Nowadays, the DPRK is often compared to the great and terrible Mordor. Like the latter, practically nothing is known about Korea, but everyone knows how difficult and scary it is to live there. Meanwhile, although it is inferior to the Republic of Korea, it is significantly superior to India, Pakistan, and some countries in this indicator of Eastern Europe. In addition, the DPRK is one of the most powerful, even if they are armed with far from the most modern weapons.
No help and no hope?
Like the entire economy of this closed state, its armed forces are built according to a very intelligent principle. It is translated into Russian as “reliance on one’s own strength.” Of course, this country at one time received military assistance from the USSR and China. Only now the “lafa” is over: Pyongyang simply has nothing to pay Russia for new technology, and the PRC is not enthusiastic about the “Juche Ideas,” although it officially supports them. However, there is one country that really helps the DPRK. We are talking about Iran. They suspect, in particular, that it was from the DPRK that they received the technologies that made it possible to create nuclear weapons.
So, don't underestimate the Koreans. The country has a powerful industrial complex that can produce from scratch almost all types of more or less modern weapons. Koreans cannot make only airplanes and helicopters, but they can easily assemble them with a screwdriver, provided they have imported components. Since the DPRK is an extremely closed state, there is no exact information about the troops and equipment available there; all information is approximate, based on analysts’ estimates.
But do not underestimate their work and the work of intelligence: in last years we learned a lot of secrets that the DPRK army keeps. The number of Juche troops, by the way, is about 1.2 million people! Our country’s army size is approximately the same, but if we compare the sizes of states... It is believed that almost every third adult man and woman serves with the northerners. But! The DPRK is significantly inferior to that of the South. The advantage of the DPRK is that almost the entire adult and capable population of the country is in one way or another related to the army, but in the Republic of Korea the situation with this is much more deplorable. So the opponents' forces are approximately equal.
Currently, the Minister of the Armed Forces of the DPRK is Hyon Yong Chol. By the way, not so long ago, the press of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the world media diligently circulated rumors that he had been shot... But the “innocently murdered” minister soon after appeared on the screens and clearly demonstrated that the rumors about his death were somewhat exaggerated.
Rocket Forces
It is known that the northerners have a lot nuclear missiles with a decent range. There is information about three Nodon-1 divisions. Each such missile can carry a nuclear warhead to a distance of at least 1.3 thousand kilometers. There is also a whole “brood” of weapons created on the basis of the Soviet R-17 model. Among them are the Hwasong-5 missiles (range of at least 300 kilometers). The Hwasong-6 model is somewhat better (range of up to 500 kilometers). The Koreans did not ignore the Tochka-U missile, creating the KN-02 on its basis. The DPRK also has real antiques in its arsenal in the form of the Luna-M model.
In recent years, there have also been reports that the country is developing intercontinental missiles"Taepodong" model. Almost all experts agree that the DPRK Armed Forces do not have specialists capable of creating nuclear warheads for them. The fact is that such missile warheads have extremely stringent requirements for reliability and resistance to overloads, and even Iran does not have such technologies.
Two echelons of defense
Let us immediately note that the backbone of the Korean layered defense are special forces, and in such quantities that other countries have never even dreamed of. It is known that the northern special operations forces number up to 90 thousand people, so they may well be ahead of even the United States in this indicator. There are both land and naval special forces. Of course, the northerners also have plenty of other troops. This is how the DPRK Armed Forces are structured in general terms, the composition of which will be discussed in more detail below.
Their first echelon is located on the border with South Korea and consists of infantry and artillery formations. If North Korea is the first to enter the war, the DPRK Armed Forces will have to begin breaking through the southern border fortifications. If the latter start the war, this same echelon will become a barrier preventing enemy troops from penetrating into the interior of the country. The first echelon consists of four infantry and one artillery corps. Infantry units include tank and aviation regiments, as well as self-propelled artillery units.
The second echelon contains the most powerful tank and other motorized units. His task when the DPRK enters the war first is to develop a breakthrough and destroy those enemy groups that will resist. If the northerners are attacked by the southerners, the tank formations will have to eliminate the enemy troops that have broken through and who manage to get through the first echelon. These units include not only tank and self-propelled regiments, but also MLRS units.
Third and fourth echelons
In this case, the DPRK army not only has to defend Pyongyang itself, but also serves as a training base. It consists of five infantry and one artillery corps. There are tank and motorized infantry regiments, several MLRS and missile defense units. The fourth echelon is located on the border with China and Russia. This includes squads of tankers, self-propelled gunners, anti-aircraft gunners, artillerymen, and light infantry. Like the third, the fourth echelon is training and reserve.
The armor is strong
It is believed that the DPRK army has at least five thousand main battle tanks and about five thousand light tanks. The core consists of about three thousand T-55s and their Chinese clones (Type-59). There are also about a thousand T-62s. They served as the basis for the creation of our own Korean model “Chonma”. Most likely, there are significantly less than a thousand of these vehicles in the army.
You should not assume that the Koreans only have “antiques” in their arsenal. There is a more or less modern version of the MBT, called “Pokpun-ho”. This tank also traces its lineage back to the old T-62, but its creation used technologies that underlie the much more modern T-72 and T-80.
The KPVT, equipped with a powerful 125 mm cannon, is presented as auxiliary weapons. Digressing from the topic, let's say that this machine gun Among the northerners in general he enjoys indescribable honor. For preventive protection against enemy armored vehicles, the Balso-3 ATGM launcher (nothing more than our Kornet) and the Hwa Song Chon MANPADS ( absolute analogue"Needles-1"). It’s difficult to say how all this will behave in battle, but in principle, no other tank in the world has such weapons. Presumably, the DPRK army has no more than 200-300 Songun-915 tanks.
Light armor
The country is armed with about 500 light Soviet PT-76s, as well as about a hundred PT-85 “Shinhen” (an amphibious tank based on a Soviet amphibious tank, equipped with an 85mm gun). It is unknown how many BMP-1s the Koreans have, but there are probably a lot. No less than an armored personnel carrier. It is assumed that the DPRK has at least a thousand very antique BTR-40 and BTR-152. But there are still about 150 analogues of the Soviet BTR-80A (both Soviet vehicles and our own designs).
Gods of war
The DPRK army is armed with at least five thousand self-propelled guns, about four thousand towed guns, approximately eight thousand mortars various designs, about the same number of MLRS systems. The real pride of the northerners is the M-1973/83 “Juche-po” (170 mm). These trunks make it easy to reach the territory of the southerners from deep in the rear.
Thus, in terms of equipment, the DPRK army, whose weapons we are considering, is at a fairly high level. Everything would be fine, but all this technology (for the most part) is very outdated. But don't frown contemptuously. In count artillery pieces North Korea is in second place in the world, second only to the PLA. Even if the ROK troops, with the support of the United States, move into battle, these guns are capable of creating a real sea of fire in the front line. It won't even help here American aviation. All this can only be suppressed by a targeted nuclear strike, and hardly anyone will do that.
Aviation is on the move
The armed forces of the DPRK, photos of which are repeatedly found in the article, are relatively well equipped, but the northerners have a real problem with aviation. In total, the North has no more than 700 aircraft in service. All bombers and attack aircraft are very old, almost the same age as the century. The very antediluvian MiG-21... and even MiG-17 are used as fighters. It is clear that they cannot compete with any modern aircraft of this class purely physically. But there is still evidence that the DPRK has a certain number of MiG-29s. But there is no exact information about the number and location of these aircraft.
The Armed Forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea have no transport workers at all. Oddly enough, the country has a number of Il-76, Tu-154 and similar aircraft, but all of them are intended exclusively for transporting high-ranking government officials, as well as for emergency transfers of some especially necessary cargo. It is known that the northerners have about 300 An-2 (“corn makers”), as well as a number of their Chinese copies. These aircraft are designed for the covert transport of special forces groups. In addition, the Korean Air Force has something like 350 multi-purpose and attack helicopters. Among them there are not only Soviet Mi-24s, but also several American models, for the acquisition of which it was necessary to involve a whole chain of intermediaries.
