Single Integrated Operational Plan

The Single Integrated Operational Plan (SIOP) was the United States' general plan for nuclear war from 1961 to 2003. The SIOP gave the President of the United States a range of targeting options, and described launch procedures and target sets against which nuclear weapons would be launched. The plan integrated the capabilities of the nuclear triad of strategic bombers, land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), and sea-based submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM). The SIOP was a highly classified document, and was one of the most secret and sensitive issues in U.S. national security policy.

The first SIOP, titled SIOP-62, was finished on 14 December 1960 and implemented on 1 July 1961 (the start of fiscal year 1962). The SIOP was updated annually until February 2003, when it was replaced by Operations Plan (OPLAN) 8044. Since December 2008, the US nuclear war plan has been OPLAN 8010, Strategic Deterrence and Global Strike.

Planning process

OPLAN 5029

OPLAN 5029 is a proposed military operation plan by the United States and South Korea for dealing with "sudden change" in North Korea, such as a coup d'état, revolution, large scale defections, outflow of weapons of mass destruction, hostage situations involving South Koreans, or major natural disasters. While no permanent version of OPLAN 5029 is known to be in effect, South Korea has repeatedly stated it adheres to the current conceptual plan (CONPLAN 5029) and the United States has said it is preparing concrete plans for collapse scenarios.

History

In August 1999, General John H. Tilelli, Jr., commander of United States Forces Korea, acknowledged the existence of a scenario and plan by ROK-US Combined Forces Command involving the collapse of North Korea, stating "it would be unusual if we didn't have one".

In early 2005, the South Korean National Security Council vetoed an American proposal to upgrade CONPLAN 5029's general course of action to the specific military plans of an operational plan, where the United States would have command over South Korean military assets in the event of a North Korean collapse. South Korean officials feared the plan might limit "South Korea's exercise of its sovereignty", though American officials argued it would be necessarily for securing sensitive nuclear and military facilities as well as protecting the general public. In June 2005, South Korean Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung and US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld agreed to further "improve and develop" the concept plan.

OPLAN 5027

Operations Plan 5027 (OPLAN 5027) is a military operation plan by the United States and South Korea for the defense against a North Korean invasion.

History

Before 1973, OPLAN 5027 was primarily focused on defeating a North Korean invasion, with a 50-mile retreat from the penetrated Demilitarized Zone to positions south of the Han River (known as the Hollingsworth Line). Allied forces would then wait for American reinforcements before counterattacking.

With the withdrawal of the United States from Vietnam and concerns of North Korea doubting America's commitment to defend South Korea, Combined Forces Commander US General James F. Hollingsworth developed a forward-based offensive strategy known as OPLAN 5027-74. The new plans called for most artillery, tanks, and infantry to be moved toward the Military Control Zone five miles south of the Demilitarized Zone. Offensive strategies following the defeat of invasion forces included two brigades of the US 2nd Division to seize the nearby city of Kaesong, around-the-clock B-52 bomber raids, and a "violent, short war" to capture the capital city of Pyongyang. No mention was made of the use of tactical nuclear weapons in case of overwhelming North Korean forces, though the Congressional Budget Office predicted that without their use, the new strategy could result in the initial loss of Seoul.