SOME HISTORICAL NOTES ON AIR INTERDICTION IN KOREA

Abstract : Air interdiction is defined as the use of air power to 'prevent or hinder.... enemy use of an area or route.' To accomplish this task the Air Force employs two basic types of missions: preplanned attacks against known fixed targets, and armed reconnaissance. The purpose of the armed-reconnaissance mission is to seek out and destroy 'targets of opportunity' along designated routes or within an assigned area. This type of mission, which emphasizes the inherent flexibility of manned aircraft, was used effectively in both World War II and the Korean conflict. The purpose of this paper is to examine some significant features of the Korean interdiction campaign, to look at the principal reasons for the limited success of this campaign, and to suggest ways in which future campaigns might be improved vis a vis the Korean performance.