Air Defense Chief Sees Victory in Event of War
Gen. Donald J. Kutyna, commander of the North American Air Defense and the United States Space Command, said Wednesday that in the event of a war with Iraq, U.S. air forces will dominate the skies but refused to predict how quickly.
“Nothing is assured, but we’ve got very capable forces,” Kutyna said after addressing the Pasadena Rotary Club. “I wouldn’t make a call on how soon . . . but I think our forces will prevail.”
Kutyna also said that the rapprochement with the Soviet Union does not rule out the need for greater defense capabilities in space, in particular the so-called Star Wars system. The Soviets continue to build strategic weapons to maintain their world power status, he said, and “you’ve got to keep a deterrent.”
Other countries still hostile to the United States, such as Libya, are also developing missiles that can reach the United States, he said.
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