North Korea’s military and defense forces – including the Korean People’s Army as well as civil defense forces and militia – conducted air force and air defense training drills in October. These included the takeoff and landing drills of air force fighter units and a nationwide air defense exercise.

Kim Jong Un and other senior officials twice attended the takeoff and landing drills and thus they were reported in Pyongyang’s state-controlled media. It’s unclear if these were two distinct, separate drills or parts a larger exercise, perhaps directly connected to the air defense exercise. The air defense drills, which also