American Aircraft In Vietnam - Vietnam saw some of the most famous fighter jets and dogfights in modern warfare history. These jets defined a conflict that defined a generation.
As terrible as the air war in Vietnam was, it led to the worst destruction by aircraft in the 20th century. The fighting was intense, casualties were high, and napalm and Agent Orange devastated the Vietnamese countryside.
American Aircraft In Vietnam
As for the latter, the dropping of Agent Orange by US aircraft caused generations of birth defects and continues to affect Vietnam's environment today.
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As for the former, the combined Navy and Air Force personnel exceeded 5,000. Air campaigns such as the infamous Operation Rolling Thunder resulted in heavy casualties and often missed targets.
The leaders and governments responsible for the tragedy in Vietnam did not let down the people who gave their lives for their countries - even though they deserved better from them.
In this article, we look at the fighter jets active in the Vietnam War on both sides. US-made warplanes on the American and South-Vietnamese sides and Russian-made warplanes on the North-Vietnamese or Vietcong side of the conflict.
The Skyhawk, one of the flagship aircraft of the US Navy and Marine Corps at the start of the Vietnam War, was also used extensively by Israel during the Yom Kippur War and Argentina during the Falkland Islands War.
Vietnam Air War Archives
The Skyhawk was a fast light fighter, and saw some of the first aerial combat missions of the war. The late Senator John McCain flew a Skyhawk and was shot down, becoming a POW as did Everett Alvarez, the longest on the American side of his captivity in 1973.
The Skyhawk was 40 ft 1.5 in, powered by a 1×Pratt & Whitney J52-P-6A turbojet engine with a top speed of 673 mph, had a range of 1,160 miles, and was armed with a ×20 mm Colt Mk. 12 cannon and several air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, including AIM-9 Sidewinders and bombs.
Cmdr John R. Leinhouts, U.S. US Navy Navy LTV A-7E Corsair II of Attack Squadron 72 armed with Mk 82 'SnakeEye' and AIM 9L 'Sidewinder'.
When the US Armed Forces began trying to replace the Skyhawk, the Corsair II was one of the first fighters they launched. The Army needed a fighter that could provide close air support rather than the general purpose subsonic jets favored by the Air Force, resulting in the use of the Corsair II.
Us Plane Hanoi War Museum Vietnam Editorial Photography
The prototypes were first flown in 1968 and entered service during the latter stages of the Vietnam War. They became known for their speed and ground attack capabilities while serving with the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand.
Corsair II had a cruising speed of 545 mph and a top speed of 663 mph, powered by 1xAllison TF41 turbofan engine, had a range of 3,044 miles, a 46 ft. 1 in. long, and armed with 1xM61A1 20 mm rapid - fire cannon.
The duel between the Phantom II and the MiG-21 helped define Vietnam's air war, with both sides victorious. The United States claimed a favorable kill ratio and so did the North Vietnamese side, with two sets of statistics showing how precarious but deadly the air war was.
The USAF, Navy and Marine Corps all operated the Phantom II during the Vietnam War. Despite its impressive firepower, state-of-the-art radar and incredible speed, the MiG-21s were well matched against it. By the end of the war, it was remembered by some as a "clumsy bruiser" by others.
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The Phantom II measures 63 feet, has a cruising speed of 580 mph and a top speed of 1711 mph, and is armed with a 1×20 mm M61A1 Vulcan cannon and several air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles. and bombs, including the Sidewinder and Sparrow types.
One of the best-equipped fighters in the early part of the war, Thunderchief was able to carry twice as much cargo as the fighters on the North Vietnamese side. They were a key part of Operation Rolling Thunder, attempting to intercept vital supplies along the Ho Chi Minh Trail but failed.
The Thunderchief was shot down as often, if not more, as the MiG-17s and MiG-21s posted impressive records against it, with the People's Air Force of Vietnam claiming 14 successful kills. Thunderstorms in December 1966 without damage.
Thunderchief measures 64 feet 4.75 inches, has a 1×Pratt & Whitney J75-P-19W afterburning turbojet engine that powers a top speed of 1,390 mph, and is armed with 1×20 mm M61A1 Vulcan 6-barrel Gatling can. , LAU-32/LAU-59 rockets, and several air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles and bombs, including Sidewinders.
