Hydro England

North Korea Converts IL-76 Passenger Aircraft into Airborne Early Warning and Control System Overview North Korea is converting an Air Koryo Ilyushin Il-76 passenger aircraft into an airborne early warning and control system (AEW&C) at Pyongyang International Airport, as reported by the US-based North Korea specialist media outlet 38 North on the 1st of this month. 38 North highlighted that upon completion, North Korea will have its first AEW&C aircraft.  The outlet also emphasized that this conversion might be a new example of North Korea-Russia cooperation, noting that the Soviet A-50U AEW&C was itself a modified Il-76. The conversion is being carried out on one of the three Air Koryo IL-76 passenger planes stationed at Sunan Airport. Progress of the Conversion Work The aircraft was moved to the maintenance area last October, after which barriers were set up around the vicinity. The maintenance area is located in the middle of the runway, opposite the passenger termin...

 F-15K Slam Eagle, the guardian of the South Korean skies, was once considered the most powerful combat aircraft in the Republic of Korea Air Force until the introduction of the F-35A stealth fighter. Even today, it possesses certain strengths and advantages over the F-35A in terms of its purpose and utility. The journey to acquire the F-15K was not an easy one. The Air Force proposed the introduction of the F-15K in 1983, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff approved its feasibility in 1985. However, due to the Korean Fighter Program (KFP), which aimed to achieve numerical superiority over North Korea's air power through the licensed production of the F-16, the F-15K project was temporarily put on hold. When the KFP concluded, numerous countries presented advanced fighter aircraft options for South Korea. Unfortunately, in 1997, South Korea faced the IMF financial crisis, causing delays and downsizing in the F-15K acquisition project. The final contenders were the Boeing F-15K Slam Eagle...