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North Korea has changed the camouflage on its fleet of biplanes for tactical purposes, according to military experts.

Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un was seen at the controls of one of the Korean People's Air Force Antonov An-2 aircraft while on an inspection visit to an aircraft maintenance plant last week, and analysts in South Korea say that Pyongyang has updated the colour scheme of the vintage planes, . Previously painted khaki, the aircraft now have a blue underside and green upper surfaces, meaning they would be difficult to spot on low-level missions. "Seen from above, they'll be difficult to identify, and seen from below they could be seen as part of the sky," says a South Korean officer. "It seems the North was encouraged by the relatively successful infiltration of sky-blue drones last year." Several drones, all painted pale blue, were found in South Korea in 2014, and a they came from the North.

Despite their great age - the An-2 dates back to 1947 - the aircraft is seen as an ideal low-tech stealth aircraft for short-range infiltration raids. They can fly at low altitudes below radar systems, delivering a dozen troops to a target area. Chosun Ilbo says that Pyongyang has recently increased parachute drills involving the An-2 aircraft. While North Korea's sanctions-hit air force is comprised of planes that would long be in other countries, they still operate a number of high-tech Russian MiG-29 fighter jets, although it is not known precisely how many are airworthy.

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