Arlington, Virginia | November 13, 2023
The Dean of the Mitchell Institute, Lt Gen David A. Deptula, USAF (Ret.) was invited to the Republic of Korea (ROK) the first week of November to deliver the keynote address at an Airpower Symposium hosted by the ROK Air Force History Foundation and present a briefing to senior ROK Air Force leadership. At the symposium, Gen Deptula also met with nine former ROK Air Force Chiefs of Staff and a former Minister of Defense to discuss air and space power challenges in the future.
The ROK Air Force has completely transformed over the past seven decades. It exemplifies how an air force, and a nation, can systematically build the foundations, acquire know-how from partners, and develop their own expertise to stand as equals with the most advanced air forces in the world. The ROK Air Force’s continued development of next-generation technology and operational concepts will enable it to serve as an increasingly valued ally and partner with the United States. Air and space partnerships with our allies are becoming more important than ever given that the U.S. Air Force is now the oldest and smallest in its history—alliances and partnerships are necessary to deter our adversaries and to rapidly and decisively defeat aggression if deterrence fails.
Cover Photo Credit: ROK Air Force photo
