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Is North Korea Using Israeli Technology in New Weapons System?
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un visit the Vostochny Сosmodrome in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, Sept. 13, 2023. Photo: Sputnik/Mikhail Metzel/Kremlin via REUTERS
The air force of North Korea (DPRKAF) has not added new aircraft to its aging inventory for many years.
Part of its force was three Ilyushin IL-76MD transport aircraft (serials P-912 to P-914), acquired from Russia in the mid- to late 1990s, that were intended for medium-range transport of manpower and cargo as well as paradropping. The aircraft, like all large transport aircraft of the DPRKAF, carries the livery and titles of Air-Koryo, the national airline. The national airline and the country’s air force operate as one single entity.
In October 2023, after a long period of disuse, one of North Korea’s three IL-76MDs was towed from Pyongyang/Sunan airport, where it was housed alongside other dormant aircraft of Air-Koryo (the North Korean airline company). The aircraft was brought inside a hangar and the area around it was fenced. Work then commenced on the aircraft inside the hangar.
In February 2025, a satellite image showed the aircraft parked within the fenced area with what looked like an installation on top intended for mounting an early-warning radar dish. Inside the adjacent hangar, the tail of a second IL-76MD could be seen, suggesting that the entire IL-76MD fleet might be undergoing the same process.
Within three months, local technical crews, possibly under the supervision of Chinese advisors, mounted an early-warning radome on top of the aircraft. A month later, an image of the same location published by 38north.org showed the aircraft at the same fenced area with the radar dish installed. A comparison of the installation with that done on Chinese IL-76 aircraft shows distinctive similarities.
China first attempted to obtain an IL-76 based AWACS platform in 1997, when Russia agreed to sell four such aircraft to the PRC air force. While these were originally standard IL-76A transport models, the aircraft were to be modified by the Israeli firm ELTA at the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) facility at Ben-Gurion Airport — with the addition of an ELTA-developed Phalcon AEW suite.
The first aircraft, bearing Russian registration RA-78740, arrived at Ben Gurion Airport in October 1999. Work was completed in early 2002, but the Bush administration refused to permit its sale to China so as to prevent its potential use against Taiwan. Israel was forced to cancel the project.
Following the imposition of sanctions by the US, the PRC government decided to continue the project locally. The first aircraft, now bearing Chinese military serial number 762, was modified successfully and integrated into No. 34 division at Nanjing. The other three aircraft were later completed as AWACS platforms, now designated KJ-2000. In June 2006, one of the four aircraft crashed in a rural area of eastern China.
Why would North Korea need an AWACS/AEW platform?
The DPRK national security perception sees a potential threat posed by three enemy countries: the United States, South Korea, and Japan. Its air defense system consists of outdated radar stations supplied by the Soviet Union and the PRC. These ground-based radar stations provide only a partial picture of the enemy and are prone to electronic warfare disruptions.
The airborne IL-76 AWACS/AEW platform, when flown at altitudes of 8,000-10,000 feet or higher, can provide a wide and clutter-free picture of the airspace around the DPRK, particularly when looking towards South Korea and Japan. It can detect incoming aircraft and gather intelligence on army movements on the ground, as well as on the disposition of naval assets in the Yellow Sea and Sea of Japan (East Sea). It can also provide continuous radar coverage if ground-based stations are destroyed or incapacitated.
Unlike ground-based radar stations, the aircraft has a long range (estimated at 200 nautical miles), so its early warning capabilities can bolster the collection of tactical data. The aircraft has no self-defense capability and is thus easy prey to combat aircraft. Maintaining constant coverage of the ground and airspace would require at least two aircraft operating in rotation. Given that at least one of the two might spend time undergoing maintenance, or being grounded due to technical hiccups or a lack of spares, at least three aircraft will have to be modified for this role.
If the installation is based on the Chinese KJ2000, there is a good chance that Israeli know-how has reached the North Koreans indirectly.
Dr. Noam Hartoch (MA Security Studies, Tel Aviv University; PhD Mediterranean Studies, King’s College London) is an independent researcher. Dr. Alon Levkowitz is a senior lecturer in Asian Studies at Bar-Ilan University and a senior research fellow at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies. A version of this article was originally published by The BESA Center.
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US State Department Revokes Visas of UK Punk Rap Act Bob Vylan Amid Outrage Over Duo’s Chants of ‘Death to the IDF’
Bob Vylan music duo performance at Glastonbury Festival (Source: FLIKR)
The US State Department has revoked the visas for the English punk rap duo Bob Vylan amid ongoing outrage over their weekend performance at the Glastonbury Festival, in which the pair chanted “Death to the IDF.”
The State Department’s decision to cancel their visas would preclude a planned fall concert tour of the US by the British rappers.
“The [US State Department] has revoked the US visas for the members of the Bob Vylan band in light of their hateful tirade at Glastonbury, including leading the crowd in death chants. Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country,” Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau wrote on X/Twitter on Monday.
During a June 28 set at Glastonbury Festival, Bob Vylan’s Pascal Robinson-Foster ignited a firestorm by leading the crowd in chants of “Death, death, to the IDF,” referring to the Israel Defense Forces. He also complained about working for a “f—ing Zionist” during the set.
The video of the performance went viral, sparking outrage across the globe.
The BBC, which streamed the performance live, issued an on‑screen warning but continued its broadcast, prompting criticism by government officials for failing to cut the feed.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer and festival organizers condemned the IDF chant as hate speech and incitement to violence. The Israeli Embassy in London denounced the language as “inflammatory and hateful.”
“Millions of people tuned in to enjoy Glastonbury this weekend across the BBC’s output but one performance within our livestreams included comments that were deeply offensive,” the BBC said in a statement following the event.
