Air Force Magazine:
The US military has prepared classified plans to address North Korea’s growing nuclear ambitions, along with multiple other security issues including Iran, to present to the next administration when it takes office. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein said Saturday that the next national military strategy, which will be classified, will include steps to address North Korea’s continued movement toward an operational nuclear program. The North Korea plan is one of five “annexes” to the strategy to address the Defense Department’s five security challenges, which also include Iran’s nuclear ambitions, international terrorism, and threats from Russia and China. The plans have been several months in the making, Goldfein said at the Reagan National Defense Forum on Saturday in Simi Valley, Calif. Intelligence has shown a “say-do gap” from North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un, meaning the country’s actions do not always align with his rhetoric. Threats such as this show the importance of a modern and reliable nuclear deterrent, Goldfein said. He highlighted the need for a healthy command and control infrastructure, along with maintenance of all three legs of the nuclear triad as key to keeping the deterrent credible.