Vietnam War Era American Fighter Jet Editorial Photo
Nicknamed "The Last of the Gunfighters" because it was the last USAF fighter jet armed primarily with guns, the Crusader was used by the US Navy and Marine Corps as well as the French Navy. These were among the first US aircraft to serve in combat.
April 1965 saw the first aerial combat between the US Navy and the Vietnam People's Air Force with the Crusaders front and center. Seventy-six of the approximately 166 Crusaders lost during the war were due to accidents, with surface-to-air missiles incurring more combat losses than dogfighting losses to MiGs.
The Crusader measures 55 feet 11.6 inches. long, can reach speeds of 1,227 mph, has a combat range of 453 miles, and can carry LAU-10 rocket pods, Sidewinder missiles and a variety of Mark 81 / 82/83/84 bombs in addition to its guns.
First used by the USAF and the South Vietnamese Air Force after the United States abandoned them, the F-5 was one of the more versatile aircraft in the early stages of the war. The USAF's 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing flies the F-5, operating out of Bien Hoa Air Base.
Cargo Plane Used In The Vietnam War, On Display On The Former Khe Sanh Combat Base, Vietnam Stock Photo
After these flights flew from April 1966 to April 1967, the remaining F-5s were returned to the South Vietnamese. When South Vietnam fell, more than 100 F-5s were captured, the Soviet Union received some, and one F-5 is on display in a Polish aviation museum.
The F-5 measures 48 ft. 2.25 in., can reach a speed of 1,080 mph and is armed with a 2×20 mm M39A2 revolver cannon with 280 rounds per cannon and can carry a variety of rocket pods, Sidewinder and Maverick missiles, and Mark 80 series bombs.
The MiGlu is one of the most popular Russian jet fighters of all time and one of the more than 13,000 jet fighters produced. Created by the Soviet Union, they were widely used during the war on the North Vietnamese side.
Widely used during the Korean War, the MiG-15s were used only for training purposes during the Vietnam War and there is no record of them being used in combat. However, since the North Vietnamese Air Force had to start from scratch, training was important.
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MiG-15 33 ft 1 in. long, could reach a maximum speed of 669 mph, had a cruising speed of 530 mph and was armed with 2×23 mm Nudelman-Richter NR-23 autocannon with 80 rounds per cannon and 1×37 mm Nudelman N - 37 autocannon with 40 rounds.
Earning the nickname "Fresco" from NATO pilots, this installment of the MiG line added more speed and firepower to the North Vietnamese Air Force from the start of the war courtesy of Soviet exports. They participated in maneuvers with USAF aircraft in the early 60s.
In a battle between MiG-17s and US aircraft, the Thunderchiefs attempted to attack the Thanh Hoa Bridge. The MiG-17s played an important role in protecting the bridgehead and maintaining control over North Vietnamese territory, with battles between it and US aircraft throughout the war.
The MiG-17 measures 36 feet 11 inches. long, capable of a maximum speed of 680 mph, a range of 1,260 miles, and armed with 2×23 mm Nudelman-Rikhter NR-23 autocannon with 80 rounds per cannon, 1×37 mm Nudelman N-37 autocannon, 2× UB-16-57 rocket Pods and bombs.
Best Fighter Jets Of The Vietnam War
The first mass production supersonic aircraft, the MiG-19 was another aircraft that the North Vietnamese government decided to purchase from the Soviet Union in an effort to strengthen their air defenses. The MiG-19 was part of the third North Vietnamese fighter unit, the 925th Fighter Regiment.
However, the MiG-19 has a very short range, making it difficult for US pilots to keep up with them. This saw several actions on the US side against the F-4 Phantom II, with mixed success at best, setting the stage for their replacement by MiG-21s.
The MiG-19 can reach top speed while powered by 41 ft 2 in., 2×Tumansky RD-9B afterburning turbojet engines and is armed with a 3×30 mm Neudelmann-Richter NR-30 autocannon, 2× 32-round ORO. -57K rocket pods and 2xFAB-250.
The MiG-21 was a welcome replacement for the MiG-19, which, as noted, did not perform well against the Phantom IIs. It also gave the Indian/Bangladesh side valuable air advantage
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