Air defense
So, what is the DPRK army covering the sky with? Air defense weapons belong to the Air Force (even ground units). The composition includes truly antique models, including the S-75 and S-125 air defense systems. The most modern is the S-200 air defense system. However, the KN-06 is also in service, which is a local variation of the Russian S-300. There are also at least six thousand MANPADS (mainly “Iglas”), as well as up to 11 thousand of various types anti-aircraft guns and ZSU.
Unlike ground forces, whose outdated equipment can more or less cope with the tasks assigned to it, everything is bad in aviation. Almost all the vehicles are very old; they are completely unsuited for modern combat conditions. Again, even the factor of quantity plays practically no role here, because the Koreans simply have few outdated aircraft. However, it is simply stupid to completely discount aviation: a large number of mountains, a complex landscape and other factors will allow, if necessary, even this “zoo” of technical antiques to be used with high efficiency.
So the DPRK army, the number of which is indicated above, will certainly cause a lot of problems for opponents in the event of full-scale hostilities.
South Korea
The southern troops were trained by the Americans and armed with their own weapons. It is generally accepted that the army of the Republic of Kazakhstan is much smaller than that of its warlike northern neighbor, but this is not at all true: yes, the number of constantly mobilized does not exceed 650 thousand, but there are another 4.5 million people in reserve. In short, the human resource forces are almost equal. In addition, American army units are permanently stationed on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Therefore, it is not surprising that the very structure of the southern troops is noticeably different from the Soviet structure that is familiar to us. So the Armed Forces of the DPRK and the ROK are two antipodes: the northerners have numerous, but outdated weapons, while the south has fewer “means of democratization,” but the quality of their weapons is much better.
The most numerous are the ground forces, in whose ranks up to 560 thousand people serve. Their classification is very complex; the “land forces” include armored, chemical, artillery formations, radiological protection units, air defense, and other types of troops. So, in order to compare the Armed Forces of the DPRK and South Korea, it will be useful for us to learn about the resources that the South has.
Basic information on weapons
The southerners have at least two thousand tanks. Artillery barrels - about 12 thousand. Anti-tank artillery, including ATGMs - also about 12 thousand. There are about a thousand anti-aircraft systems. Also, one of the main striking forces is about one and a half thousand infantry fighting vehicles of various modifications. At least 500 combat attack helicopters are assigned to the ground forces.
There are 22 divisions in total. They are divided into three armies, the leadership of which is at the same time the superior of all educational institutions, in which young personnel are trained for the army. Note that it is the ground forces that are the core of the general security system of the Republic of Korea and the United States, and the command of the combined Korean and American forces is carried out through a common command center, in which officers from both countries work.
Interaction of armies
Of course, the armed forces of the DPRK and South Korea equally understand the importance of interaction between different forces in battle, but the southerners approached this issue with great diligence. Almost constantly, exercises are held to test the practice of interaction between armies and military units, and work is carried out not only with the United States, but also with Japan and other allies of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the region.
Bet on modernity
Southerners rely on the latest developments in the field of military science and technology. Particular attention is paid to improvement military intelligence and connections. Moreover, the emphasis is placed not only on our own developments, but also on those samples that were purchased from the United States in the form of finished products or technologies. It was from the Americans that the M270 and M270A1 PU launch systems were purchased, from which it is possible to launch the American ATACMS missiles of the first modification and ATACMS modification 1A. In the first case, the fire range is 190 kilometers, in the second - 300 kilometers.
Simply put, the Armed Forces of the DPRK and the Republic of Korea are completely equivalent in this regard: they can reach the enemy’s capitals from their territory without putting much effort into it. For this purpose, the northerners have to modernize old Soviet designs, while the government of the South prefers to simply buy everything they need from their allies. The step, however, is highly controversial.
The ROK Army is not too fond of disclosing information about its weapons. It is only known that southerners have at least 250 launchers both modifications. In addition, there is information about ongoing developments in the field of creating our own missile weapons.
New armor
All the most powerful armies in the region, that is, the army of the DPRK and South Korea, give great value creation and development of powerful armored forces. But if the northerners do not have the resources to create their own tanks from scratch, then the Republic of Kazakhstan has such capabilities. This is how the K1A1 (“Black Panther”) model was created. The predecessor of the new tank was the old KI modification. Note that the remaining 200 units of these tanks are currently being upgraded to the Panther level. The pride of the southerners is the 155-mm K-9 self-propelled howitzers of their own design, characterized by excellent rate of fire and shooting accuracy.
In addition, work is currently underway to create South Korean combat vehicles "Piho" and the air defense system "Chonma". The K200A1 infantry fighting vehicles previously created by the Koreans continue to be relatively actively supplied to the troops. The combat aviation fleet also continues to be updated: in particular, it recently became known about the complete modernization of the attack helicopter fleet. Except overhaul of existing vehicles, the leadership of the Republic of Kazakhstan intends to purchase new ones abroad. Also, the southerners seriously want to get rid of the antediluvian UH-1 “Iroquois” and “Hughes” 500MD, and therefore work began at the same time on creating a new multi-purpose helicopter for military and civil purposes.
Unmanned aircraft
Back in 2001, the Republic of Kazakhstan, together with Israel, created a UAV of the Knight Ingrudsr model. This is a multifunctional device that can be used for military and peaceful purposes, including reconnaissance, striking local targets, meteorological research, etc. In 2010, several UAV battalions were formed, each of which has 18-24 drone and up to 64 units of transport and communication equipment. All these measures made it possible to dramatically improve interaction between different branches of the military due to excellent reconnaissance.
Armed forces of the world
Despite the very weak economy and almost complete international isolation of the DPRK, its armed forces (KPA - Korean People's Army) remain one of the largest and strongest in the world. The KPA is being built under the slogans “juche” (“reliance on one’s own strength”) and “songun” (“everything for the army”). In the years cold war North Korea received military assistance from the USSR and China. Currently, this assistance has completely stopped: from Russia - due to the low solvency of Pyongyang, from China - due to its extreme dissatisfaction with the policies of the DPRK. Almost the only partner of the DPRK in the military field is Iran, with which there is a constant exchange of military technologies. At the same time, Pyongyang continues to develop a nuclear missile program and maintain huge conventional forces. The country has a developed military-industrial complex, capable of producing almost all classes of military equipment: missiles, tanks, armored personnel carriers, artillery pieces and MLRS, warships, boats and submarines, both based on foreign projects and own samples. The only things that have not been created in the DPRK are airplanes and helicopters, although it is possible to assemble them from foreign components (if any).
Due to the extreme closeness of North Korea, information about its armed forces, especially about the amount of equipment, is approximate and estimated, and this is exactly how it should be approached.
Rocket Forces KNA include significant amount ballistic missiles of various ranges. There are up to 16 divisions of Hwasong-7 missiles (aka Nodong-1) (3 launchers in each division, a total of 200 to 300 missiles; flight range - up to 1.3 thousand km), 1 OTR regiment R-17 (28 launchers; flight range - 300 km), as well as the Hwasong-5 OTR created on the basis of the R-17 (up to 180 launchers, 300-400 missiles; range - 330 km) and Hwasong-6 ( up to 100 launchers, 300-400 missiles; range - 500 km), up to 8 divisions of the KN-02 TR, created on the basis of the Russian Tochka TR (4 launchers each, at least 100 missiles in total; range - 70 km), 6 divisions each of the old TR "Luna" and "Luna-M" (4 launchers each; 70 km). IRBMs or even ICBMs of the Taepodong series are being developed.
