Pleased to share a new article - a deep dive on the North Koreans use of diplomats and embassy in East Berlin to illegally procure 86 US manufactured Hughes helicopters in the late 1980s 1/5 doi.org/10.1080/026845…
These aircraft -publicly revealed in a 2013 parade- appear still in service in DPRK & were a source of concern in the 1980s as ROK and US forces used the same model around the DMZ. The US and ROK worried these “look-a-likes” could be used to disrupt the 1988 Seoul Olympics 2/5 
The allied commands in Berlin struggled to counter the network supplying these aircraft and spare parts- with the North Koreans using diplomatic immunity to run a procurement front company in West Berlin. Essentially a technological tunnel to the heart of the West. 3/5
It tells the story of how the allied command council sought to respond, using obscure outdated 1940s military law and a series of largely symbolic expulsions to undermining the role of the North Koreans’ western procurement hub. 4/5
Drawing on declassified documents, this Cold War arms trading story draws a line directly between North Korea’s illicit networks in the 1980s and the post-2006 UN sanctions era, as well as the challenges states face in disrupting these activities. 5/5
Available #openaccess here thanks to @KingsLibraries: doi.org/10.1080/026845… - Thanks to the editors at @IntelNatSecJnl - a pleasure to publish here again! And the anon reviewers for insights. Cc. @KCL_CSSS @warstudies @KCLSecurity @kclintelligence @SocIntelHist @ManagingtheAtom
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
