Weaponry used in the war in Vietnam included supersonic jets; the Russian-built MiG-17 and MiG-21 opposed the F-105 and F-4. American pilots faced the substantial new menace of surface-to-air (SAM) missiles used for air defense. Electronic technology, however, provided them with laser-guided and optically guided bombs, missile-detection and radar-jamming countermeasures, and air-to-air and air-to-ground rockets. The development of aerial refueling aided in extending the range of combat aircraft. On the other hand, the efforts of carrier-based aircraft were largely wasteful compared with their successes in World War II. It was in Vietnam that helicopters, initially used for observation, transport, and medical evacuation, became a significant combat weapon, and the World War II C-47 cargo plane was converted into a gunship.
Related articles
- Air Warfare: Post-World War II (The Second Gulf War) (egrejeen.wordpress.com)
- Air Warfare (egrejeen.wordpress.com)
