New air-to-air missile in service with the Korean People’s Army Air Force. (Janes)
North Korea has carried out a display of its latest aerial combat capabilities by showcasing a new type of air-to-air missile that was previously not known to be in service with the country.
Images released by state-controlled Korean Central News Agency on 17 May indicate that the missile is now in service with the Korean People’s Army Air Force’s fleet of MiG-29 fighter aircraft.
The images also indicate that the missile was tested at an aerial combat exercise witnessed by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Photos of the exercise suggest that the missile was launched from a MiG-29 fighter aircraft before impacting a target drone.
Another set of images depict the missile in a static display with a MiG-29 bearing serial number 553, alongside what appears to be glide bombs that are equipped with electro-optic-guided targeting systems.
A visual analysis of the air-to-air missile on display suggests that it is a derivative of the PL-12 air-to-air missile that is in service with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) though with slight design modifications.
When compared with the PL-12, the North Korean missile’s mid-body control fins are located further aft and the tailfins are of a different shape.
However, it retains a cylindrical profile and overall length that closely resemble the PLAAF missile, and this suggests that the North Korean weapon has largely inherited the various subsystems associated with the PL-12.
These include the missile’s seeker cone segment, which is likely equipped with an active radar seeker.
In addition to these, the North Korean weapon appears to be equipped with antennas, which suggests that it might have an interface with the MiG-29’s radar and fire-control system.
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