The North Korean military has 1.21 million personel on active duty and 4.7 million in reserve. It's air force has 100 J-6's, 160 Mig-21, 40 J-7, 60 Mig-23, 40 Mig-29, 18 SU-7, 36 SU-25, 40 Q-5, and 80 Il-28. They also have 140 Mi-2, 48 Mi-4, 15 Mi-8/17, 10 Mi-14, and 87 MD-500. It's army has 3500 tanks of the T-54, T-64, T-72 and a few other types, they have 2500 APC's and around 11,000 artilery peices. they have hundreds of ballistic missiles with conventional and cemical warheads. I don't know much about their navy except that they have 3 frigates and 26 attack submarines. :coffee:
North Korean Military.
- Thread starter Colt .45
- Start date
The_Zergling
Junior Member
Planeman wrote an excellent guide for the North Korean Navy, in case you're interested.
http://www.sinodefenceforum.com/showthread.php?t=3229
http://www.sinodefenceforum.com/showthread.php?t=3229
They have SA 2,3,4,5,15,and 16 SAM. at least thats what i think they have.
I think ppl underestimates Nkorean miliary because of its poor economy and isolation, Navy aside, its Army are far mor powerful than Saddam's Iraq even when Iraq was at it's peak of military power. Also need to add is thatthe Korean terrain will make air assault and alot of high tech weapon much less effective compared with Iraqi desserts.
If a war between the Koreans starts, within 1hour the 10000 artilleries of the Nkorean alone can flat half of Skorea.
Ppl think of Korea and they think them as defensively, they think of Airstrike, cruise missle bombing of key target and infrastructure, as often mentioned by US military and some media, but Nkorea is far from only defensive, it will certainly strike back and in full force, its army is mechnized, more so than even the PLA, most of its soldiers will gladly die fighting for thier leader rather than surrender, despite Skorean recently is getting a more and more advanced military, I will still bet on the Nkorea to win in the end if a war between the 2 starts.
If a war between the Koreans starts, within 1hour the 10000 artilleries of the Nkorean alone can flat half of Skorea.
Ppl think of Korea and they think them as defensively, they think of Airstrike, cruise missle bombing of key target and infrastructure, as often mentioned by US military and some media, but Nkorea is far from only defensive, it will certainly strike back and in full force, its army is mechnized, more so than even the PLA, most of its soldiers will gladly die fighting for thier leader rather than surrender, despite Skorean recently is getting a more and more advanced military, I will still bet on the Nkorea to win in the end if a war between the 2 starts.
Last edited:
I did a pretty thorough Google Earth survey of DPRK, what's noticible is that the capital is surrounded by litterally hundreds of light AAA positions with minimal radar facilities - typically a parade square/yard, a barrack and a dug-in AAA "rose". My guess is Zu-23 and Zu-23-4 AAA, both of which are operated in large numbers.
DPRK has fewer fixed SAM sites than expected but many many hills are heavily trenched - a few might be scars from the war but most seemmore recent. They definately have some SA-2, some SA-3, some SA-5 (fewer sites than I'd expected), SA-7, SA-16. No way SA-4, but possibly other mobile SAMs. I doubt SA-15 BTW.
The air force is really poor.
DPRK has fewer fixed SAM sites than expected but many many hills are heavily trenched - a few might be scars from the war but most seemmore recent. They definately have some SA-2, some SA-3, some SA-5 (fewer sites than I'd expected), SA-7, SA-16. No way SA-4, but possibly other mobile SAMs. I doubt SA-15 BTW.
The air force is really poor.
the real might of nkorean military its their deploy thousands of howitzer gun and rocket system in underground bunker, hard to hit also....plus unlike skorea , most of the north is mountains and hills...their mobile scud and nodong its more on psyological warfare for the big cities down to the south...and dont forget nkorea has about 1.1 milion SOF , biggest in the world but most of them realy more on defence than offence...then how about their anti tank system? how good they are...:coffee:
They also have around 12 Nuclear bombs which is a small arsenal but deadly, the North may have shut down its reactor in Yongbeyon lately but they will not dissmantle its nuclear bombs because they wont be able to pressure the international community, they will be just another dirt poor third world tyraney without their nuclear bombs. :coffee:
The_Zergling
Junior Member
While on the subject of nuclear power/weaponry...
From a certain viewpoint, it's hard for me to see how shutting down a nuclear reactor would be a good thing, especially for an energy starved country. Unless we are unable to find good alternative fuel sources in the near future, every country is going to have to go nuclear sooner or later.
From a certain viewpoint, it's hard for me to see how shutting down a nuclear reactor would be a good thing, especially for an energy starved country. Unless we are unable to find good alternative fuel sources in the near future, every country is going to have to go nuclear sooner or later.