ABSTRACT
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is the weakest state in Northeast Asia according to almost all indices of national power such as population, national income, quality of conventional military forces, and technology. However, Pyongyang offsets its disadvantages with asymmetric capabilities that include nuclear weapons, chemical weapons, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, cyber, electronic warfare, special operations forces, and extensive underground facilities. The strategy of a quick, decisive war would utilize armored and mechanized forces along with highly mobile light infantry units. Air Koryo is North Korea’s national airline that operates limited international flights from Pyongyang to Beijing, Shenyang, and Vladivostok. In recent years, Air Koryo has received new aircraft to modernize its fleet. The country is divided into three air defense regions that roughly coincide with the three air combat divisions. The Air Training Division is located in the northeast and it has a secondary mission of air defense for that region.
