What If There's War Over N. Korea's Nukes?

Air Force leaders from around the world sat down together at Osan Air Base in Korea May 22 to talk deterrence and to change the war plan regarding the North Korean threat.

The conference, an annual event, wasn't particularly tied to the North Korea nuclear crisis. It did, however, provide a chance for coalition members, who would fight together if deterrence were to fail, to hear from the commander of US Forces/Korea about his take on the plan.

“It’s a great opportunity to bring all the members of the coalition together, the commanders of the units throughout the peninsula as well as the (Republic of Korea) and US commanders on the peninsula,” said Lt. Gen. Lance Smith, 7th Air Force commander. “We’re pulling together to come up with ways and methods to execute (the war plan) more efficiently and discuss new technologies and tactics out there.”

What I Learned In Iraq...

With Operation Iraqi Freedom coming to a close, the forces here will take the lessons and new technological advances, like the unmanned aerial vehicles and ground tactics, and apply them in plans and strategies for 2003, the general said.

“Iraqi Freedom and the technology used over there will be rolled into our plans here,” said Smith. “Though we haven’t gotten all the lessons from Operation Iraqi Freedom, those that we do know about will impact our strategy.”

Learning lessons from contingency efforts around the world has a direct impact on the mission on the Korean Peninsula, the general said. And, improving war plans and deterrence efforts will continue to keep the ROK and US forces “ready to fight tonight.”

FMI: www.af.mil