Kim Jong-il builds 'Thunderbirds' runway
Quote "North Korean military engineers are completing an underground runway beneath a mountain that can protect fighter aircraft from attack until they take off at high speed through the mouth of a tunnel.
The 6,000ft runway is a few minutes' flying time from the tense front line where the Korean People's Army faces soldiers from the United States and South Korea........"
"......t is one of three underground fighter bases among an elaborate subterranean military infrastructure built to withstand a "shock and awe" assault in the first moments of a war, the defector said......The runway, reminiscent of the Thunderbirds television series, highlights the strange and secretive nature of the regime" End Quote
www.timesonline.co.uk
Michael Sheridan, Far East Correspondent, and Uzi Mahnaimiin in Tel Aviv
The Korean Times Article on the Underground Runway
By Jung Sung-kiStaff Reporter
Quote"A U.S. private satellite has detected that North Korea is constructing a large-scale underground runway for jets, a U.S.-based broadcast company reported Friday.
Voice of America (VOA) said Google Earth captured an image of an airstrip construction site in Wonsan, southeastern North Korea.
The satellite image showed that the runway %u2015 1,800 meters long and 30 meters wide %u2015 was connected to the heart of a mountain.
Park Myung-ho, a former North Korean air force officer who defected to the South in 2005, was quoted by the VOA as saying that North Korea's fighter jets are supposed to return to underground runways after attacking key facilities in South Korea under an operational plan. " End Quote
From the Blog "In From the Cold"
http://formerspook.blogspot.com
An alternative view from the BlogosphereQuote
"The paper's account provides no additional details on the underground base, which it compared to the subterranean facility in Thunderbirds, the classic, 1960s British sci-fi TV series. But there's only one problem with the "runway-inside-a-mountain" that supposedly exists in North Korea; the story simply isn't true.
Tales of a massive, underground jet base in the DPRK have been making the rounds for years, and like many myths, they contain elements of truth. For example, virtually all North Korean Air Force (NKAF) bases have underground facilities (UGFs), but they're--typically--a combination parking area and maintenance hangar, carved inside a mountain.
Many of the UGFs are quite large; at many bases they can accomodate a full aircraft regiment, as many as 45 jets. The underground shelters offer hardened protection from enemy air attack and allow North Korean technicians to service and load their jets without being detected. But to launch, aircraft must depart the UGF, using one of adits that lead to the outside taxiway and runway. Each of the portals has a massive blast door, providing more protection against enemy airstrikes or missile attacks. "End Quote
Great Stuff on Amazon
Escaping North Korea: Defiance and Hope in the World's Most Repressive Country
Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 12/25/2009) 
Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader: North Korea and the Kim Dynasty
Amazon Price: $14.93 (as of 12/25/2009)
The Hidden People of North Korea: Everyday Life in the Hermit Kingdom
Amazon Price: $32.36 (as of 12/25/2009)
Inside North Korea
Amazon Price: $24.13 (as of 12/25/2009)
Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 12/25/2009)
Great Stuff on eBay
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
New Featured Lenses
-
The War Nerd
-
Another way to look past the spin and fog of war A brutal arm chair historian that cuts through all the disinformation cr*p with his unique look at war. The infamous and outspoken "War Nerd"
-
egold
-
Backed by real gold e-gold is the most popular and trusted alternative money system in the world backed by real gold.
-
MoneyBookers
-
Pay with moneybookers.com! We are very happy to offer you a new and simple way to pay: Step 1: Open your free moneybookers.com account – all you require is an email address Step 2: Upload funds to your account via bank transfer, credit/debit card...
-
Russian T-72 Tank
-
The infamous T-72 tank A tank that has seen several new versions as well as an export success , the T-72 is also a mileston in Soviet tank history and has seen conflicts across the world as well as pivotal moments in Middleeast history ! Learn mor...
-
UAZ Hunter
-
The classic Russian army jeep has been re-styled to compete with less utilitarian SUV's from foreign markets. The UAZ Hunter is still a rugged and proven 4x4 superior to the Lada Niva.
Great Stuff on eBay
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byNew Wikipedia
The 'Korean Peoples Air Force', (, Hanja: ????? ??), is the name of the unified aviation forces of North Korea. The KPAF is the second-largest branch of the Korean Peoples Army with an estimated 110,000 personnel.North Korea Country Study, pp. 18-19 It possesses between 1,600 and 1,700 aircraft of different types, mostly of Soviet and Chinese origin. Its primary task is to defend North Korean airspace.KPAF at GlobalSecurity.org When the People's Army Group was formed, the aviation unit became its air force branch on August 20, 1947. North Korea celebrates August 20 as the Air Force Foundation Day.
by crushwb
Imports & and Slavic Books ; & Russian,Ukrainian,Polish Books (Slavic Book Biz)
Imported Items from,Russia,Ukraine,Poland & Canada special...
Explore related pages
North Korea: Will the dynasty survive?- An article about the only communist dynasty. North Korea's current leader, Kim J...
Kim Jong Il ... Nut or What?- Who IS this strange little man running North Korea?! A visionary? An Icon?...
What is Up With North Korea?- The more I learn about North Korea, the more fascinating and terrifying it becom...
Human Rights Violations of North Korea- North Korea is possibly the least accessible, and “the most brutal and repress...
South and North Korea Reunification Movement- Ever since 1953, after the end of the Korean War, Korea has been precariously di...
The Respected and Beloved Leader- Snippets about Kim Jong Il's father, "the respected and beloved leader,&quo...
