| Korean People's Army Air Force | |
|---|---|
| 朝鮮人民軍 空軍 Chosŏn-inmin'gun kong'gun | |
 Patch of the Korean People's Army Air and Anti Air Force | |
| Founded | 1946 |
| Country |  North Korea |
| Allegiance | Workers' Party of Korea |
| Type | Air force Space force |
| Role | |
| Size |
|
| Part of | Korean People's Army |
| Headquarters | Pyongyang |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Commander | General Kim Kwang-hyok[4] |
| Notable commanders |
|
| Insignia | |
| Roundel |  .svg) |
| Flag | Front:.svg)
Back: .svg) |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | Su-25, Su-7, Nanchang Q-5 |
| Bomber | Harbin H-5 |
| Fighter | Shenyang J-5, Shenyang J-6, Chengdu F-7, MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-29, |
| Helicopter | MD 500, Mi-2, Mi-8, Mi-14, Mi-24, Mi-26 |
| Trainer | FT-2, FT-5 |
| Transport | An-24, PAC P-750 |
The Korean People's Army Air Force (KPAF; Korean: 조선인민군 공군, romanized: Chosŏn-inmin'gun konggun; Hanja: 朝鮮人民軍 空軍 ) is the unified military aviation force of North Korea. It is the second largest branch of the Korean People's Army comprising an estimated 110,000 members.[5] As of 2024, it is estimated to possess some 570 combat aircraft, 200 helicopters, and a few transporters, mostly of decades-old Soviet and Chinese origin.[6][7][8] Its primary task is to defend North Korean airspace. In April 2022, the Korean People's Army Air and Anti-Air Force name was changed to Korean People's Army Air Force.[9]
- ^ "Flightglobal - World Air Forces 2015 (PDF)" (PDF). Flightglobal.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2014-12-19. Retrieved 2015-06-07.
- ^ Richard M Bennett. "Missiles and madness". Asia Times. Archived from the original on 2011-09-01. Retrieved 2011-08-11.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ David Cenciotti. "Israeli F-4s Actually Fought North Korean MiGs During the Yom Kippur War". Business Insider. Retrieved 2019-03-27.
- ^ A KCNA Report calls Kim Kwang Hyok "Commander of the KPA Air Force"
- ^ North Korea Country Study Archived 2005-02-26 at the Wayback Machine, pp. 18-19
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
World Air Forces 2024was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
DIAwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Jo, Haena (10 February 2020). "North Korea's air force". Military Balance Blog. International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). Archived from the original on 27 April 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ "2022 Defense White Papers (South Korea)". 23 February 2022. Archived from the original on 25 November 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.