Lesson 18 Vietnam Part II

Vietnam: Part IIUses of Air Power : Vietnam: Part II Uses of Air Power


Uses of Air PowerBackground : Uses of Air Power Background War was primarily a land war -- most air power used in conjunction with ground operations North stayed above DMZ, so air superiority over the South was never a concern In-country operations centered around interdiction, close air support, airlift, recon, search and rescue, and air refueling


Uses of Air PowerBackground : Uses of Air Power Background After Tonkin, U.S. air units built up rapidly U.S. Air Force occupied 10 major air bases All were built and defended by the Air Force Huge logistical effort Also flew from 6 bases in Thailand Navy flew from carriers in Gulf of Tonkin B-52s flew from Guam and, at times, from the U.S.


Uses of Air Power1964 to 1968 : Uses of Air Power 1964 to 1968 Forestall suspected enemy offensives Defend and supply isolated outposts Interdict the Southern end of the Ho Chi Minh Trail a series of roads and paths through the dense jungle North Vietnam’s primary supply route into South Vietnam


Uses of Air PowerDuring Vietnamization (1969-73) : Uses of Air Power During Vietnamization (1969-73) Train the South Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF) Support the South Vietnamese Army Forestall suspected enemy attacks against withdrawing American units


Uses of Air PowerInterdiction : Uses of Air Power Interdiction A major mission during SEA war: prevent supplies from reaching communist forces in the south Aircraft used: F-4 Phantom, F-100 Super Sabre, F-105 Thunderchief (Thud), AC-130 Gunships Best known interdiction aircraft was the B-52-a nuclear bomber modified to carry conventional bombs Arc Light--Name for B-52 interdiction missions


Uses of Air PowerClose Air Support : Uses of Air Power Close Air Support Missions to support forces of the ground Aircraft used: A-4 Skyhawk, F-4, F-100, A-37 Dragonfly, A-1 Skyraider and AC-47 Gunships (Puff the Magic Dragon) Gunships, cargo aircraft armed with rapid-fire machine guns, were very effective Forward Air Controllers (FACs) were used to locate the enemy and mark targets for faster flying jets


Close Air Support ( Cont) : Close Air Support ( Cont) B-52 Arc Light aircraft were occasionally used for close air support B-52s were used extensively in close air support at Khe Sanh Flew 2,548 sorties and dropped bombs within 300 yards of of US Marine perimeter B-52 credited with saving Khe Sanh and repelling the Tet and Easter Offensives


Uses of Air PowerStrategic/Tactical Airlift : Uses of Air Power Strategic/Tactical Airlift Vital to successful U.S. operations because of poor security on roads and poor condition of Southern seaports Aircraft used: UH-1 Hueys, C-7 Caribous, C-123 Providers, and C-130 Hercules Missions often flown while under attack Supplies often air-dropped because of enemy fire and poor landing facilities


Uses of Air PowerReconnaissance : Uses of Air Power Reconnaissance Aircraft used: RF-4C, RB-57 Canberra, and RB-66 Destroyers Aircraft were equipped with variety of cameras and sensing devices Missions consisted of locating lucrative targets and assessing battle damage A valuable part of repelling Tet and protecting Khe Sanh


Uses of Air PowerSearch and Rescue : Uses of Air Power Search and Rescue An extremely important part of the air support mission throughout Southeast Asia Buttressed aircrew morale -- fliers knew every effort would be made to save them if shot down Aircraft used: HH-3 Jolly Green Giants and HH-53 Super Jolly Greens By ’73, USAF had rescued 3,883 Americans


Uses of Air PowerAir to Air Refueling : Uses of Air Power Air to Air Refueling Indispensable -- extended the range of combat aircraft and enabled many aircraft to return safely C-130s refueled helicopters, KC-135s refueled fixed wing aircraft SAC tankers flew 195,000 sorties, unloaded 9 billion pounds of fuel and took part in 814,000 individual refuelings


Campaigns:“Rolling Thunder” : Campaigns: “Rolling Thunder” Officially began 2 March 1965 Objectives Interdict the flow of supplies from the North Force the North to stop supporting the Vietcong and quit the war Raise South Vietnamese morale