Special Operations Forces The KPA are at least the fourth largest in the world in size (after the USA, China, and the Russian Federation), and perhaps even second after the American ones, their number is up to 90 thousand people. The North Korean SOF is led by the Light Infantry Control Bureau and the Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff. CCOs include three components.
Special forces of the ground forces - 9 light infantry brigades, 3 sniper brigades (17th, 60th, 61st), 17 reconnaissance battalions, 8 special forces battalions.
Airborne Forces - 3 “regular” (38th, 48th, 58th) and 4 sniper (11th, 16th, 17th, 21st) airborne brigades, special forces parachute battalion.
Naval special forces - 2 naval sniper brigades (1 each in the Western and Eastern fleets).
Ground troops, whose number is almost 1 million people, are divided into 4 strategic echelons.
The first echelon is located directly on the border with South Korea and consists of infantry and artillery formations. If the DPRK starts the war first, the task of the first echelon is to break through the South Korean border fortifications. If the first strike is delivered by South Korea and the United States, the task of the first echelon of the KPA is to prevent enemy troops from advancing deeper into the country.
The first echelon includes four infantry corps and one artillery corps.
1st Infantry Corps - 2nd, 13th, 31st, 46th infantry divisions, four brigades - tank, light infantry, self-propelled guns, MLRS.
2nd Infantry Corps - 3rd, 6th, 8th infantry divisions, 32nd light infantry brigade, two more light infantry brigades, as well as tank, self-propelled gun, MLRS, and river crossing brigades.
4th Infantry Corps - 26th, 28th, 33rd, 41st infantry divisions, four brigades - 34th tank, 77th and 88th light infantry, river crossing and landing.
5th Infantry Corps - 5th, 12th, 25th, 45th infantry divisions, 103rd tank brigade, 75th and 80th light infantry brigades, self-propelled gun brigade, MLRS brigade, airborne crossing river crossing brigade.
The 620th Artillery Corps includes seven self-propelled gun brigades and six MLRS brigades.
The second echelon is located directly behind the first and consists of the most powerful tank and mechanized formations of the KPA ground forces. If the DPRK starts the war first, then the task of the second echelon is to develop an offensive into the depths of the South Korean defense (including the capture of Seoul) after its breakthrough by the forces of the first echelon. If South Korea and the United States start the war first, the second echelon of the KPA must eliminate possible enemy breakthroughs through the location of the first echelon. The second echelon includes a tank and two mechanized corps.
806th Mechanized Corps - 4th, 7th, 47th and two more mechanized brigades, a light infantry brigade, a self-propelled gun brigade.
815th Mechanized Corps - 26th and four more mechanized brigades, a light infantry brigade, a self-propelled gun brigade.
820th Tank Corps - 105th Armored Division, three armored brigades, 15th mechanized brigade, self-propelled gun brigade, MLRS brigade.
The third echelon provides the defense of Pyongyang and is a reserve and training base for the first two echelons. Includes five infantry and one artillery corps.
3rd Infantry Corps - five infantry divisions(including two reserve training), tank and artillery brigades.
6th Infantry Corps - three infantry divisions (including two training reserves), an artillery brigade.
7th Infantry Corps - 10th and 20th Infantry Divisions, four training reserve divisions, 87th Light Infantry Brigade, artillery brigade.
12th Infantry Corps - motorized infantry and infantry divisions, tank and artillery brigades.
91st Infantry Corps for the Defense of the Capital - four motorized infantry brigades, an MLRS brigade.
Kandong Artillery Corps - six artillery and MLRS brigades each.
The fourth echelon is located along the border of the DPRK with the PRC and the Russian Federation. It is, like the third, a training reserve, as well as a “echelon of last hope”. Includes two mechanized and four infantry corps.
The 108th and 425th mechanized corps have the same structure - five mechanized brigades, a light infantry brigade, and a self-propelled gun brigade.
The 10th and 11th Infantry Corps also have the same structure - one infantry and one training reserve division, and an MLRS brigade.
8th Infantry Corps - three infantry divisions (including one training reserve), tank and artillery brigades.
9th Infantry Corps - 24th and 42nd Infantry Divisions, training reserve infantry division, MLRS brigade. It is this corps that has the border with the Russian Federation in its area of responsibility.
In addition, the ground forces have 4 border guards (25th, 27th, 29th, 31st) and 22 engineering (1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 21st , 23rd, 25th, 27th, 29th, 31st, 33rd, 35th, 37th, 39th, 41st, 42nd, 45th, 47 -i, 49th, 51st, 53rd, 55th) brigades.
The KPA tank fleet includes up to 4 thousand main and at least 250 light tanks. The oldest are the Soviet T-54 and T-55 (1000 of each) and their Chinese copies Tour 59 (175). Not much newer are the Soviet T-62s, of which there are 500. On their basis, the DPRK itself created the Chonma family of tanks (a total of at least 470 units). The most modern North Korean tank is the Songun-915, known in the West and in Russia under the name Pokpun-ho. It is also based on the T-62, but using technology from the more modern Soviet T-72 and T-80 tanks. Carries a 125-mm cannon, a 14.5-mm KPVT machine gun, coaxial launchers of the Balso-3 ATGM (a copy of the Soviet Kornet ATGM) and Hwa Song Chon MANPADS (a copy of the Igla-1), no other tank there is no such set of weapons in the world. To date, 200-400 Songun-915 tanks have been produced.
Light tanks - 100 Soviet PT-76, 50 Chinese Toure 62, at least 100 own PT-85 "Shinhen" (an amphibious tank with an 85-mm cannon).
There are 222 Soviet BMP-1s, as well as more than 1.5 thousand armored personnel carriers. The oldest are up to 600 Soviet BTR-40 and BTR-152. Not much newer are the Soviet BTR-60 (250 units), BTR-50 (50) and our own Type-73, created on the basis of the Chinese Toure 531 and better known as VTT-323 (at least 500 vehicles). The most modern are 32 Russian armored personnel carriers-80A and up to 100 Type-69 armored personnel carriers created on their basis in the DPRK itself.
The KPA artillery includes numerous towed guns of Soviet, Chinese and domestic production. This is 500 A-19 and M-30, 300 D-74, 188 D-30 (122 mm), 50 Tour 59-1, 160 M-46 and up to 1000 similar guns of our own production (130 mm), 200 D- 20 and 100 ML-20 (152 mm). A significant part of these guns in the DPRK itself were converted into self-propelled guns by installing them on the ATS-59 tracked transporter. In this way, self-propelled guns M-1976 and M-1978 (122 mm), M-1974 (130 mm), M-1972 (152 mm) were created. In addition, there are at least 60 M-1973 and M-1983 Juche-po self-propelled guns (170 mm) with a firing range of up to 60 km, as well as a number of M-1991 self-propelled guns (122 mm). Thus, total Self-propelled guns and towed guns exceed 3 thousand units. Mortars (up to 7.5 thousand) were mainly created in the DPRK itself: M-1976 (82 mm), M-1978 (120 mm), M-1982 (140 mm). There are also 1,000 Soviet 120mm M-43 mortars. The number of MLRS exceeds 5 thousand units. This is at least 3,774 Chinese towed Toure 63, produced under license in the DPRK itself (107 mm), at least 500 Soviet BM-21, own BM-11, M-1973, M-1990 (122 mm), 100 Chinese Toure 63 ( 130 mm), 50 Soviet towed RPU -14 and 100 BM-14 (140 mm), at least 200 own M-1968 and Soviet BMD-20 (200 mm), from 200 to 500 Soviet BM-24, own M-1984 and M-1990 (240 mm).
Anti-tank weapons of the KPA - ATGM "Malyutka", "Konkurs", up to 1.1 thousand ATGM "Fagot", as well as at least 1 thousand self-propelled anti-tank missiles M-1974 (100 mm).
