Air Force Keeps Eye On North Korea

By Audrey McAvoy, Associated Press
OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea

"U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jets can fly to North Korea in minutes from this base 48 miles south of the demilitarized zone. Across the border are hundreds of North Korean artillery systems aimed at Seoul, and missiles capable of hitting Japan, Hawaii and possibly the U.S. mainland.North Korea's recent tests of long-range missiles and nuclear weapons, along with its continuing buildup of mobile artillery, highlight the importance of air power in deterring Pyongyang by giving the United States a way to strike movable targets that appear increasingly threatening.The South Korean and U.S. armies still would play a critical role in any fight breaking the armistice that effectively ended the 1950-53 Korean War. But U.S. Air Force officials say their planes are particularly suited to destroying North Korean weapons that would threaten South Korea as well as the United States and its allies."Air power is exceptionally important in the Korean fight," Gen. Paul V. Hester, the Pacific Air Forces commander, said on a recent trip to South Korea from his Hawaii headquarters. "Air power takes care of the deep targets in our business."

Air Force Keeps Eye On North Korea