North Korea's defence industry predates the Korean War, but has emerged as a major supplier to the North Korean armed forces beginning in the 1970s,[1] but increasingly so after the fall of the Soviet Union and to supplement those purchased from China.
[1] Most equipment produced are copies of Soviet and Chinese built military hardware.
There are no known indigenous aircraft built in North Korea, factories supply components or parts for current aircraft flown such as for Tumansky RD-9 turbojet engine used by Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 and Shenyang J-6.
[8] Another is additional sub systems for aircraft such as Tactical air navigation system that for example were known to be exported to Syria.
[9]