Here is some information I found in my research.
Ground Forces
North Korea possesses a total of 996,000 ground forces, plus a light special forces command, which oversees special warfare units.
Its heavy equipment consists of 3800 tanks (T-55, T-62, T-72, and the latest ‘home brand’ heavy tanks), 2270 armored personnel carriers, and 11200 pieces of field artillery, with a major percentage self-propelled for purposes of speedy artillery support. The units are geared for mechanized warfare reminiscent of the Nazi blitzkrieg.
Last but not least, 100,000 special forces troopers stand ready to engage in sabotage behind the lines, sowing confusion and turning the whole ROK into a battlefield.
Summary
Both the professional Army and Specialist forces are highly trained and motivated. Reputed to be among the best combat forces available to any nation.
Navy
The DPRK Navy is divided into East Sea (10 squadrons) and West Sea fleets (6 squadrons) with a total manpower of 48,000.
North Korea’s fleet consist of approximately 430 combat vessels (Patrol craft, guided missile boats, torpedo boats, fire support craft), 40 submarines (incl 15 midgets), and 340 support craft (landing craft, hovercraft). As with the ground forces, 60% of the vessels are stationed near the demarcation line.
North Korea has constructed and is operating up to 130 hovercraft, each one capable of transporting a special forces platoon and operating freely in difficult terrain such as tidal flats, and able to be used for multiple landings by special forces troops at the onset of the war.
Summary
The DPRK Navy is considered to be of equivalent capability to any deep water Navy in the region, and utilises some of the latest technology available from Russia, the Peoples republic of China, and India.
Air Force
The air force has a total of six divisions (103,000); 3 for combat (fighter/bomber regiments), 2 for transport and helicopter, and one devoted exclusively for training.
Half of the 1670 aircraft are obsolete, with only 38% of all combat aircraft modern aircraft (MiG-23, 29). The mainstays consist of 470 old Soviet aircraft (MiG-19, MiG-21, IL-28, SU-7, SU-25) and 320 of ancient type (MiG-15, MiG-17). But it does possess 820 support aircraft and helicopters of varying levels of sophistication.
The aircraft that causes the most concern is the 300 AN-2, flying at 100 mph at low altitudes, that makes detection by radar very difficult, and its transport of special forces troopers deep behind the lines is a very definite threat.
Preperation
Since the 1970’s each government agency has been tasked with both preparing for invasion from South Korean/US Interests and also for the possible need for a pre-emptive strike on South Korean/US military and industrial centers for the purpose of self defence.
Reserves
North Korea has organized a grand total of seven million men and women into reserve units, made up mostly of volunteers.
Munitions Industry
North Korea initiated a program of [developing the economy and the military simultaneously] in accordance with the ‘total mobilization’ tenet of the [Four Militarizations] plan adopted in 1972.
Summarizing directives from the elder and junior Kim and observing the development of the North Korean industry would lead one to summarize the purpose of the development as follows:
- Self-sufficiency in military hardware - achieved
- Development of newer and better weapons - achieved
- Strategic positioning of munitions facilities - achieved
- Subterranean protection for industry. - achieved
- Preparations for continued production during wartime - achieved
The North Korean weapons industry since the nineties, has attempting to develop advanced weaponry such as the Rodong-1 rocket and other guided weaponry. An assembly of latest fighters such as the MiG-29 and others is also beginning to become available and are estimated to replace its front line fighter force within the next 5 years. It is safe to assume that North Korea is able to produce all but the most advanced weaponry available to the United States Forces.
The North Korean government and the military-industrial complex operates a diverse array of production plants and their numbers total 1800. Among them are forty small arms plants, ten armored vehicle factories, ten shipyards for combat vessels, fifty explosives facilities, etc. Most of the facilities are located in Chagang Province and other remote inland areas, and are partially or wholly underground to minimize damage in war.
Summary of War with North Korea.
It is estimated that a war with North Korea will be a bloody battle. Expected casualties in the first 72 hours of forces based on the peninsula is expected to run as high as 70%.
Given the United States distance from the Korean peninsula and the force structure in the Asia Pacific region a pre-war planning period of not less than 6 months (high attritional estimate) is expected to be needed.
A war with North Korea is expected to be protracted and while ultimately the United States is expected to win any conflict the toll would be extremely high and may jeopardise US capability for many decades afterward.
If North Korea were to launch a pre-emptive strike on the Southern Peninsula there is very little that could be done to stop Northern Forces other than the South Korean Defence forces which are not expected to prevail for a long period in the field.
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Hrm… think its time for a rethink on how much of a pushover the North Koreans may be in any war.
