In exchange for soldiers from the DPRK, russia will transfer an unspecified number of MiG-29 and Su-27 fighter aircraft to the North Korean regime. According to a senior U.S. officer in the Pacific, the initiative to send its troops to fight in Ukraine was coming from North Korea itself. Currently, the Korean soldiers are not participating in combat operations yet remain deployed in the zone of active hostilities.
These insights were stated by the chief of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral Samuel Paparo, as reported by Aviation Week. Despite the old MiG-29s and Su-27s not being as good as new fifth-generation fighters, they are still "formidable," Paparo said during his speech at the Reagan National Defense Forum.
Read more: North Korean Troops in russia Are Starving in Kursk Region
He also believes that in addition to (relatively) modern aircraft, North Korea may also ask for technologies to produce ballistic missiles and air defense systems from russia in exchange for its manpower.
Defense Express notes that, on the one hand, until now it was believed that North Korea would get far superior Su-35 fighters from russia. At least that was the topic in the air after supreme leader Kim Jong Un visited the russian aircraft factory in Komsomolsk-on-Amur in the fall of 2023 where the Su-35s are produced.
On the other hand, considering the current state of the DPRK's aviation, even a transfer of MiG-29s and Su-27s would be a serious power-up in terms of quality.
So far, the only relatively up-to-date models in North Korean aviation fleet are the 18 MiG-29s and 34 Su-25s received from the USSR back in the 1980s. The core still consists of 50 MiG-23s, around 200 MiG-21s, 200 MiG-17s, and MiG-19s.
How many of these aged models are still airworthy was on full display during the only air show in the history of the DPRK held in 2016. In other words, with russia's help, North Korea has an opportunity to replace the MiG-23s, MiG-21s, MiG-19s, and MiG-17s which have long since become scrap metal with newer Su-27s and MiG-29s.
That said, such an upgrade is not purely qualitative, the quantity factor matters as well, namely, how many aircraft russia is ready to share with North Korea. Based on The Military Balance assessment from the IISS, as of early 2024, the russian Aerospace Forces operated
- about 70 Soviet-era MiG-29/MiG-29UBs,
- 14 modernized MiG-29SMTs and two MiG-29UBTs;
- 12 Su-27s and 18 Su-27UBs,
- 47 Su-27SMs and 24 Su-27SM3s, and
- the russian Navy also had 18 Su-27s in the basic version.
With these figures in mind, we can assume that the number of aircraft planned for transfer from russia to the DPRK may depend on the level of their technological development. That is, which modernizations the Kremlin will choose to share with its North Korean partners.
If only the oldest types are selected, dictator Kim can expect up to a few dozen fighters, or a more reserved number if their improved versions are sent instead.
Read more: Deployed in Non-Combat Roles, North Korean Fighters Are Freeing Up russian Troops for the Frontlines
