At the beginning of this March, a series of digital photographs revealed North Korea’s progress in equipping its Air Force with a new airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft. The images, captured by Airbus’ Pleiades Neo satellite, showed extensive and advanced structural modifications on an Ilyushin Il-76 transport aircraft. However, during a recent visit and inspection by North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, it was officially confirmed that the aircraft had completed its first test flight.
Until the recent exhibition and inspection by North Korea’s Supreme Leader, which went viral on social media thanks to a report by North Korean State Television, only a few details of this aircraft—originally belonging to the state airline Air Koryo—had been observed. This was largely due to the secrecy and lack of announcements from the regime.
Satellite image analysis from recent years indicated that the project had begun some time ago, with confirmation in 2024 that an Il-76 aircraft from the mentioned airline had arrived at the Sunan airport facilities. Over the months, additional images documented structural modifications, including reinforcement of the upper fuselage, where the new radar radome would be installed.
One of the most analyzed aspects of the images captured in early March was the possible involvement and assistance of China’s military-industrial complex in the project. This assumption arose due to the triangular design on the upper part of the radome, similar to AEW aircraft operated by the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) of China and absent in equivalent models from the United States and Russia.
As noted by the specialized site 38 North, which analyzes events in North Korea: “On Chinese aircraft, the triangle indicates the placement of three non-rotating phased array radars arranged to cover 120-degree sectors. This could suggest Chinese support or influence, although the triangle alone is not conclusive evidence.”
However, this assumption has been strongly reinforced by newly published images that quickly went viral. These images, taken from a report on Kim Jong-Un’s visit and inspection, confirmed that the modified Il-76 had completed its first test flight and evaluations.
Regarding its design, the Il-76 adapted for AEW&C missions in North Korea’s Air Force follows a configuration similar to aircraft in service with the Russian Aerospace Forces, such as the Beriev A-50 (or Mainstay, according to NATO designation) and its more modern version, the A-100, as well as models used by China’s People’s Liberation Army, such as the PLAAF’s Shaanxi KJ-2000.
However, unlike the Russian models—and reinforcing the theory of possible Chinese involvement in the project—the radome on the North Korean Il-76 is fixed, in contrast to the rotating designs of the Russian A-50. In this regard, its configuration is more similar to Chinese aircraft equipped with non-rotating 360° coverage radars, such as the KJ-2000 and other AEW&C models of the PLAAF.
The viralized images so far do not show identification markings on the aircraft, which features a two-tone gray and white paint scheme. No antennas or other protrusions characteristic of highly modified and specialized aircraft of this type have been observed.
During the North Korean leader’s visit, the interior of the aircraft was also inspected, with particular attention to the area designated for the operations personnel of the Command and Control Center. The images show workstations with a high degree of cleanliness and organization, with screens deliberately blurred to prevent the disclosure of sensitive information.
Beyond doubts about North Korea’s ability to develop indigenous command, control, and battlefield management systems, this project represents a significant advancement for the country, whose Air Force previously lacked such capabilities.
Operationally, the aircraft—still without an official designation—will provide early warning and surveillance capabilities that were previously unavailable, allowing North Korea to monitor troop movements and military platforms in the region more effectively. Once in service, this Il-76 could be deployed to observe the activities of the South Korean Armed Forces and their joint exercises with the United States Military on the peninsula.
Finally, the growing evidence of China’s support for North Korea in this project should not be overlooked—an essential factor in strengthening North Korea’s military capabilities amid rising tensions with the United States and the Taiwan situation, whose reunification remains a strategic priority for Beijing.
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