The North Korean Air Force flies relatively newer MiG-23 and MiG-29 platforms but still relies heavily on its sizeable reserve of older MiG aircraft. In 1991, the Defense Intelligence Agency noted a fleet accounting that included 120 MiG-21s and 60 MiG-19s. since then, the strength of North Korea’s air force has continued to dwindle — both as a priority firmly behind the development of nuclear capabilities. Around this time, China dialed back its material support of the country, and the Soviet Union dissolved, leaving North Korea largely on its own.
In 2021, DIA reported again on North Korean aerial capabilities bleakly. Not only does the country still rely on the same ageing aircraft 30 years later, but it’s also the only one in the world to still fly MiGs that are even older (the -15 and -17 models, specifically). In 2023, it’s theorized that North Korea still fields around 400 MiG-15s.
The MiG-15 was a daunting fighter jet in its heyday. Designed in 1946, a MiG-15 participated in the first all-jet dogfight in flight combat history. After the Korean War, the utility of the MiG-15 quickly fell out of step with progress, as the MiG-17 was entering production. Yet, even the most recent design in North Korea’s fleet, the MiG-29, is more than 35 years old.
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