North Korea Has a Big, Worn-Out Air Force
WIB air April 23, 2017
The Korean People’s Army Air Force is perhaps the least threatening branch of Pyongyang’s military forces. However, while technologically backwards and often lacking the level of proficiency of Western air forces—with pilots often receiving fewer than 20 annual flight hours—the KPAAF does have a few strong points. As with... Read more
North Korea’s Navy—More Nuisance Than Menace
WIB sea April 20, 2017
In the event of a war on the Korean Peninsula, North Korea’s naval forces might prove to be nuisance to allied forces if they are operating close to shore, but the threat is manageable. Nonetheless, U.S. and South Korean naval shores need to keep on their toes—otherwise, they could... Read more
North Korea didn’t celebrate Kim Il-sung’s birthday with a nuclear test, although there was never much indication that it would now, and the regime seemed to downplay it. Instead, North Korea soaked up the attention to show the world that it’s making strides in its missile technology. Which is... Read more
Don’t Underestimate North Korea’s Air Defense Missiles
WIB air April 15, 2017
If the Trump administration chooses to intervene in North Korea, the White House may discover that Pyongyang is a more formidable adversary than many might expect. Aside from the reclusive regime’s nuclear weapons, Kim Jong-un’s hermit kingdom boasts air defenses that are more advanced than many might realize. Moreover,... Read more
Is North Korea Downplaying a Potential Nuclear Test?
WIB politics April 14, 2017
North Korea is unpredictable enough that it could conduct its sixth nuclear test any second. But trying to predict the DPRK’s moves isn’t easy. The best we have to go on are satellite images—we highly recommend the analysts at 38 North—of North Korea’s Punggye-ri nuclear site, showing work consistent with an... Read more
North Korea’s Ballistic Missiles Are Very Hard to Hit
WIB air April 6, 2017
Both of these following statements are true. (1) Attempts to encourage North Korea to abandon its nuclear program through diplomacy have failed and, chances are, will continue to fail. (2) Were the United States to strike North Korea, the reclusive regime has ways to retaliating which America and its allies... Read more
A North Korean semi-submersible used in a 1983 infiltration mission. Photo via Wikimedia When caught, North Korean agents went down guns blazing by SÉBASTIEN ROBLIN In 1998, South Korean president Kim Dae-jung came to power with a “Sunshine Policy” attempting to reconcile with North Korea. That policy included providing... Read more
North Korea Pretends to Shoot Down a U.S. Bomber
WIB politics March 24, 2017
North Korea released a propaganda video on March 21, 2017, just a day before the reclusive regime tried again to test a ballistic missile. The amateurish video depicts North Korean forces attacking the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, shooting down a U.S. Air Force B-1 bomber and,... Read more