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| North Korean leader Kim Jong-un observes the final assembly process of the Su-35 multirole fighter jet at Russia's Yuri Gagarin fighter jet factory in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Khabarovsk Krai, Friday (local time). Yonhap |
By Kim Hyun-bin
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reportedly visited a Russian fighter jet production facility in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, prompting military experts to speculate that it may be aimed at upgrading North Korea's aging fighter jet fleet.
Kim is now in Russia, where he attended a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday. He departed Pyongyang for Russia aboard his train on Sunday afternoon.
According to Russia's state-run RIA Novosti news agency, Friday, Kim, accompanied by Industry and Russian Trade Minister Denis Manturov, observed the final assembly of Su-35 multi-purpose fighter jets and the new Sukhoi Superjet (SSJ-100) passenger jet at the Yuri Gagarin Aviation Plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur in the Khabarovsk region.
He also had the opportunity to witness a test flight of the Su-35 fighter jet. Manturov expressed the potential for cooperation with North Korea across various industrial sectors, including aircraft production.
The North Korean delegation received a warm reception from local factory workers, and engineers from the design department showcased the digital technology employed in modern aircraft construction.
Local defense experts believe that Kim's visit to the aircraft factory might be related to procuring new fighter jets.
"North Korea has extended its runway by 300 meters and constructed a new hangar adjacent to it, part of preparations to operate significantly larger and heavier fighter jets," said Lee Il-woo, director of the Korea Defence Network in South Korea.
"While Pyongyang currently operates the MiG-29, the Su aircraft is notably larger and heavier than the MiG. If these preparations are intended for the Su aircraft, Kim Jong-un could potentially request them."
However, it would not be easy for North Korea to acquire Su jets, Lee noted.
"Russia currently does not have a significant number of Su fighter jets available because Russia is working on meeting export demand," he said.
"Russia also possesses a total of 240 MiG-29s, 70 of which are operational, raising speculation that Putin may offer MiG-29s instead of Su fighter jets."
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