In terms of the number of almost all classes of equipment, the KPA ground forces occupy at least 4th place in the world. Such a huge amount of it largely compensates for its archaic nature. This especially applies to artillery, in terms of the number of barrels of which the KPA is in second place in the world after the PLA. North Korean artillery is capable of creating a real “sea of fire” in the front-line zone, but it is physically impossible to suppress such a quantity of artillery.
Air Force The DPRK organizationally consists of 6 air divisions and 3 anti-aircraft missile brigades.
1st Air Division: 24th Bomber Wing (equipped with old Chinese N-5 bombers, based on the Soviet Il-28), 35th Fighter Wing (Chinese J-6 fighters, copies of the Soviet MiG-19), 55th attack air regiment (the most modern attack aircraft of the North Korean Air Force - Su-25 attack aircraft), 57th fighter air regiment (the most modern fighter aircraft of the DPRK Air Force - MiG-29), 60th fighter air regiment (MiG-23ML/UB and MiG-21PFM fighters) , two transport air regiments (An-2 aircraft and their Chinese counterparts Y-5), a helicopter regiment.
2nd Air Division: Bomber Regiment (N-5), 46th Fighter Regiment (J-6, MiG-21), 56th Fighter Regiment (MiG-21PFM/bis), 58th Fighter Regiment (MiG-23ML) /UB), the 72nd fighter air regiment (MiG-21, J-7), as well as three more fighter air regiments, a transport air regiment (An-2/Y-5), and a helicopter regiment.
3rd Air Division: 4th and 11th Fighter Wings (armed with the oldest J-5 fighter in the DPRK Air Force, a Chinese copy of the MiG-17), 86th Fighter Wing (J-6, MiG-21), 303- 1st Fighter Wing (J-6), Helicopter Regiment.
The 5th Transport Air Division includes five transport air regiments.
The 6th Transport Air Division includes Air Koryo, which includes: passenger aircraft, mainly transporting higher officials DPRK and KPA. Also in the 6th Air Division there are seven helicopter regiments, incl. the only regiment of Mi-24 attack helicopters and the 64th regiment of American MD-500 helicopters acquired by the DPRK in the 80s. through several intermediaries.
The 8th Air Training Division includes an aviation academy and four training aircraft regiments.
Anti-aircraft missile brigades - 3rd, 66th, 116th.
The strike aviation of the KPA Air Force includes from up to 86 extremely outdated Chinese N-5 bombers, from 18 to 27 almost the same old Su-7 attack aircraft, 34-35 relatively new Su-25 attack aircraft (including 4 UBK) and up to 40 "intermediate" in age Chinese attack aircraft Q-5.
Fighters - up to 159 extremely outdated Chinese J-5 and Soviet MiG-17, up to 109 slightly newer J-6 and MiG-19, up to 230 MiG-21 and J-7 (including up to 140 MiG-21F- 13 and PFM, up to 30 J-7, up to 34 MiG-21bis, up to 30 MiG-21UM), up to 56 MiG-23 (up to 46 ML and UB, up to 10 P), from 16 to 35 relatively modern MiG-29 ( including from 1 to 6 combat training MiG-29UB).
There are 2 electronic warfare aircraft based on the transport An-24 (another 1 may be in storage).
The DPRK does not have transport aviation in the classical sense. Air Koryo airline operates 3 Il-76, 4 Il-62, up to 5 An-24, 1-2 An-148, up to 14 Il-14, 2-3 Il-18, 2 Tu-134, 3 Tu -154 (1 more in storage), 2 Tu-204, they are designed to transport management and some critical cargo. Up to 300 An-2 and Y-5 are used by the special forces to transport special forces groups.
Training aircraft - up to 35 MiG-15bis, MiG-15UTI and JJ-2, up to 47 CJ-6, up to 99 CJ-5 and Yak-18, up to 135 JJ-5 (training version of J-5) and MiG-17U.
Combat helicopters - from 20 to 47 Mi-24D.
Multi-purpose helicopters - up to 68 Mi-8T and Mi-17, 4 Mi-26, up to 108 Mi-2, up to 23 Z-5 (Chinese copy of the Mi-4) and the Mi-4 itself (1 more in storage), from 5 up to 8 Mi-14 amphibious helicopters, up to 65 MD-500E (1 MD-500C and 20 D, possibly in storage).
All ground-based air defense is included in the Air Force. It consists of 2 regiments (6 divisions) of the S-200 air defense system (36 launchers), 41 divisions of the S-75 air defense system (246 launchers), 32 divisions of the S-125 air defense system (128 launchers), at least 1 division of the KN-06 air defense system ( at least 8 PU). The KN-06 is a local version of the Soviet S-300PT/PS air defense system or the Chinese HQ-9. There are also at least 10 Strela-10 air defense systems, modernized in the DPRK itself.
There are up to 6 thousand MANPADS in service (4.5 thousand Strela-2 and their Chinese copies HN-5, 1.5 thousand Igla-1 and their local copies NT-16РGJ), up to 11 thousand. ZSU and anti-aircraft guns, incl. up to 250 ZSU-57-2, 148 ZSU-23-4, 1.5 thousand ZU-23, 1 thousand 61-K (37 mm), 400 KS-12 (85 mm), 524 KS-19 (100 mm).
Almost all of the KPA Air Force and Air Defense equipment is extremely outdated, even the Su-25, MiG-29 and KN-06 can only be considered relatively new. To a certain extent this is compensated by large numbers, but in this case the factor of quantity is much less important than for ground forces. However, the actions of any enemy aircraft at low altitudes will be extremely difficult due to mountainous terrain and a huge amount MANPADS and anti-aircraft guns in North Korean air defense. Old planes may well be used as kamikazes, incl. and with nuclear weapons.
Navy The DPRK is divided into the Western Fleet (includes 5 naval regions, 6 squadrons) and the Eastern Fleet (7 naval fleets, 10 squadrons). Due to geopolitical reasons, the exchange of ships between fleets is impossible even in Peaceful time, therefore, each fleet relies on its own shipbuilding base.
In terms of the number of combat units, the DPRK Navy may be the largest in the world, but almost all of these units are extremely primitive. In particular, North Korean ships and boats do not have air defense systems at all. However, for actions in coastal waters The DPRK Navy has very significant potential. Their greatest strength is the presence of a large number of small submarines, capable of both landing special forces groups on the enemy coast and operating against enemy ships in shallow waters. During regular skirmishes between North Korean and South Korean combat boats, the advantage, as a rule, is on the side of the former.
The basis of the submarine fleet is made up of 22 old submarines, Project 633/033 (Soviet, Chinese, and our own). It is possible that up to 4 very old Soviet submarines, Project 613, have survived. There are 30-40 small submarines “Sang-O” (built according to our own design), 23 ultra-small submarines “Yugo” (Yugoslav project; another 10 in reserve) and up to 10 “ Yono" (Iranian project "Ghadir").
In service are at least 2 patrol ships (frigates) of the Najin type, 1 catamaran frigate Soho (possibly decommissioned), up to 30 corvettes (1-2 Tral type, 4 Sarivon type, 5-6 Chinese Tour 037 "Hainan", 12-13 "Daejon" type, 2-3 newest type"Nampo").
Missile boats - up to 8 old Soviet Project 205, 4 of their Chinese analogues of Project 021, up to 10 of their local analogues of the Soju type, up to 6 very old Soviet Project 183R, up to 6 of their local analogues of the Sohung type, up to 6 the latest proprietary Nongo type (with local analogues of the Russian Kh-35 Uran anti-ship missiles).
