http://nationalinterest.org/feature/danger-zone-will-north-korea-take-the-highway-nuclear-war-22612Analysts agree North Korea is quite serious in its threat to shoot down American warplanes, even if they are flying in international airspace. The threat came in response to President Donald Trump’s latest challenge to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) via Twitter, in which he doubled down on his proclamation that the North’s days were numbered if they continued to provoke and threaten the United States.
On September 26, intelligence indicated that officials sent a small number of fighters, external-fuel tanks, and air-to-air missiles to an air base on the east coast of the country, ostensibly to place itself in a better position to intercept and target U.S. planes flying in the area. This move shows Pyongyang is serious about at least projecting an image of a willingness to follow through on its threat.
So, what happens if North Korea were to shoot down a U.S. military aircraft? What is quite clear is how the United States might respond; less clear is if the United States will respond at all.
DPRK attacks on U.S. aircraft, though rare, have happened. The last one occurred December 18, 1994; an Army OH-58 Kiowa helicopter patrolling the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) was downed, resulting in the death of one pilot and the capture of the other (he was released shortly thereafter). The most egregious violation, however, occurred April 15, 1969. A Navy EC-121 Warning Star intelligence aircraft was shot down by a North Korean fighter jet over the Sea of Japan, killing all thirty-one crewmembers
http://nationalinterest.org/feature/danger-zone-will-north-korea-take-the-highway-nuclear-war-22612
