Washington: North Korean hackers reportedly hacked a computer network belonging to a South Korean aerospace firm and escaped with blueprints for the F-15 Eagle — the American-designed jet fighter that forms the backbone of the U.S. and South Korean air forces.
However, Pyongyang engineers may not be successful in rolling out the F-15s from for their air force due to their ragtag military firms.
The hack began in 2014 and South Korean authorities first detected it in February this year, South Korea’s police cyber investigation unit told Reuters.
In the meantime, the hackers gained access to the networks of two defence industry conglomerates in South Korea and made off with around 42,000 documents.
Among the documents were blueprints for the wing design of the twin-engine, supersonic F-15, police told Reuters. Korea Aerospace Industries builds the Eagle’s wings under contract with Boeing. Undefeated in air combat since its debut in the early 1970s, the Eagle is still America’s main air-to-air fighter.
