U.S. Air Force Moves Nine F-16’s from Kunsan to Osan Airbase to Counter North Korea
Any Air Force types want to comment if it really makes a difference having nine F-16’s stationed on Osan AB instead of Kunsan AB? It is not like that is a very far distance:
Air Force fighter jets are temporarily moving closer to North Korea to “optimize combat capability and increase readiness” on the Korean Peninsula. Nine F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base, roughly 115 miles southwest of Seoul, will be assigned for a yearlong trial to the 36th Fighter Squadron at Osan Air Base, about 30 miles south of the capital, according to an Air Force news release Thursday. The F-16s began arriving at Osan earlier this month, 7th Air Force spokesman Maj. Rachel Buitrago told Stars and Stripes by phone Monday. Two fighter squadrons of F-16s and A-10 Thunderbolt IIs are permanently stationed at the base.
You can read more at the link.
While it doesn’t sound like much, think about 18th Century cavalry tactics. Each dragoon had 2-4 pistols. A squadron would ride up, fire one shot, ride back. The other squadron would do the same. And the pattern would repeat while anno lasted
Given the expected “turkey shoot” in case if a war, a couple extra “pistols” could be useful in case the norks tried a “zerg rush” with obsolete aircraft and lots of cheap drones.
While my knowledge of current capabilities is nonexistent, the old F-14s could fire off and manage 6 missiles at the same time. I have to assune that 30+ years later they could have fighters arming, taking off, firing everything, land/rearm/refuel/repeat, while satellites and ground installations managed the munitions to their targets.
What they can do with modern networks is scary good, when there is leadership with a brain and a backbone.