Why North Korea’s striking new air-to-air missile likely betrays Russian help
Even the South hasn’t produced a comparable capability, but experts emphasize the DPRK air force still lags far behind
A North Korean MiG-29 fighter jet test fires a new medium-range air-to-air missile during air drills on May 15 | Image: Rodong Sinmun (May 17, 2025)
North Korea turned the heads of military experts over the weekend when it released images of its first live-fire test of a new medium-range air-to-air missile, showing off a capability that not even the South’s advanced arms industry has managed to domestically produce.
The test of the new weapon represented a step toward modernizing the DPRK’s outdated air force and acquiring advanced capabilities needed to more aggressively counter U.S. and ROK aerial assets.
North Korea turned the heads of military experts over the weekend when it released images of its first live-fire test of a new medium-range air-to-air missile, showing off a capability that not even the South’s advanced arms industry has managed to domestically produce.
The test of the new weapon represented a step toward modernizing the DPRK’s outdated air force and acquiring advanced capabilities needed to more aggressively counter U.S. and ROK aerial assets.
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