The chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force says the Air Force stands ready to respond if hostilities between North Korea and South Korea escalate.

In a meeting with reporters, General Norton Schwartz said that the U.S. and South Korea are monitoring the situation carefully and that Commander General Walter Sharp has operational control of Air Force assets that reside on the Korean Peninsula that can be augmented if required.

He said the Air Force has substantial capability in the region to sustain a very credible deterrent posture. He listed the bases from which planes could be sent for a contingency: Osan Air Base and Kunsan Air Base in South Korea, Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, bases on mainland Japan and in the Pacific.