The DPRK Navy is practically the only fleet in the world that continues to operate torpedo boats en masse (mostly of its own designs). This is up to 100 hydrofoil boats of the Sing Hong type, 42 of the Kuson type, up to 3 Soviet Project 206M, up to 13 Soviet Project 183. It is possible that all boats of the last 4 types have already been decommissioned. Patrol boats - 54 "Chongjin" type, from 18 to 33 "Sinpo" type, 59 "Chaho" type, 6 "Chongzhu" type, from 13 to 23 Chinese project 062 "Shanghai-2", 19 Soviet project 201M, up to 3 types “Chodo”, up to 4 types “Shanyotu”. The last two types of boats are most likely decommissioned.
Minesweepers - 19 Yukto-1 type, 5 Yukto-2 type, up to 6 Pipa-go type boats.
Landing ships and boats are focused on conducting operations only within the Korean Peninsula itself, so they are small, but there are a lot of them. These are 10 Hanto-type TDKs, 18 Hunnam-type TDKs, 15 Hanchon-type TDKs, 51 Chongjin-type landing crafts, 96 Nampo-type landing crafts, 140 Konban-type hovercrafts.
Coastal defense covers the entire coast of the DPRK. It consists of 6 brigades (11th, 13th, 15th, 17th, 19th, 21st). Includes a significant number of Chinese HY-1 and HY-2 anti-ship missile systems, Soviet Sopka anti-ship missile systems, SM-4-1, M-1992, M-46, ML-20 guns.
In general, the noticeable technical backwardness of the KPA is largely compensated by the huge number of weapons, equipment and personnel, good level combat training and fanaticism of military personnel. In addition, the KPA is very well adapted to operate in conditions mountainous area, occupying most of the Korean Peninsula. This makes it the most dangerous enemy even for the three strongest armies in the world (American, Chinese, Russian) and completely invincible for everyone else.
Korean People's Army(Korean: 조선인민군 - Joseon inmingun) - army of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The Supreme Commander-in-Chief is Marshal of the DPRK Kim Jong Il. The KPA includes: ground forces, air force, naval forces, 2nd Artillery Corps and special operations forces. The total number of personnel in the army is, according to various estimates, from 850 to 1200 thousand people. There are about 4 million people in the reserve. The vast majority of the troops are located in the Demilitarized Zone area on the border with South Korea. Since the country has been in a state of temporary truce since the end of the Korean War in 1953, armed forces are in constant combat readiness, periodically conducting various small operations against the opponents of the DPRK.
Story
The history of the Korean people's army in the DPRK they count from the formation of the Anti-Japanese People's Guerrilla Army (ANPA), created on April 25, 1932 on the basis of partisan detachments of Korean communists who fought against the Japanese occupiers in Manchuria, where more than 1 million Koreans lived, and in northern regions Korea. In 1934, it was reorganized into the Korean People's Revolutionary Army (KPRA). The KPRA, in cooperation with the Chinese people's revolutionary forces, carried out a number of operations against the Japanese occupiers in northeast China. One of the commanders of the KPRA was Kim Il Sung. In 1945, she participated together with the troops of the Soviet Army in the battles against imperialist Japan.
Korean Army in Shenyang
On the other hand, in 1939, the Korean Volunteer Army (KVA) was formed in Yan'an, China, under the command of Kim Mu-jong and Kim Du-bong, with up to 1,000 bayonets by 1945. After the defeat of Japan, the KDA united with units of the Chinese communists in Manchuria and by September 1945 had increased its strength to 2,500 people (at the expense of the Koreans of Manchuria and northern Korea. However, the attempt of an organized passage of the Army into Korea in October 1945 was negatively received by the Soviet authorities.
At the beginning of 1946, the Provisional People's Committee of North Korea began to create the first regular military units. The first units were completed on the basis of the principle of voluntariness. In mid-1946, one infantry brigade and two schools for training command and political personnel for the army were formed.
In 1947-49, the Korean People's Army was finally formed. An infantry division, a separate tank brigade, separate artillery, anti-aircraft artillery and engineering regiments, and a communications regiment were additionally formed; The formation of the Air Force and Navy began. The KPA included the 5th and 6th Korean Infantry Divisions, which participated in the Chinese Civil War as part of the People's Liberation Army of China.
In the first half of 1950, due to tensions with South Korea, the reformation of the DPRK army was completed. Its total strength, together with the troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, at the beginning of the war amounted to 188 thousand people. The ground forces (numbering 175 thousand people) consisted of 10 infantry divisions (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 13, 15), of which 4 (1, 10, 13 , 14th) in the process of formation, 105th tank brigade, other units and divisions. The Air Force consisted of one air division, numbering 2829 people. and 239 aircraft (93 Il-10 attack aircraft, 79 Yak-9 fighters, 67 special aircraft). The Navy had 4 divisions of ships, the total number of the fleet was 10,307 people. The leadership of the armed forces was carried out by the Ministry of Defense through the General Staff and commanders of the branches of the armed forces and branches of the armed forces.
On June 25, 1950, the KPA invaded South Korea. During the Korean War (1950-1953), the KPA became a cadre army. 481 soldiers were awarded the title of Hero of the DPRK, over 718 thousand people were awarded orders and medals. February 8 for a long time celebrated in the DPRK as KPA Day.
Current state
Organizational structure of the armed forces
In accordance with the Constitution of the DPRK of 1972, the leadership of the People's Armed Forces (PAF) is exercised by the Defense Committee of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (GKO); The chairman of the State Defense Committee is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief (since 1993 - Marshal of the DPRK Kim Jong Il), the deputy chairman is General O Geuk Rsl. Chairman State Committee The Defense Department of the DPRK commands and directs all the Armed Forces and is in charge of the defense of the country as a whole. The State Defense Committee is authorized to declare martial law in the country and issue orders for mobilization. The term of office of the State Defense Committee is equal to the term of office of the Supreme People's Assembly. Subordinate to the State Defense Committee is the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces (Minister - Vice-Marshal Kim Yong Chun, since February 11, 2009), which includes the Political Department, the Operations Department and the Logistic Services Department. Also subordinate to the Committee is the Ministry of National Security, the Ministry of State Security and the reserve components of the armed forces. The General Staff (Chief of the General Staff - General Lee Yong Ho, since February 11, 2009), acting as an advisory committee to the Ministry of the National Armed Forces, and the headquarters of the Air Force and Navy exercise direct leadership of the National Armed Forces, solve the problems of operational management and combat readiness.
The NAF includes the Korean People's Army (about 850 thousand people), consisting of ground forces, air force, navy and special operations forces, troops of the Ministry of Public Security (15 thousand people) and the Ministry of State Security (20 thousand people). ), Workers' and Peasants' Red Guard (RKKG, from 1.4 to 3.8 million people) and Youth Red Guard (IKG, from 0.7 to 1 million people), Training detachments (50 thousand people), - people's security detachments (100 thousand people).
In the DPRK, there is compulsory military service; citizens are subject to conscription upon reaching 17 years of age. The mobilization reserve is 4.7 million people, the mobilization resources are 6.2 million people, including 3.7 million people fit for military service.
Ground troops
The number of ground forces is about 950 thousand people. The period of military service in the ground forces is 5-12 years.
The combat strength of the ground forces includes 20 corps (12 infantry, 4 mechanized, armored, 2 artillery, capital defense), 27 infantry divisions, 15 tank and 14 mechanized brigades, an operational brigade tactical missiles, 21st artillery brigade, 9 brigades of multiple launch rocket systems, tactical missile regiment. In service: about 3,500 medium and main battle tanks and over 560 light tanks, more than 2,500 armored personnel carriers, more than 10,400 artillery pieces (including 3,500 towed and 4,400 self-propelled), over 7,500 mortars, more than 2,500 MLRS, about 2,000 ATGM installations , 34 installations of tactical missiles, 30 installations of operational-tactical missiles, 11,000 anti-aircraft artillery installations (of which about 3,000 are in stationary positions), about 10,000 MANPADS.
