Gen. Paul Hester, Pacific Air Forces commander, said Thursday afternoon at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla., that he has not stepped up the operating tempo of forces around Korea since Pyongyang detonated a small A-bomb last fall. The Air Force has been “observant” of North Korea and has kept up its reconnaissance efforts, but Hester said he’s relieved to report that no big troop movements or mobilizations attended the nuclear test or the big salvo of ballistic missile tests at about the same time.
The Air Force could conduct an operation like Israel's successful air campaign against Iran's nuclear sites, military leadership and air defenses, but readiness issues would make it risky, airpower experts said. Limited spare parts and training, low mission capable rates and few flying hours would put a drag on USAF's…