USA Today:
TOKYO — If North Korea were to launch ballistic missiles — equipped with nuclear or conventional warheads — against its neighbors, the front line of defense would fall to a soft-spoken naval flight officer from North Carolina.
Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin took over as commander of the U.S. 7th Fleet, based in Yokosuka, Japan, in September. The fleet’s Aegis-equipped warships are designed to shoot down ballistic missiles in midflight, including the type stockpiled by North Korea.
Aucoin, who goes by the name ‘”Joey,” sat down with USA TODAY and other reporters Friday to talk about matters including North Korea’s claim to have successfully tested a hydrogen bomb Wednesday, which drew international condemnation. The meeting took place aboard the USS Ronald Reagan, the centerpiece of the powerful 7th Fleet.
Here is some of what Aucoin had to say (edited for grammar and brevity):
On his biggest concern:
“What keeps me up is the Korean Peninsula. Day to day, we watch North Korea very closely. What happened there (this week) definitely got our attention.”
On North Korea’s nuclear ambitions:
“We want North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons. We want them to abandon any nuclear activities and comply with the international commitments and obligations. Until they do that, they’re not going to achieve prosperity. They’re not going to achieve the security they desire. They’re going to live in isolation. It is in their best interests to abandon these activities, comply with the international commitments and obligations.”
On China’s island-building program in the South China Sea:
“There’s a number of countries in the region where there’s angst as a result of China’s actions. It would be very nice for all countries — not just China, but all countries — to stop this reclamation, to state what their intentions are and resolve this peacefully and not let this kind of angst (and) destabilizing factor continue.”…
