New Images Reveal North Korean Bomber Base
Previously, I had located only one North Korean airfield with strategic bombers, in the far northwest, near Sinuiju. Today, new Google Earth imagery reveals that another airfield in North Korea’s remote central highlands is also home to a bomber squadron. (I suspect that there are more bombers at a third airfield in the southwest, but I haven’t seen the bombers there yet.)
The airfield was visible in high resolution in previous images, but no aircraft were visible. Presumably, they were either at other locations, or more likely, in storage in underground hangars. In these new images, 27 Ilyushin Il-28 “Beagle” bombers are clearly visible at the end of the runway.
The Il-28 is an ancient aircraft; it first flew in 1948 and first entered in service in 1950, the year the Korean War began. The Soviet Air Force grounded its last Beagles in the 1980’s. Only a few of the old bombers are still in service today, with North Korea being one of the last countries to possess them in large numbers. The Chinese built their own Beagles under license as the Harbin H-5, some of which are still visible with Google Earth on Chicom airfields.
North of the airfield, we see the standard underground hangars.
Just west of the airfield, there is a small town where we see something not at all standard.
What do you suppose they’re doing?
Looks like a potential silo site.
It would be entertaining to see those Ilyushin Il-28’s going head to head with a F-22. Sometimes I wonder if the population realizes just how feeble most of their defenses are against modern military hardware. I mean they are still doing blackout drills in the era of GPS. If I didn’t know better I’d say they were gathering around a Christmas tree in the last picture.
The North Koreans know that we can see these things from geosynchronous orbit. A little bait and switch going on?
The last picture looks like a wicker man sacrifice. Or the North Korean version – a public execution? Although for a public execution, the circles formed are a little too artificial.
I may be being a little too optimistic here, but could they be burning the currency?
It looks like one of these: http://img385.imageshack.us/img385/708/20080919_007.jpg
Its the annual lighting of the obelisk…
I zoomed out and looked at the airstrip. Compared to Los Angeles International Airport (
roughly 33.950096, -118.407943), the airstrip looks clean. Really clean. Too clean. Like maybe airplanes rarely land. And then, assuming those bombers are mission ready/capable, why line them up in those nice, neat, strafable rows, assuming the underground hangars, and entrances, are ready for use? Unless, of course, for some occult reason, the NKAF set up mockups to entertain the satellites.
About the last shot, I have NO idea what the crowd was doing, but I tend to agree w/Jack. Based on what I have read @ Freekorea.us over the years, I’m sure that something really bad happened to whoever is anyone in the center of that circle. Of course, maybe we’re wrong – maybe it is a Kim Prayer Obelisk or something, but maybe it’s a gallows. After all, even the NK Army would know not to deploy a circular firing squad around the condemned. I think.
Lastly, the pix above, and Google Earth for this area as of now, have Dec. 24, 2007 datestamps. To me, that probably means they are not having a currency burning ceremony. I/we would sure like to see fresher images . . .
Well, one thing I don’t think we’re looking at is a circular firing squad. Sure, a lot of terrible things happen in North Korea, but so do mundane things.
What do you suppose they’re doing?
In any other country, I’d imagine they’re doing something Christmas-related, like decorating the town Christmas tree.
But I agree that it is probably something mundane.
I think it is probably a raising of the flag.