Anti-aircraft artillery (AAA)In previous Bluffer's Guides to DPRK I have shown several Google Earth maps depicting the air defences around the North Korean capital, Pyongyang. There are over 420 active sites in the latest imagery, meaning that Pyongyang is almost certainly the most densely defended capital city on earth. This analysis does not include the SAM sites, aircraft or adjoining area's anti-aircraft assets.
Anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) sites are particularly hard to identify in Google Earth because the equipment is relatively small and even in high-resolution commercial imagery it is often blurred or distorted. In any country the inventory of the AAA arsenal is the best starting point. Often systems have 'signature' footprints allowing easy identification, but within DPRK most/all systems are deployed in classic Soviet style deployments and/or geographically optimised non-standard sites. This makes it very hard to differentiate 37mm AAA from 57mm AAA etc. Experience is therefore the best guide; after looking at DPRK AAA sites in Google Earth for a few years, comparing various sites and AAA in other countries, I think I can get the ID right about 70-80% of the time. This is enough to draw a much more detailed picture of Pyongyang's air defences.
The lower images approximate the visual signature in Google Earth under good conditions. Other equipment used includes:
1) Chinese Type-74 twin 37mm AAA. Signature as per M-1939. Treat as interchangeable IDs in most cases
2) North Korean twin 57mm AAA. Signature as per S-60.
3) ZPU-1 single 14.5mm AAA. Typically single guns defending fortified hills and trench networks. Virtually impossible to ID in Google Earth imagery and not part of integrated AAA network
4) North Korean 30mm Gatling gun. Signature and operational status unknown.
At the size of equipment / image resolution/angles we are talking about, measuring the pieces in GE is not reliable to differentiate them. As a general rule equipment will appear smaller than it is. However a by-eye relative scale with nearby systems makes a good guess possible and after a while your brain spots patterns which your conscious mind cannot articulate.
Finding from the review of Pyongyang's AAA sites:
During the 2000's there has been a gradual reduction in AAA sites, especially in central Pyongyang. This is in part due to creeping urbanisation and development, and possibly in part due to gradual inoperability of aging equipment
Simultaneously the AAA sites have been rationalised. A new outer ring of 14.5mm AAA mounted in new linear site arrangements was added further out. Many of the guns in these may be from now abandoned inner city sites. ZPU-2s and ZPU-4s used. Some may be of modified design without wheeled carriage.
Reinforcement of past understandings:
There are relatively fewer larger-calibre AAA sites than 14.5mm machine gun sites.
The overall arrangement is patchy and many of the 14.5mm sites are not placed with overlapping effective engagement zones
The defences are numerous but wholly inadequate against cruise missiles, high/fast jets or stealth aircraft
14.5mm AAA in linear arrangement
Very clear pattern to deployment. Sites aligned approximately to face away from centre of Pyongyang. The arrangement of these sites is so predictable that many were located simply by 'looking where the gap is' between previously found sites. Effective range shown as circle at 1.4km but site layout has primary engagement as a wedge pointing away from Pyongyang.
Other 14.5mm sites
Typically these positions have canvas or reed covers over the guns. Mostly ZPU-4 but some appear ZPU-2. Typically 8 guns, but many have more, and many just 4. ZPU-2 site:
37mm AAA
Forms the bulk of the inner ring. 4km effective range.
57mm AAA
100mm AAA
Empty and historical sites
Empty AAA - most likely abandoned
Historical sites. Mostly not visible in most recent imagery, note the concentration in central/Southern Pyongyang:
Putting it back together....
At first it just appears to be a jumble of engagement envelopes, but the pattern is there:
Artillery
North Korea deploys large amounts of artillery. Although virtually all is road-mobile, many are deployed in Hardened Artillery Sites (discussed in previous bluffer's guides). Around Pyongyang there are a substantial number covering virtually 360 degrees of approach:
Additionally there are a number of reserve artillery positions visible on Google Earth. These are "gun lines", temporary positions where artillery batteries have dug emplacements. These should not be viewed as permanent positions, but are illustrative of the degree of artillery activity. Additionally they demonstrate the doctrine of DPRK artillery forces. The clusters hint at 'home' deployment locations of mobile artillery units.
Corrections, comments and contributions welcome.
