Pukchang Military Airfield Modernization Making Progress
Commercial satellite imagery indicates that major progress has been made on modernizing North Korea’s Pukchang Military Airfield. Among several improvements, such as a new taxiway and additional aprons, the most notable is the extension of the main runway to 2,800 meters, now matching the extended runway at the recently renovated Sunchon Airfield.
The majority of North Korea’s military airfields currently have 2,500-meter runways. It is possible a decision was made to upgrade more of them in the near future. The added runway length and width enable multiple takeoffs in a compressed period of time, which can get more aircraft into the air to meet incoming threats or quickly amass for a first strike.
Background
The Pukchang Airfield is about 53 kilometers northeast of Pyongyang and 11 kilometers northeast of Sunchon Airfield, which was redeveloped and modernized between 2021 and 2023.
Pukchang and Sunchon are two of four military airfields that surround Pyongyang and are home to North Korea’s newest aircraft. Sunchon has MiG-29s and Su-25s, and Pukchang has MiG-23s and MiG-29s. The airfields are in the Taedong River valley, protected by mountains and can be expected to play a key role in defending Pyongyang, should a conflict occur on the Peninsula.
Work on the Pukchang Airfield began in September last year and was preceded by the removal of most of the jet aircraft at the site.
Modernization Progress
In November 2023, ground clearing began to extend the main runway by 300 meters. This will make the final runway length 2,800 meters, the same length as the extended runway at the Sunchon Airfield.
Imagery from April 17, 2024, shows significant progress has been made on the runway extension, and a large parking apron has been added.
Vehicles are on the runway, likely grading it prior to laying concrete or tarmac.
A number of buildings around the old parking apron have been demolished and removed in the last month, including some hardened aircraft shelters. Two new buildings are under construction. However, the two groups of hardened aircraft shelters near the runway extension remain untouched.
Image: DEMOLISHED AND NEW BUILDINGS
Work on a new taxiway—more than 1 kilometer in length—and apron has begun parallel to the main runway. If following the same pattern as observed at Sunchon, new environmental shelters will likely be added towards the end of the construction project.
Pukchang, like Sunchon, has sheltered aircraft storage under an adjacent hillside. However, no work appears to be taking place in that area yet.
Seven MiG-23 and five MiG-21 jets remain outside of that underground aircraft storage facility, on the taxiway, where they have been parked for several months. This indicates they are likely not airworthy. Derelict MiG-21s are a common sight in North Korea, but to have seven much newer MiG-23s out of service could point to a maintenance or supply problem.