Air Force
As of 1996, the DPRK Air Force consisted of six air divisions ( three combat, two military transport and one training), which were directly subordinate to the National Aviation Command.
Emblem of the DPRK Air Force
Among the helicopters there are: 24 - Mi-24, 80 - Hughes-500 D, 48 - Z-5, 15 - Mi-8/-17, 139 - Mi-2.
The powerful air defense system includes more than 9 thousand anti-aircraft artillery systems: from light anti-aircraft machine gun installations to the world's most powerful 100-mm anti-aircraft guns, as well as self-propelled anti-aircraft installations ZSU-57 and ZSU-23-4 "Shilka". There are several thousand anti-aircraft missile launchers - from stationary systems S-25, S-75, S-125 and mobile “Kub” and “Strela-10” to portable installations.
Naval forces
San-O class small submarine
The DPRK Navy includes two fleets: the Eastern Fleet, operating in the Sea of Japan (main base - Yohori), and the Western Fleet, operating in the Korean Gulf and the Yellow Sea (main base - Nampo). Basically, the fleet is designed to solve combat missions in the 50-km coastal zone.
As of 2008, the strength of the DPRK Navy is 46,000 people. The conscription service life is 5-10 years.
The Navy is armed with about 650 ships with a total displacement of 107 thousand tons. They include 3 guided missile frigates, 2 destroyers, 18 small anti-submarine ships, 40 missile, 134 torpedo and 108 artillery boats, 203 landing boats, more than 100 submarines (of which 22 are Project 633 diesel submarines, 29 are small submarines boats of the "San-O" type). The ship-to-ship anti-ship missiles of the Styx type are in service.
Coastal defense: 2 regiments of Silkworm and Sopka anti-ship missile launchers (52 complexes in total), 122-, 130- and 152-mm guns (288 units).
Missile weapons
North Korean Special Operations Forces
The number of special forces of the Korean People's Army is estimated to range from 88,000 to 121,500 troops. The tasks of the KPA special forces include conducting reconnaissance and sabotage operations, conducting operations in cooperation with the regular armed forces of the KPA, organizing a “second front” in the rear of the South Korean army, countering special operations of military intelligence of the United States and South Korea, fighting anti-government forces within the country and ensuring internal security.
Structurally, the KPA special forces are divided into three categories: light infantry, reconnaissance and sniper units. Organizationally, the special forces are represented by 22 (possibly 23) brigades (including two amphibious assault sniper brigades, one located on the east coast, the other on the west coast). The special forces also include 18 separate battalions(17 reconnaissance, including naval and air force reconnaissance battalions, and 1 airborne).
The management of special forces is carried out by two main structures of the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces of the DPRK: the Directorate of Special Units Command and the Intelligence Directorate.
Nuclear program
5 MW experimental reactor at the Yongbyon Research Center
Presumably, from the beginning of the 90s, the DPRK began developing nuclear weapons. Back in February 1990, the Chairman of the KGB of the USSR reported to the USSR Government about the presence of nuclear weapons in the North Koreans. The 8,000 rods received from Pakistan in exchange for the missiles sold may have been recycled. From the obtained plutonium it is possible to produce from 5 to 10 nuclear charges. Today, after testing a nuclear warhead with a yield of 5-10 kilotons, the DPRK presumably has from 10 to 12 nuclear warheads and missile launch vehicles for them.
Military doctrine
The military doctrine is based on elements of Soviet military doctrine, Chinese light infantry tactics and experience gained during Korean War 1950-1953. Basic principles of the doctrine:
Military-economic potential of the DPRK
Jongmaho tank drawing
The military industry of the DPRK allows for an annual production of 200,000 units of automatic small arms, 3,000 heavy guns, 200 tanks, 400 armored vehicles and amphibians. North Korea produces its own submarines, fast missile boats and other types of warships. Own production allows the DPRK to maintain numerous armed forces with relatively low military expenditures. The defense industry has three production areas: weapons production, military supply, and dual-use products.
North Korea is a closed state, information about the standard of living there is strictly classified, and the rare tourists who were able to obtain permission to cross the border of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea are shown only those objects that the authorities consider appropriate to show. In terms of its regime, this country is similar to the Soviet Union of the 40s of the 20th century. Today, such a regime in any country seems incredible, but in North Korea, labor concentration camps are thriving and mass public executions are the norm.
The whole world remembered the year 2017 for the threats of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who said that he was ready to launch a nuclear strike (with North Korean-developed weapons) on South Korea. In response to this statement, US President Donald Trump promised the Americans to deal with the North Korean army once and for all, sending a nuclear submarine to the port of South Korea to confirm his words.
Although the strength of the US Army is many times greater than the troops of a possible enemy, the Americans do not dare to attack an unpredictable enemy who has nuclear weapons with unknown power potential. Since North Korea is a closed country, it is incredibly difficult to obtain reliable information about the composition and strength of the DPRK Armed Forces.
The history of the emergence of the DPRK army
The Korean People's Army appeared in 1934, although its prototype (the Anti-Japanese People's Guerrilla Army) appeared back in 1932. The ANPA was formed from Korean partisan units that fought against the Japanese occupiers in the territories of Manchuria.
Although this data is not confirmed by anything, historians of the republic claim that the troops of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army (KPRA) participated in all military operations on equal terms with the Chinese revolutionary forces and without their participation. Of course, there were many Koreans among the Chinese partisans, but they could not be called an army.
To support their version, Korean historians point to the fact that the founder of the North Korean state, Kim Il Sung, was one of the military commanders of the KPRA. The future leader of North Korea was indeed the commander of a guerrilla detachment, but the detachment was officially considered Chinese.
If you believe the history of North Korea, then the KPRA troops took part in the battles against Japan, and the victory Soviet Union was the work of the KPRA Armed Forces. This point of view is supported only by residents of North Korea, and military documents of the USSR say that although Korean and Chinese partisans systematically prepared for military operations in territories controlled by Japan, their landing was prevented by the premature surrender of Japan.
After the Potsdam Conference, Korea was divided into two parts:
- North Korea (which Kim Il Sung actually began to rule), which is a zone of Soviet occupation;
- South Korea (led by Syngman Rhee), which was American zone occupation.
This division did not suit either side, which is why the outbreak of a military conflict was only a matter of time. After Kim Il Sung arrived in Moscow in March 1950 for a secret conversation with Soviet leader I.V. Stalin most likely made the decision to attack the southern part of the Korean Peninsula.
Before the start of the war, the strength of the Korean People's Army was approximately 100-150 thousand people. In 1953, when the war ended (although the end of the war was not officially announced), the North Korean armed forces had a strength of 263 thousand people. At that time, it was one of the most powerful armies in Asia (not counting the Chinese), which had real combat experience.
How is leadership carried out in the DPRK army?
Full leadership of the DPRK Armed Forces is exercised by the Defense Committee headed by Supreme Commander-in-Chief, who is a marshal and chairman of the State Defense Committee. The General Staff functions as an advisory center, and the headquarters of the air force and naval forces solve immediate problems facing the People's Armed Forces (PAF) of North Korea.
The People's Armed Forces of North Korea consist of the following types of troops:
- Korean People's Army, which consists of various types of ground forces;
- Air Force;
- Naval forces, together with special operations forces;
- Army Ministry of Public Security;
- Troops of the Ministry of State Security;
- Red Guard of Workers and Peasants (Workers and Peasants);
- Youth Red Guard;
- People's and training groups.
North Korea has universal conscription, which was popular in all countries of the former USSR. The length of service in the DPRK army ranges from 3 to 12 years (depending on the type of military service).
Although information about the number and percentage of North Korean troops is classified, the DPRK army parade, which displays the latest Korean weapons, gives a rough idea of the military power it has modern army DPRK.
