North Korea is modernizing its forces at a feverish pace. A new video has confirmed that the country has at least one ‘Eye in the Sky’ and is also working on AI-equipped kamikaze drones.
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) leader Kim Jong Un has given a glimpse into the country’s airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft and its underdeveloped AI-equipped kamikaze drones.
The AWE&C capability means North Korea can look beyond the existing radar coverage and detect enemy aircraft or missile threats much in advance. This capability will have strategic significance if conflicts with South Korea or the United States erupt.
The information released through North Korea’s official channels shows Kim Jong Un inspecting the missionized interior of the country’s airborne radar system, a critical force multiplier for a modern-day air force.
The North Korean state-owned media showed the DPRK leader inspecting the aircraft, which has not been given an official designation. Kim Jong Un can be seen inspecting the aircraft’s interiors.
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North Korea has become the fourth country to fly an Il-76-based radar. Russia, the original developer of the Il-76-based AWACS, operates the A-50 Mainstay. Its advanced version is the A-50U.
China operates the KJ-2000, and India has Il-76-based ‘Netra’ AWACS. The North Korean flying radar has similarities to the Russian A-50 Mainstay and China’s KJ-2000 Mainring.
The images show a radome mounted on the top of the rear fuselage. The radome is likely to have three non-rotating phased array radars designed to provide 360-degree surveillance coverage. The North Korean platform seems to have a fixed triangle design, unlike the rotating radome of the other airborne radars.
This indicates that Pyongyang has equipped its AEW&C with highly modern phased array technology that can track multiple airborne threats simultaneously.
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The state media has shown Kim Jong Un looking at the aircraft as it gets airborne. It further said that the leader was briefed on the aircraft’s capabilities.
“This aircraft will play a significant role in monitoring potential threats and gathering critical information,” Kim reportedly stated.
Photographs released by North Korean state media show a swanky aircraft equipped with at least seven individual workstations, with flat-screen monitors lining the fuselage walls and forward bulkhead.
The layout suggests an operational environment similar to those found in advanced AEW&C aircraft used by major military powers. However, Western analysts doubt the functionality of the equipment onboard, considering that in the past, North Korea has preferred sleek-looking technology rather than focusing on its operational capability.
Satellite images indicated that the work on the aircraft started in late 2023, and the radome was installed in early 2025. Russia and China are suspected of having helped North Korea develop the aircraft.
So far, the country seems to have only one AEW&C. This could impede round-the-clock surveillance. However, it is still a giant leap for Pyongyang to strengthen its air defenses by networking with ground-based surface-to-air missile systems.
This would help it deal with aerial threats efficiently. The aircraft could be deployed to gather intelligence on the South Korean air force and use it to hone its military responses during the conflict.
North Korea Gears Up For AI-Drone Warfare
Besides AEW&C, North Korea is testing new AI-equipped kamikaze and spy drones. The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said on March 27 that the North Korean leader has been personally supervising the testing.
The new drones are reportedly capable of “tracking and monitoring different strategic targets and enemy troop activities on the ground and the sea.” In contrast, the attack drones will “be used for various tactical attack missions,” KCNA said, noting that both drone systems have been equipped with “new artificial intelligence.”
The North Korean leader has ordered the expansion of the production capacity of “unmanned equipment and artificial intelligence” and emphasized the importance of creating a long-term plan for North Korea to promote “the rapid development” of “intelligent drones,” which is “the trend of modern warfare.”
The photographs released by KCNA show attack drones successfully taking out ground targets. The North Korean leader can be seen walking next to a new unmanned aerial reconnaissance aircraft that seems larger than a combat jet. Thereafter, he boards the newly unveiled AEW&C aircraft.
