[Insight & Opinion] Strengthen Aerospace Power to Counter North Korea's Nuclear Threats

Currently, North Korea is further advancing its nuclear capabilities through the development of tactical nuclear ballistic missiles, miniaturization of nuclear warheads, and super-large nuclear weapons. However, based on the premise that we do not consider nuclear armament, we are developing the "Korean-style 3-axis system" as a means to deter and respond to nuclear missile threats. So far, the primary focus has been on acquiring advanced forces utilized through joint operations of the army, navy, and air force across ground, maritime, and aerial battle spaces.

However, to properly identify threats from the missile launch phase by North Korea, it is necessary to have intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities in the space domain, which is physically connected especially to the aerial domain among the existing ground, maritime, and aerial domains (such as reconnaissance satellites, early warning satellites, and microsatellite systems). In other words, building integrated ISR capabilities that combine the aerial and space domains is essential to enable real-time monitoring and identification. Recognizing this appropriately, our military also needs to make efforts to develop aerospace power, which is central to ISR capabilities, as follows.

First, more investment efforts are needed to develop military capabilities in the space domain related to surveillance and reconnaissance, Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT), missile warning, and so forth. Currently, the United States has established the Space Force; Germany and the United Kingdom have created Space Commands under their air forces; Japan and France have renamed their air forces as aerospace forces to develop space operation capabilities and are acquiring related assets. We also need to systematically develop aerospace power, led by the Air Force or the Joint Chiefs of Staff, by referring to these overseas cases.

Second, in connection with aerospace power, more stealth fighters?the most important offensive means to weaken North Korea’s nuclear missile capabilities?must be secured. To solve the shortage of stealth fighters (currently 40 units), the Air Force is upgrading the KF-21 to develop it into a stealth fighter and is promoting a "manned-unmanned fighter complex system" by combining it with unmanned aerial vehicles. However, this requires not only doctrinal development time but also cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and hyper-connected networks, making it practically difficult to achieve in the short term. Therefore, until the manned-unmanned fighter complex system is secured, more stealth fighters must be acquired to maintain readiness against neighboring countries surrounding the Korean Peninsula. China plans to field about 340 stealth fighters such as the J-20 and J-31, Russia is developing stealth fighters like the Su-57 aiming to secure about 370 units, and Japan is expected to field about 150 F-35s by 2023 and is also developing the next-generation fighter F-3 (ATD-X), which surpasses stealth fighters.

Third, efforts must be made to maintain an appropriate number of fighter forces through a balanced mix of altitudes. Even if relying on ground ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, it is essential to maintain an adequate number of fighter forces to annihilate the North Korean Air Force at the beginning of a conflict, establish air superiority, strike the 700 to 800 strategic targets scattered across North Korea, and additionally support ground and naval operations. However, the policy of extending the service life of old fighters (F-4, F-5E/F) under the pretext of maintaining an appropriate number should not be continued. Since 2000, a total of 15 F-4 and F-5E/F aircraft have crashed, resulting in the deaths of 17 pilots. This provides sufficient justification to shorten the plan to phase out old fighters sequentially by 2030.

Finally, it must be properly recognized that in modern and future warfare, not only air superiority but also superiority in the space domain is essential; without securing this, conducting warfare itself will be difficult. Therefore, at the political level, many policy efforts should be devoted to developing aerospace power.

Kim Jong-ha, Dean of the Graduate School of Management and Defense Strategy, Hannam University

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.