The decisive elements in the battle for Korean air space would he neither the North nor the South Korean air forces, but the air arms of the US Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps. A US Marine Corps F/A-18 Multi-role fighter, expected to dominate the sky over USMC positions. US Air Force elements which would play in a Korean scenario are administered by HQ Pacific Air Forces, based in Hawaii, and consist of the Fifth, and Seventh Air Forces. Deployed in Korea is the Seventh Air Force at Osan, which operates from bases equipped with hardened aircraft shelters and Stinger SAMs for local defense. It is also capable of operating from more than 11 highway air strips throughout the country. The Seventh includes the 51st Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW) with the 36th Tactical Fighter Squadron (TFS) at wing HQ with 24 F-16C air defense fighters. Completing the 51st TFW are the 19th Tactical Air Support Squadron flying 12 OA-10A forward air control planes, and the 25th TFS at Suwon with 24 more F-16Cs. The Seventh Air Force also has the 8th TFW at Kunsan with the 35th and 80th TFSs, each with 24 F-16 multi-role fighters which would be used for battlefield interdiction. At Kadena, on Okinawa, is the Fifth Air Force. It has the 18th TFW, which operates a total of 72 F-15C air superiority fighters in three squadrons (12, 44, 67 TFS). The 18th TFW normally detaches a flight to Osan in Korea. Also based at Kadena are 16 KC135 tankers from SAC's 376th Strategic Wing, and three E-3A Sentry AWACS command and control aircraft from the 961st Airborne Warning and Control Squadron. Additionally under Fifth Air Force command is the 432nd TFW at Misawa, Japan, operating a total of 48 F-16C fighters in its 13th and 14th TFSs. B-52 units in the US would most likely be used to reinforce the air effort as well as F-111s. The 366th TFW, from Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, deployed its F-111s to Korea in response to one crisis situation. Additional F-15 and F-16 fighters would also deploy from the US, as well as F-15E strike fighters and F-117 stealth fighters. US Marine Corps Aviation in the Pacific is under 1st Marine Air Wing, headquartered at Futenma on Okinawa. Located there are an air control group, a light antiaircraft missile battalion, and Marine Air Group 36 (MAG 36). MAG 36 has three helicopter squadrons: one heavy (16 CH-53), one medium (12 CH-46), and one light (12 UH-1, 12 AH-1); and a couple of detachments of OV10 spotters and KC-130 tankers. Usually another composite helicopter squadron is on deployment with the fleet. At Iwakuni, Japan, is MAG 15 with two fighter attack squadrons (12 F/A-18 each), and MAC 12 with one attack squadron (20 AV-813) and one all-weather attack squadron (10 A-6E). Reinforcing from Hawaii would be MAG 24 which has two fighter attack squadrons, three medium helicopter squadrons, and one heavy helicopter squadron. A Marine Air Wing is organized and equipped as an expeditionary air arm which is capable of operation from austere sites after projection ashore. Marine aviation is integrated with ground elements to provide dedicated air support. The US Navy deploys two aircraft carrier battle groups to the Western Pacific on a regular basis, along with an amphibious ready group. Each carrier battle group has half a dozen escorts (cruisers, destroyers, frigates), several replenishment ships, and a carrier with embarked air wing of 86 planes. At present, 20 F/A18 fighter-bombers, 20 A-6 all-weather bombers, 5 E-2C airborne early warning planes, 5 EA-613 electronic warfare planes, 10 S-3A anti-submarine planes, and 6 SH-3H anti-submarine helicopters. The business of the battle group is projection of power and, as has been seen in most major confrontations since 1945, it would be used to take the fight to the enemy's doorstep. In addition, one or possibly two battleship surface action/gunfire support groups could lend their weight to coastal operations. The Sourth Korean Air Force (ROKAF) operates fixed-wing tactical aircraft in squadrons of 18 or 24 planes, the former for F-4 types and the latter for F-16s and F-5s. Squadrons are subordinate to wings that occupy major bases, sharing some facilities with USAF units. At Taegu is the 11th Fighter Wing with two F-4D squadrons (110th and 151st) and two new F-16C/D squadrons (161st and 162nd). Another 120 F-16s are on order to replace older aircraft. The other interceptor base is Chongju, with the 17th Fighter Wing's two F-4E squadrons (152nd and 153rd). Ground attack aircraft are based at Kwangju, where the 1st Fighter Wing operates two F-5E squadrons (122nd and 123rd), as well as an F-5A/B operational conversion squadron (115th). kunsan hosts the 111th Fighter Squadron, the first to equip with F-5Es, while Suwon is the home of the 10th Fighter wing's two F-5E attack squadrons and a recce squadron that includes RF-5 types. Some 27 A-37 jet trainers also have a counterinsurgency fighter role. Tactical air lift, operating largely from Pusan, includes ten C-130H, nine C- 54, and ten C-123J/K transports. In general, highly placed USAF officers are impressed by the performance and professionalism of the ROKAF and its pilots. The present continuation of the North Korean nuclear weapon program coupled with North Korea's ability to produce about 50 SCUD-B missiles per year since 1987) has prompted the US to deploy several Patriot missile batteries to South Korea. North Korean Air Force The North Korean Air Force has about 700 combat aircraft which are organized into regiments and squadrons similar to the Soviet pattern. The NKAF has 30 MiC-29s and 46 MiG-23 front line interceptors from the Soviet Union. Additional air defense assets consist of about 160 MiC-21s and 60 MiG-19s. Ground attack aircraft include 20 Su-25s, 20 Su-7s, 140 MiG-19s, and 170 MiC-17s. About 80 IL-28 bombers are in the order of battle as well. Although the planes are listed above by their Soviet designations, many are Chinese produced variants. Air transport operates ten An-24s, five IL-14s, five IL-18s, and nearly 250 An-2s (these being used to infiltrate paratroopers into enemy rear areas). Helicopter assets include about 40 Mi4s, 70 Mi-8s, and 60 armed Hughes 500s which were purchased through third parties. Nearly all assessments of the North Korean Air Force rate it low in capabilities. The pilots are comparatively ill-trained and the equipment is obsolete. It is the opinion of many USAF officers familiar with Korea that the South ' definitively has the edge, and the addition US air assets would be thoroughly decisive. The main job would be supporting the ground war and simply brushing aside the North Korean Air Force if it tried to get in the way. The Units of Korea'95 The Next War in Korea South Korean Organization North Korean Organization US Army US Marines The Air Picture (North and South) Back to Table of Contents: CounterAttack # 4 To CounterAttack List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1993 by Pacific Rim Publishing Company. This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com