“These abhorrent chants, which included calls for the death of members of the Israeli Defense Forces … have no place in any civil society,” Leo Terrell, Chair of the US Department of Justice Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, declared Sunday in a statement posted on X.
Citing the act’s US tour plans, Terrell said his task force would be “reaching out to the U.S. Department of State on Monday to determine what measures are available to address the situation and to prevent the promotion of violent antisemitic rhetoric in the United States.”
British authorities, meanwhile, have launched a formal investigation into Bob Vylan’s controversial appearance at Glastonbury. Avon and Somerset Police confirmed they are reviewing footage and working with the Crown Prosecution Service to determine whether the performance constitutes a hate crime or incitement to violence.
United Talent Agency (UTA), one of the premier entertainment talent agencies, dropped the duo, claming “antisemitic sentiments expressed by the group were utterly unacceptable.”
The band defended their performance on social media as necessary protest, stating that “teaching our children to speak up for the change they want and need is the only way that we make this world a better place.”
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Dem House Leader Hakeem Jeffries Urges Mamdani to ‘Aggressively Address’ Antisemitism in NYC if Elected Mayor
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY). Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
US House Democratic leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (NY) urged Democratic nominee for mayor of New York Zohran Mamdani to “aggressively address the rise in antisemitism” if he wins the general election in November.
“‘Globalizing the intifada’ by way of example is not an acceptable phrasing,” Jeffries said Sunday on ABC’s This Week. “He’s going to have to clarify his position on that as he moves forward.”
“With respect to the Jewish communities that I represent, I think our nominee is going to have to convince folks that he is prepared to aggressively address the rise in antisemitism in the city of New York, which has been an unacceptable development,” he added.
Jeffries’s comments come as Mamdani has been receiving an onslaught of criticism for defending the controversial phrase “globalize the intifada.”
Mamdani first defended the phrase during an appearance on the popular Bulwark Podcast. The progressive firebrand stated that he feels “less comfortable with the banning of certain words.” He invoked the US Holocaust Museum in his defense, saying that the museum used the word intifada “when translating the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising into Arabic, because it’s a word that means ‘struggle.’”
The Holocaust Museum repudiated Mamdani in a statement, calling his comments “offensive.”
Mamdani has continued to defend the slogan despite ongoing criticism, arguing that pro-Palestine advocates perceive it as a call for “universal human rights.”
Mamdani, the 33‑year‑old state assembly member and proud democratic socialist, defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other candidates in a lopsided first‑round win in the city’s Democratic primary for mayor, notching approximately 43.5 percent of first‑choice votes compared to Cuomo’s 36.4 percent.
The election results have alarmed members of the local Jewish community, who expressed deep concern over his past criticism of Israel and defense of antisemitic rhetoric.
“Mamdani’s election is the greatest existential threat to a metropolitan Jewish population since the election of the notorious antisemite Karl Lueger in Vienna,” Rabbi Marc Schneier, one of the most prominent Jewish leaders in New York City, said in a statement. “Jewish leaders must come together as a united force to prevent a mass Jewish Exodus from New York City.”
Some key Democratic leaders in New York, such as US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Gov. Kathy Hochul, have congratulated and complimented Mamdani, but have not yet issued an explicit endorsement. Each official has signaled interest in meeting with Mamdani prior to making a decision on a formal endorsement.
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Israel Eyes Ties With Syria and Lebanon After Iran War
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar attends a press conference with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (not pictured) in Berlin, Germany, June 5, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Christian Mang
Israel is interested in establishing formal diplomatic relations with long-standing adversaries Syria and Lebanon, but the status of the Golan Heights is non-negotiable, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Monday.
Israeli leaders argue that with its rival Iran weakened by this month’s 12-day war, other countries in the region have an opportunity to forge ties with Israel.
The Middle East has been upended by nearly two years of war in Gaza, during which Israel also carried out airstrikes and ground operations in Lebanon targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah, and by the overthrow of former Syrian leader and Iran ally Bashar al-Assad.
In 2020, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco became the first Arab states to establish ties with Israel since Jordan in 1994 and Egypt in 1979. The normalization agreements with Israel were deeply unpopular in the Arab world.
“We have an interest in adding countries such as Syria and Lebanon, our neighbors, to the circle of peace and normalization, while safeguarding Israel‘s essential and security interests,” Saar said at a press conference in Jerusalem.
“The Golan will remain part of the State of Israel,” he said.
Israel annexed the Golan Heights in 1981 after capturing the territory from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War. While much of the international community regards the Golan as occupied Syrian land, US President Donald Trump recognized Israeli sovereignty over it during his first term in office.
Following Assad’s ousting, Israeli forces moved further into Syrian territory.
A senior Syrian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Syria would never give up the Golan Heights, describing it as an integral part of Syrian territory.
The official also said that normalization efforts with Israel must be part of the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative and not carried out through a separate track.
A spokesperson for Syria‘s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The 2002 initiative proposed Arab normalization with Israel in exchange for its withdrawal from territories including the Golan Heights, the West Bank, and Gaza. It also called for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Throughout the war in Gaza, regional power Saudi Arabia has repeatedly said that establishing ties with Israel was conditional on the creation of an independent Palestinian state.
Israel‘s Saar said it was “not constructive” for other states to condition normalization on Palestinian statehood.
“Our view is that a Palestinian state will threaten the security of the State of Israel,” he said.
In May, Reuters reported that Israel and Syria‘s new Islamist rulers had established direct contact and held face-to-face meetings aimed at de-escalating tensions and preventing renewed conflict along their shared border.
The same month, US President Donald Trump announced the US would lift sanctions on Syria and met Syria‘s new president, urging him to normalize ties with Israel.
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