of the observed weaponry, it also resembles other Western missile models, displayed across various multiple-armament pylons and fulfilling roles such as attacking armored ground targets, similar to the British-origin Brimstone missile.
Finally, on the wingtip stations—usually reserved for the aircraft’s air-to-air self-defense weapons, such as the Soviet-origin R-60—there appears to be an air-to-air missile resembling the IRIS-T developed by the German company Diehl, which is used on fighter aircraft as well as on ground-based air defense systems.
Cover photograph: Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
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