US Pacific Command chief Adm. Harry Harris told Congress Wednesday “the best way to reduce tensions on the Korean peninsula is to provide credible combat power 24/7.” Ongoing, clear demonstrations of military strength are crucial to US strategy in the region, he added. “If you are a weak country or you have a weak military,” Harris told the House Armed Services Committee, “then I think that encourages adventurism.” He said the key to developing and demonstrating this show of strength is regular joint exercises with allies, including routine “B-1 and B-52 flights.” Harris said “just two days ago” PACOM partnered with a Japanese ship in the Sea of Japan and a South Korean ship “on the west sea” to fly a B-52 across the peninsula. “The Japanese handed it off to the Koreans, who then escorted the bomber through the Korean peninsula to the other side.” Harris called the exercise “a pretty complicated operation” and said that it “demonstrated to our allies and friends and also to Kim Jong Un that we have this capability, that we can bring these forces to bear from all around the Pacific to focus on him, if need be.”
Amid NATO’s continued push to ramp up air defenses in Eastern Europe, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall swung by seven allied countries to boost relations last week, including those on Russia’s and Ukraine’s doorstep.