VIDEO: N Korean MiG-21s, MiG-23s, MiG-29s, Su-25s & Il-28 Beagles

Oh, what would I have given to be at this event with my cameras?!

This 21 minute video is more comprehensive coverage of the Korean People's Air Force (KPAF) air-to-ground inter-unit competition I blogged about a couple of days back. It has more footage of the rarely seen KPAF, including good views of North Korea's MiG-29s taxying on the ground, takeoff footage of Su-25s, MiG-21s, An-2s, MiG-23s and even the ancient Il-28/H-5 Beagle bomber (which I also covered a while back), plus helicopters such as the Mi-2 Hoplite, a quick glimpse of a Mi-4/Z-5 Hound as well as an aerial display by a Hughes 500.

There is a lot of typical North Korean propaganda footage of Kim Jong Un and KPAF personnel cheering him on etc., so if that's not your thing, be prepared to skip fairly large bits of the video. But if you like to see more of the KPAF's hardware, this video is worth it. Pity it only goes up to 480p!

Thanks to Benedict for spotting this

VIDEO: North Korean live firing exercise

An interesting, almost 20 minute video of a North Korean live-firing exercise involving army artillery and multiple rocket launchers, naval bombardment and airstrikes. From a military aviation perspective, some things to look out for are KPAF MiG-21s, -23s and -29s, along with Su-25s, Mi-2 and Mi-8 helicopters and An-2 biplane transports carrying a paratroop (or supply) drop. Observing the exercise was North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un and a multitude of miltary brass and VIPs. Some of the footage in here is archival footage, and others seemingly repeated. Still, well worth a watch, particularly if you're interested in North Korean military hardware.

A big shout out to Tim Robinson for the heads-up!

Photo: North Korean Su-25?

Click on thumbnail to view an (ever so slightly) larger image.

I'm on a bit of a North Korean kick of late, and found this photo of a purported Sukhoi Su-25K "Frogfoot" of the Korean People's Air Force online. Real or fake? I'm not too sure, but comparing the snippets of the Su-25s caught in the background of the KPAF MiG-29 photos we published earlier, the camouflage pattern on the Su-25 above does appear to be similar. The only thing missing from this photo would be the 2-digit white "Bort" numbers on the sides of the cockpit.

Can anyone shed more light on this photo?

Iranian Air Force Sukhoi crashes, pilot killed

According to reports by state news agency IRNA, an Iranian military aircraft has crashed near the city of Shiraz, killing the pilot and injuring a second crewmember. The aircraft type has only been identified as a Sukhoi, which should indicate that the aircraft was a Su-24MK or Su-25UBK.

Azeri Su-25 crashes; no injuries

An Azeri Defense Ministry spokesman has said that an Su-25 Frogfoot close air support aircraft has crashed in the Kurdamir district of Azerbaijan. It has also been reported that the crew ejected without injury, which points to the crash aircraft being a two-seater.

Su-25UBM completes state acceptance trials

Sukhoi has completed state acceptance trials for the Su-25UBM twin-seat attack aircraft and operational trainer, including the use of live weapons. It is envisaged that the aircraft will also be employed in other roles, including reconnaissance and target designation, or as an airborne control post.

PHOTO: Sudanese Su-25s seen by U.N. envoys in Darfur

(Click on thumbnail for high res image)
Four Russian Sukhoi Su-25 "Frogfoot" ground-attack jets sit on the tarmac of El Fasher airport in North Darfur, in this photograph taken October 8, 2010. Sudan has acquired 15 Russian-made Sukhoi Su-25 "Frogfoot" jets from Belarus since 2008, and there is controversy over whether the Sudanese government has used them for air attacks against Darfuris in defiance of the 2005 U.N. arms embargo, according to UN report on arms embargo breaches on October 22, 2010. (Photo: REUTERS/Louis Charbonneau)

See Related News Story