USAF Ready to Deter N Korean Threat

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz weighed in on the situation on the Korean Peninsula this morning, telling reporters that while American fighter jets remain on their normal alert status, the U.S. has plenty of firepower in the region to deter North Korean aggression.

His comments came after North Korean forces shelled a South Korean border town this morning, killing at least two South Korean marines and setting dozens of civilian houses ablaze.

"Clearly, we have substantial Air Force assets in a number of locations in the Western Pacific both on the Korean Peninsula at Osan and Kunsan as well as at Kadena [Japan] and further east in Guam," Schwartz said during a breakfast with reporters in Washington. "Those assets are certainly ready, and the commander of Pacific Command and Gen. Skip Sharp [commander of all forces in South Korea] are prepared to use those assets if they're required."

The clash, which put South Korea's military on high alert, was one of the rivals' most dramatic confrontations since the Korean War ended, and one of the few to put civilians at risk, though no nonmilitary deaths were immediately reported. Fifteen South Korean soldiers and three civilians were injured and the extent of casualties on the northern side was unknown.

The skirmish began when Pyongyang warned the South to halt military drills in the area, according to South Korean officials. When Seoul refused and began firing artillery into disputed waters, albeit away from the North Korean shore, the North retaliated by bombarding the small island of Yeonpyeong, which houses South Korean military installations and a small civilian population.

Schwartz went on to say that while the U.S. is ready to pitch in, the situation is currently under the control of the South Korean air force.

"I think it's significant that it's the [South Korean air force] that's principally in the lead as we speak with as many as eight F-15s flying [combat air patrols] at the moment," he explained.

South Korea responded by firing K-9 155mm self-propelled howitzers and dispatching fighter jets. Officials in Seoul said there could be considerable North Korean casualties. The entire skirmish lasted about an hour.

Each side has threatened the other against another attack.

The United States, which has more than 28,000 troops stationed in South Korea, condemned the attack. In Washington, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs called on North Korea to "halt its belligerent action," and said the U.S. is committed to South Korea's defense.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned North Korea's artillery attack, calling it "one of the gravest incidents since the end of the Korean War," his spokesman Martin Nesirky said. Ban called for "immediate restraint" and insisted "any differences should be resolved by peaceful means and dialogue," the spokesman said.

The supreme military command in Pyongyang threatened more strikes if the South crossed their maritime border by "even 0.001 millimeter," according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency.

South Korea holds military exercises like Tuesday's off the west coast about every three months.

A statement from the North said it was merely "reacting to the military provocation of the puppet group with a prompt powerful physical strike," and accused Seoul of starting the skirmish with its "reckless military provocation as firing dozens of shells inside the territorial waters of the" North.

Meanwhile, Air Force chief Schwartz described the artillery exchange as the most recent in a number of "provocations" from North Korea.

"The bottom line is, we have substantial capability on the peninsula and in the immediate environments to sustain a very credible deterrent posture," said the general when asked his thoughts on basing tactical nuclear warheads in South Korea.

He added that he would prefer to give his advice on the nuclear issue to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff rather than the press before saying, "Today, for this moment, there is no question that there is a very substantial air power and joint team capability in the western Pacific that certainly the North Koreans must respect."

Commander of U.S. forces in South Korea Gen. Sharp said in a Facebook posting that the U.S. military is "closely monitoring the situation and exchanging information with our (South Korean) allies as we always do."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.