A top US military commander in South Korea on Tuesday stressed the significance of enhancing the integrated air power of the allies against North Korea armed with nuclear weapons.

Lt. Gen. Thomas Bergeson, the 7th Air Force commander, said the emergency of the North's nuclear threat has made the value of the "seamless control of airspace" even more important.

He pointed out air power's precise targeting, flexibility, speed and range were proven in past conflicts, including the Gulf War.
 
What's needed is a "more integrated force capable of operating at speed faster than the enemy can react," he said in the transcript of his speech to be delivered at a forum in Seoul on Wednesday. It was released a day before the event that will be hosted by a local Air Force association.

"These joint operations, fueled by air power, put the enemy on the defensive and facing unsolvable operational problems," he added. "And it is exactly that type of force that is necessary to interdict and then defeat a nuclear-capable enemy." (Yonhap)