![North Korean State Councilor Kim Jong-un guided the defense science research project of the newly developed and produced unmanned aerial technology alliance and the detection electronic research group on the 25th and 26th, the Korean Central News Agency reported on the 27th. The photo shows a plane that appears to be the first airborne early warning controller released by North Korea. [Only available in Korea]. No redistribution. For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution]](https://wimg.mk.co.kr/news/cms/202503/27/rcv.YNA.20250327.PYH2025032701210004200_P1.jpg)
On the 27th, North Korea unveiled a military aircraft in the form of an airborne early warning control device that detects information and movements of the enemy in the air. The move is interpreted as a public demonstration of the ROK-U.S. alliance's willingness to overcome its inferiority by reinforcing its air surveillance reconnaissance and electronic warfare capabilities, which have overwhelming superiority.
On the same day, the Korean Central News Agency reported on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's on-site guidance and a photo of him climbing onto a fuselage that appears to be an early alarm and giving instructions to executives inside where surveillance and reconnaissance equipment are installed. It also revealed Chairman Kim watching the aircraft take off and land. The aircraft appeared to have a radome (combination of radar and dome) on top of a Russian-made IL-76 transport aircraft.
On this day, the military authorities said that North Korea is not yet at the stage of electrifying the model, and that continuous analysis is needed on the strategic utilization aspect.
Lee Sung-joon, head of the press office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, replied to the related question, "The early warning aircraft (released by North Korea) still needs a new evaluation in terms of normal operation and effectiveness." "As you can see, I think it will be very dull and vulnerable to interception," he said. "We believe that the internal devices and parts (of the aircraft) will be related to Russia, and the model itself is an improvement from what North Korea had," Lee explained.
While North Korea has been developing early alarms for many years, experts have also raised the possibility that development has accelerated in cooperation with Russia.
Since 2017, North Korea has shown signs of developing early alarms, such as remodeling the upper part of the Ilyushin transport plane as a platform, said Hong Min, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification. Researcher Hong observed, "There is a possibility that Russia has recently accelerated by providing technical help to North Korea so that it can modify the existing model (to an early alarm)." He believed that North Korea is likely to be receiving technical support for modernizing conventional power as one of the considerations for sending troops from Russia.