North Korean Ground Forces
The North Korean ground forces are the largest part of the Korean People's Army. Their total number is about 950 thousand people. The period of service in the ground forces is at least 5 years (maximum 12) and this is only conscript service. In the North Korean army, a large percentage of the military personnel are women. According to various sources, their number ranges from 20 to 50 percent.
The total number of tanks in the DPRK army is about 4,000 vehicles of various types. In addition to combat vehicles of various types and artillery pieces, the main pride of the DPRK army is the installation of operational-tactical and tactical missiles.
Most of the ground forces are on high alert in the demilitarized zone. In addition to the huge accumulation military equipment And military units, this area is distinguished by a huge concentration of various bunkers and tunnels, which most likely lead to the territory of South Korea.
Although the DPRK army is distinguished by a large number of military equipment, 80 percent of it is outdated models of Soviet military vehicles from the 60-80s. Only in recent years have the ground forces begun to be equipped with new developments of their own design.
North Korean Air Force
The DPRK Air Force is part of the Korean People's Army. As is the case with ground forces, the main combat units that make up the Korean aviation fleet are old models of airplanes and helicopters produced in the 50-70 years in the Soviet Union. This equipment was actively supplied to North Korea as part of military assistance. Many Chinese-made planes and helicopters are more than later years release. The main pride of the air force of the DPRK army is the 4th generation MIG-29 fighters, which were produced in the 80s of the 20th century.
Although the DPRK Air Force in terms of the number of combat units air technology(according to unofficial data - about 1,600 aircraft) is one of the leaders in the world; most of these planes and helicopters will not be able to conduct a full-fledged battle with modern US or Russian fighters, since their service life has long been exhausted.
All air passenger and cargo transportation in North Korea is carried out by the Air Force. All transport aircraft are not only assigned to the military departments, but are also piloted by military pilots.
The helicopters at the disposal of the DPRK Air Force are represented by many machines (about 300 units) various types. The main pride among them is the huge MI-26 transport helicopters.
Military pilots and other personnel of the Korean Air Force are among the most respected people in the country. To pilot a military fighter, a pilot must not only have excellent health, but also be technically and mentally prepared.
North Korean Navy
The North Korean Navy is represented by two fleets:
- East Sea Fleet, which is designed to operate in the Sea of Japan;
- Fleet western sea, intended for combat operations in the Korean Gulf and the Yellow Sea.
Total in composition navy There are between 45 and 60 thousand people serving in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (although these data are not exact). The term of conscription in the Navy ranges from 5 to 10 years. It should be especially noted that military service In North Korea, it is not only an honorable duty for every citizen, for which they prepare from childhood, but also the only way for villagers to escape poverty.
Pyongyang is home to the naval headquarters. A significant part of the entire North Korean navy is considered to be the forces coast guard. They are capable of conducting the following combat operations:
- Border protection in the coastal area;
- Offensive and defensive operations;
- Mining of the territory;
- Standard raid and combat operations.
It should be noted that the main task of the DPRK Navy is to support ground forces. This support should be expressed in operations to counter the South Korean fleet.
The submarine fleet occupies a special place in the DPRK Navy. According to the latest data, the North Korean submarine fleet is represented by the following types of submarines:
- About 20 large Project 633 submarines;
- 40 San-O submarines;
- Yono class midget submarines.
Despite the fact that the DPRK's submarine fleet is represented by old submarines, even the ultra-small Yono class submarines are quite capable of sending a modern warship to the bottom, as they perfectly demonstrated in 2010, when the Cheonan corvette, belonging to the South Korean fleet, was sunk. Although the DPRK denies any involvement in this incident, an independent investigation claims that it was the North Korean submarine fleet that was responsible for the death of the corvette.
As is the case with the Air Force, all cargo ships are owned by the Navy.
DPRK Rocket Forces
According to the South Korean television and radio company KBS, the DPRK missile forces are armed with a complex of ballistic missiles consisting of three belts, placed taking into account their range. Management of this complex is entrusted to a new department called the Strategic Missile Command. KBS received this data from a certain secret document from the DPRK. It is not clear what kind of document this is and how it fell into the hands of representatives of the television and radio company. It is not known whether this information is correct, but that with the coming to power of Kim Jong-un rocket troops become priority direction- it is a fact.
The missile belts are arranged as follows:
- The first line of defense missile belt is located near the border with South Korea. It includes short-range ballistic missiles. These missiles are analogues of Scud missiles, which were modernized by North Korean designers;
- In the area of the capital of North Korea there is a second belt of medium-range ballistic missiles. The Nodon modification missiles are located there;
- The third belt of long-range ballistic missiles is located in the north of the state. In addition to the Taepodong 1.2 missiles, which have a range of 2 to 6.7 thousand kilometers, the DPRK is actively developing missile models that are capable of covering distances of up to 10-12 thousand kilometers, that is, they are quite capable of reaching the United States. It is possible that such missiles have already been created, which cannot but worry the US government.
According to South Korean experts, the total number of ballistic missiles in North Korea's arsenal is about 1,600, of which about 100 are intercontinental.
In addition to these missiles, multiple launch rocket systems and artillery systems were aimed at the capital of South Korea, total number about 5000 units.
In 2012, during the launch of the Gwangmyeonsong-3 satellite into orbit, the Unha-3 rocket was launched. While North Korean officials claim it was a space exploration program, the US and South Korea claim it was a test of a new generation ballistic missile.
North Korean special forces
North Korea's special forces are called DPRK Special Operations Forces. At their core, these troops are an analogue of special forces, and not the Soviet special forces, from which they were copied in the 60s, but the US special forces, which bears a similar name (MTR).
Since the troops of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea are in constant military readiness, this could not but leave its mark on the local special forces. Due to the fact that North Korean special forces only recently became a unified system, it should be considered only after the reorganization period of 2009-2010. Prior to this, the DPRK MTR was controlled by at least three organizations, which created enormous difficulties, since these organizations worked independently of each other. These organizations were:
- Operations Department;
- Office number 35;
- Intelligence Bureau under the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces.
After reorganization new structure became almost a complete copy similar organization in USA. It includes 6 different bureaus that are responsible for specific tasks and are independent structures:
- The first bureau is called the operational bureau. Its task is to control special agents in South Korea, monitor refugees from the south of the country, and eliminate persons suspected of treason and sabotage. In addition, this bureau is engaged in organizing sabotage, which can also be carried out at sea, since the bureau has the appropriate bases. This bureau includes: Headquarters, naval training centers, escort amphibious units, special schools and a preliminary and final training component. The staff of this bureau numbers about 7,000 people;
- The second bureau is the intelligence bureau. Its staff is the largest (about 15,000 people). In addition to the headquarters, it includes: the foreign intelligence department, the political department, the special and training departments and the naval department. Military units of the 2nd Bureau include 3 sniper brigades, and five reconnaissance battalions;
- The third bureau is the most secret, as it deals with foreign intelligence. North Korean spies (according to known information) operate in 6 countries. These are Japan, America (North and South), Africa, Asia and South Korea. The number of personnel is unknown, as the bureau is highly classified;
- The fifth bureau is called the Inter-Korean Dialogue Bureau. The bureau is called exactly the fifth, the fourth does not exist or they want to add it in the future. The task of the fifth bureau is to psychologically indoctrinate the people of South Korea and convince them that the North Korean regime is the only correct one on the entire Korean peninsula. The staff of this bureau is small, but professionals work in it;
- The sixth bureau is technical. Its tasks include the fight in the field of electronic and information technologies. It consists of two battalions, one of which is responsible for electronic and the second for information operations;
- The seventh bureau provides support to the other bureaus and is called the Logistics Bureau. In addition to support (administrative and logical), it is engaged in interdepartmental coordination.
This division of the DPRK special operations forces helps to carry out the operations assigned to them more efficiently and thoughtfully.
