In connection with the new tensions in the situation, I would like to analyze the correlation between the armed forces of the ROK and the DPRK.
Air force
The Republic of Korea
The Air Force of the Republic of Korea is not very large in number, but very modern and in good condition.
They are based on 42 F-15K heavy fighters (60% composed of local components). The devices are a redesigned and improved version of the F-15E, supplemented with modern infrared equipment, improved radars and an interactive helmet control system.
The most massive aircraft is the F-5E "Tiger" (174 aircraft in the Air Force). A significant part of the cars are of local production. All cars are E.
The next most massive aircraft is the F-16 fighter, of which there are 170 (35 F-16C, 90 KF-16C and 45 KF-16D, the last machines of local assembly). All vehicles are adapted for modern ammunition. Modification of all cars - block 32 and higher.
There are comparatively fewer old vehicles in service. Currently, there are 68 F-4 Phantom-2 fighter-bombers re-qualified as attack aircraft.
Light training-assault aviation is represented, first of all, by 64 light trainers KAI T-50. About 80 more of these machines are planned for production. These light attack aircraft have a speed of up to 1, 4-1, 5 Mach, a range of 1851 kilometers, and can carry a variety of loads, including laser bombs, air-to-air missiles and analogues.
The helicopter fleet is relatively small, and includes mainly old American models of transport, light and multipurpose helicopters.
The Air Force is also in charge of the country's air defense system. For 2010, it is represented by 6 batteries of 8 Patriot PAC-2 launchers (former German ones, there are 148 missiles in total) and 24 MIM-24 HAWK batteries (about 600 missiles). All missile launchers are integrated into the AN / MQP-64 Sentinel radar system
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
The DPRK Air Force, by contrast, amazes with the number of available cars, but their quality is far from ideal. In total, there are about 1,500 aircraft, mostly obsolete.
The newest aircraft of the Air Force are 35 MiG-29S fighters with an improved fire control system. These aircraft, in fact, are the only modern fighters. According to existing data, most of these machines are concentrated in the air defense of Pyongyang, which can only be explained by the paranoia of the country's authorities (since the air defense of Pyongyang is already strong enough, and 35 fighters add little to it). The machines are probably well maintained.
The next oldest fighter is the Mig-23ML, of which there are 46 (another 10 Mig-23R). This vehicle is a lightweight, highly maneuverable version of the conventional MiG-23, focused on missile duels. In theory, the vehicles can carry the P-23 and P-60, which are in service.
The most massive fighter is the Mig-21, of which there are about 190 in service (including licensed Chinese ones). Presumably - due to problems with spare parts - only a fraction of this fleet is airworthy. These are completely outdated, heavily worn-out models that formed the basis of the DPRK aircraft fleet in 1960-1980. Most likely, at the present time it is also difficult for them to find pilots, since due to fuel problems, most of the fleet is idle.
Also, there are about 200 completely outdated Chinese-made MiG-17 class fighters in stock. These aircraft do not represent any combat value, and, in accordance with their characteristics, are no more combat-ready than modern light training aircraft. Presumably, they only have cannon armament. It is difficult to understand the meaning of maintaining a fleet of such outdated aircraft if, due to fuel problems, their pilots have not made flights for a long time. The only possible use for them is the role of attack aircraft in the frontal zone.
For unknown reasons, the DPRK Air Force still has over 80 old IL-28 jet bombers in service. It is difficult to understand what role the DPRK generals assign to these machines. Perhaps their role is supposed to be in the delivery of weapons of mass destruction, although it is difficult to see how these old slow-moving aircraft could survive modern warfare at all.
The attack aircraft of the DPRK is represented by a large number of aircraft, mostly old models. These are Su-7, Su-22, Q-5 - a total of more than 98. Although obsolescence is not as important for attack aircraft as for fighters, these machines are currently hardly combat-ready (due to heavy wear and poor training pilots)
The only modern attack aircraft are the L-29 (12 units) and the Su-25, in the amount of 36 vehicles.
The DPRK's helicopter fleet is quite strong, although it is still very small in number. It is based on old-model helicopters - Mi-2 and Mi-4 (about 200 vehicles), most of which are outdated. The most modern vehicles are combat Mi-24 (24 units), transport Mi-26 (4 units), transport Mi-8 (15 units) and militarized civilian MD 500D helicopters of American construction (87 units)
In general, judging by the state of the DPRK Air Force, they represent a very insignificant combat force. Although SEPARATE cars and pilots are probably not inferior to the Southerners, in general, the level of training of pilots is most likely lower, due to lack of fuel. In addition, a significant part of the machines are physically outdated and have low safety.
To a certain extent, this is offset by the country's powerful and well-thought-out air defense system. The DPRK's air defense system is one of the most saturated and deeply echeloned in the world. Although it does not have truly effective complexes, it is still striking in its richness.
The basis of the DPRK's air defense is made up of 24 S-200 missile launchers. Presumably, they are supplemented by a locally produced analogue of the S-300, but this information - in the face of the DPRK's obvious failures in rocketry and electronics - does not seem reliable.
The most massive air defense systems of the country are the S-125 (128 launchers) and C-75 (240 launchers)
Paradoxically, the DPRK is still armed with the S-25 complex, which has been removed from service in all countries. It's hard to explain why, but these clumsy and decrepit missiles form the backbone of Pyongyang's air defenses. Their retention in service is explained either by the absence of any possibility of replacement (which clearly speaks not in favor of the alleged production of the S-300 in the DPRK) or by the incompetence of the military leadership, who believes that "the main thing is quantity." Without a doubt, the resources devoured by this hopelessly obsolete complex could be much more wisely used to maintain the S-200!
The field is represented by the Krug, Kub, Strela, Igla and Buk complexes, over 1000 missiles in total. The exact number of launchers is unknown.
There are also over 11,000 pieces of anti-aircraft artillery in stock. For the most part, these are outdated samples of various origins. None of them are modern, and their real combat capability is close to zero.
In general, the DPRK Air Force is a powerful force, but solely due to the air defense system. The fighter element itself is very weak, which is aggravated by the insufficient training of the pilots.
