Talk a little more about Korea.
South Korea is incredibly important. We have a new USFK {U.S. Forces Korea] commander out there, Army Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti.
The first A-10 Thunderbolt II sortie for operational readiness exercise Beverly Bulldog 13-01 takes off from Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Nov. 6, 2012. The proposed scrapping of the A-10 would leave a capabilities gap in any conflict on the Korean Peninsula. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Craig Cisek
North Korea is an enigma. It’s a loner nation. Kim Jong-un is difficult to follow. The North Koreans take provocative actions, from a nuclear launch to closing the Kaesong industry complex. We need to build for the entire region and to get with the PRC [Peoples Republic of China] to make sure the Korean peninsula doesn’t become nuclear. I think the PRC and U.S. together have a capability to influence North Korea very well.
The Continuous Bomber Presence (CBP), which currently consists of deploying B-52s to Guam, seems to be a way of making our presence felt.
CBP demonstrates to the region that the U.S. is committed to security in the Asia-Pacific. We have permanent bomber presence, B-52s or B-2s, at Andersen Air Force Base now. We demonstrate our long range strike capability all the time, and we’ve done it for the last 20 years. Not to mention it provides unique training opportunities for bomber crews when they integrate into PACOM joint/coalition exercises, operations, and training. We will continue the CBP.
CBP demonstrates to the region that the U.S. is committed to security in the Asia-Pacific. We have permanent bomber presence, B-52s or B-2s, at Andersen Air Force Base now. We demonstrate our long range strike capability all the time, and we’ve done it for the last 20 years.
We’re budgeted for it, Adm. [Samuel J. ] Locklear [the Pacific Command combatant commander] supports it.
Why is air power so important in the Pacific theater?
The Air Force has some unique capabilities – speed, range, and flexibility. These attributes allow us to message and impact an adversary in ways that are valuable to the nation. Every service brings a part to this. We all are in this together and it takes all services. We move distances in hours that the Navy, for example, moves in days.
A B-52 Stratofortress from the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., launches July 2, 2013, from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. The deployment to Guam was for an ongoing military effort to provide a continuous bomber presence in the Western Pacific. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Marianique Santos
Our air power is what frightens enemies. The idea that we’re as good as we are, what we have the capability we do, and that we can affect them so much with air power is what makes our enemies take pause. Our conduct on the high seas, our conduct in the air, and our conduct in space is second to none. A B-2 doing a low approach at Osan, that’s amazing. And when you think about a 38-hour mission that flies from Missouri, goes to a range, drops bombs, does a low approach at Osan and then flies back, there’s not another nation in the world that can do that. That’s messaging and it is a strong message.
How has sequestration affected PACAF?
First of all, sequestration is a near-term fiscal challenge and it should not be confused with our long-term commitment to our partners in the Asia-Pacific or to our national defense.
We’ve been working diligently with our sister services, partners, and allies in the region, with a focus on our Core Tenets, to preserve the 60+ year investment in partnership building and enhance our interoperability. We had to outright cancel some engagements in FY 13. Others, we had to scale back on. But if you look at what we had to cancel and what we were able to keep or continue in a scaled-back version, you’ll still see that we remained engaged with our partners in the region.