The most famous military operations of North Korean special forces
In January 1968, a North Korean special forces battle group launched a daring attack on the residence of the South Korean leader. To avoid being conspicuous, the special forces soldiers dressed in the uniform of South Korean soldiers. The fighting lasted for two weeks, after which almost the entire group of attackers was eliminated. Only two fighters managed to break into North Korean territory. Nothing is known about their further fate.
In October-November of the same year, 120 KPA special forces were deployed to the coast of South Korea. Their task was to organize partisan detachments against the South Korean regime. Having divided into brigades of 15 people, the special forces began recruiting. As a result military operation, undertaken by South Korean troops, most of the North Korean special forces were destroyed, and the remaining 7 people were captured.
The total number of North Korean special operations forces is unknown, but according to information from various sources, it is about 90-120 thousand people.
North Korea's air defense system
Although North Korea's air defense system is equipped with outdated systems and complexes, it is so rich that it boggles the imagination.
The main air defense system is the S-25, which has long been withdrawn from service in all countries. It is still not clear why the DPRK so stubbornly defends these old complexes. It is possible that the DPRK's military industry cannot provide the country with more modern complexes Air defense. The possibility cannot be ruled out that the country’s military leadership adheres to the formula “the main thing is quantity, not quality.” It is obvious that the funds spent on maintaining these old complexes in combat readiness would be more rationally used to modernize the complexes.
The industrial complex of the DPRK is capable of maintaining all its military forces without spending huge amounts of money on it. All factories in the country are made in such a way that within a short time they can easily be repurposed for the production of military products. North Korea's latest developments in ballistic missile technology and nuclear technologies cause great concern in South Korea and the United States.
Since information about the military forces of North Korea is extremely contradictory, it is possible to understand what the DPRK army actually is only at military parades that are held in the public domain.
The situation in the region remains tense. Pyongyang expressed regret over the injuries to ROK military personnel and lifted martial law, in turn, the ROK turned off its loudspeakers. Maintaining peace on the peninsula is a top priority, since if hostilities break out, the consequences for both countries could be very dire. We invite you to take a look at the North Korean army and familiarize yourself with its approximate size, as well as equipment.
Of course, the main strength of the DPRK army is the number of personnel. In percentage terms, North Korea's army is the largest in the world. With a population of 24.5 million people, the country's armed forces number 1.1 million (4.5% of the population). The DPRK army is recruited by conscription, the service life is 5-10 years.
In 2015, the leadership of the DPRK decided that the North Korean army should sharply increase in size. To achieve this, the country has introduced mandatory military service for women who have hitherto served on a voluntary basis. From now on, all girls over 17 years of age are required to serve in the army. Women were nevertheless given some relief: the service life of Korean women will be “only” 3 years. As an incentive not to shirk service, the country's leadership decided that only girls who have served in the army will now be accepted into universities.
As of 2008, the strength of the DPRK Navy was 46,000 people, in 2012 - 60,000. The conscription service life is 5-10 years. The majority of the Navy consists of Coast Guard forces. Due to the imbalance in composition, the fleet has limited opportunities for control of maritime spaces. The main task of the Navy is to support the combat operations of ground forces against the South Korean army. The Navy is capable of conducting missile and artillery attacks on coastal targets.
The DPRK fleet includes 3 guided missile frigates (2 Najin, 1 Soho), 2 destroyers, 18 small anti-submarine ships, 4 Soviet submarines of Project 613, 23 Chinese and domestic submarines of Project 033.
In addition, 29 small submarines of the Sang-O project, more than 20 midget submarines, 34 missile boats. 
The DPRK is armed with fire support boats, 56 large and more than 100 small patrol boats, 10 small landing ships“Hante” (capable of carrying 3-4 light tanks), up to 120 landing boats (including about 100 “Nampo”, created on the basis of the Soviet P-6 torpedo boat) and about 130 hovercraft.
The DPRK missile force is modeled after the Chinese missile force. In fact, the missile forces are not even a separate branch of the military, but an independent branch of the DPRK’s armed forces, which in the foreseeable future should become the basis of the country’s military power. The main missiles of the DPRK are designed on the basis of secular models: Hwasong-5 (analogue of the Soviet R-17), Hwasong-6 (modernized Hwasong-5 with an increased range), Nodong, Musudan (a number of sources are considered based on the design of the Soviet R-27 SLBM, in mainly due to external resemblance), Taepodong.
North Korea's main missile can be called the Nodon-B, which was developed on the basis of a Soviet prototype - the R-27 single-stage submarine-launched ballistic missile, adopted by the USSR Navy in 1968. The Nodon-B's firing range (estimated at 2750- 4000 km) exceeds that of the R-27 (2500 km), which was achieved by increasing the length and diameter of the body - this made it possible to use more capacious fuel and oxidizer tanks on the rocket, although it worsened its flight characteristics.
“Nodon-B” can hit American military targets in Okinawa and even (if the range estimate of 4000 km is correct) in Guam, that is, on American territory itself. And after the DPRK passed successful tests underwater missile launch (according to local media), the entire US territory is under attack.
In addition, North Korea has developed ballistic missile, as well as a launch vehicle capable of launching artificial satellites into low-Earth orbit. The first Taepodong rockets were capable of delivering a payload weighing 750 kg over a distance of up to 2000 km. In 2006, 25-30 of them were created in the DPRK. The missiles were constantly being improved. As a result, the flight range was increased to 6,700 km. And today, US experts believe that the DPRK is developing the Taepodong-3 missile, which has a flight range of 10-12 thousand km. According to media reports, the DPRK army may already have 12-23 nuclear warheads.
The DPRK army, according to South Korean media, has more than 21 thousand artillery pieces.
The main striking force of the DPRK artillery is, perhaps, the M1985 multiple launch rocket system, 240mm caliber. The system has 12 guides, and the firing range apparently reaches 35 km.
The M1911 multiple launch rocket system has similar characteristics. Caliber – 240 mm. Number of guides – 12. Firing range around 35 km. The DPRK has at least 500 M1985 and M1991.
Much more is known about the M-1978 Koksan self-propelled gun, since it is exported and was captured by American troops in Iraq.
The M-1978 Koksan self-propelled gun was created on the T-55 chassis. Caliber – 170 mm. Firing range – 40-60 km. Rate of fire 1-2 shots/5 minutes. Speed on the highway is 40 km/h. Power reserve 300 km. The M1989 vehicle, on the same chassis, is used as an ammunition carrier.
Artillery in the DPRK is also represented by self-propelled guns of the Juche-Po series. Unites a whole family of vehicles with weapons from 122 to 152 mm. Unfortunately, there is almost no information on this machine, but it is known for certain that Kim Yer Sung directly took part in its development.
The DPRK army has at least 200 Pokphunho tanks. This is the most secret North Korean tank; there is almost no information on its performance characteristics on the Internet. Created on the basis of the T-72 Armament – 125 mm smoothbore gun.
Also in service are a number of towed Soviet guns from the 30s to the 60s.
The DPRK is armed with 200 Soviet BMP-1, 32 BTR80A, at least 1000 BTR-60 (hardly on the move), 350 completely antique BTR-40. But the main transport of the North Korean infantry is their own vehicles: VTT-323 - created on the basis of the Chinese YW531 transporter. It transports 10 infantrymen in full gear, they are also equipped with 82-mm mortars and are used as mobile mortar batteries, as part of a motorized battalion.
The DPRK Air Force is one of the most numerous in the world and is armed with about 1,600 aircraft. Official statistics on the DPRK Air Force are not available, so estimates of the number of aircraft in service are approximate. The main striking force of the DPRK Air Force is soviet fighters MIG-29 and SU-25. According to experts, the DPRK army has 523 fighters and 80 bombers in service.
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