Rolling Thunder : Rolling Thunder Strategic bombing and interdiction campaign Strategic because it was aimed at the North’s will to wage war Interdiction because the North had few large industries and got most of their material from China and the Soviet Union Employed mostly tactical aircraft -- F-105s, F-4s and F-111s -- B-52s used in ‘66 in the Southern part of North Vietnam


Rolling ThunderRestrictions : Rolling Thunder Restrictions Johnson administration controlled campaign tightly Restriction imposed by civilians included: Hanoi, Haiphong, China border -- off limits MIG bases and non-firing SAM sites--off limits Dams, dikes, hydroelectric plants--off limits White House selected targets, weapons and flying routes – with little military input


Rolling Thunder : Rolling Thunder Graduated increases in bombing intensity worked to advantage of North Vietnamese Gave them time to recover from damage Allowed them to establish the world’s most intense antiaircraft defense system Provided them the will to fight on and a sense they could survive By 1965, it became clear that Rolling Thunder didn’t work


Rolling Thunder : Rolling Thunder Impacts South’s morale improved as the North suffered under the bombing North used frequent halts and restrictions to repair damage and resupply forces in South Criticism grew at home and internationally Johnson ended Rolling Thunder prior to 1968 elections Campaign, America’s longest, was a failure


Linebacker I : Linebacker I Easter Offensive (Mar 72) made it apparent the North was not willing to negotiate Objectives of Linebacker Initially a close air support effort to aid retreating South Vietnamese forces Later, changed to an interdiction campaign against North Vietnam A systematic campaign with little civilian control -- unlike Rolling Thunder


Linebacker I : Linebacker I Civilian casualties were a consideration but didn’t determine how missions were flown Haiphong harbor was mined for the first time to restrict in-coming supplies Strikes were flown over Hanoi and Haiphong B-52 strikes on Haiphong began April ‘72 “Smart bombs” were used extensively


Linebacker I : Linebacker I Linebacker I was the most successful U.S. bombing campaign of the war Had more impact on the North Vietnam in 9 months than Rolling Thunder did in 4 years Successful largely because Easter Offensive was a conventional, mechanized attack Peace Talks resumed in July 1972 Nixon restricted Linebacker I attacks to below the 20th parallel


Linebacker II : Linebacker II Peace Talks stalled again in Dec 72 Nixon ordered Linebacker II to run concurrently with Linebacker I Purpose of Linebacker II was to force the North Vietnamese to negotiate and sign a peace treaty Ran from 18 Dec to 30 Dec 1972 -- referred to as the “Christmas Campaign”


Linebacker II : Linebacker II Very intense and logistically complex Specific targets in Hanoi and Haiphong B-52s used for the first time over Hanoi By the end of Linebacker II, North Vietnam was defenseless 1,200 SAMs were fired 80% of the North’s electrical systems and 25% of their POL facilities were destroyed


Linebacker II : Linebacker II North Vietnam returned to the bargaining table 30 Dec 72 All bombing ceased on 15 Jan 73 Peace treaty was signed on 27 Jan 73 Linebacker II was a success Some believe that if Rolling Thunder had been conducted like Linebacker II, the war would have ended in 65 -- unlikely


Summary : Summary Uses of Airpower Interdiction Close Air Support Airlift Air Refueling Reconnaissance Search and Rescue Rolling Thunder Linebacker I Linebacker II


Additional Vietnam Information, Part IILessons Learned : Additional Vietnam Information, Part II Lessons Learned


The War in Southeast AsiaCosts to the U.S. : The War in Southeast Asia Costs to the U.S. 58,135 Americans killed, 153,000 wounded, 2500 missing in action $141 billion spent 6.3 million tons of bombs dropped (12 times more than Korea, 2 times more than WW II) 2,257 aircraft lost ($3.1 billion value) 5.2 million combat sorties flown


The War in Southeast AsiaResults : U.S. reluctance to enter military conflicts that don’t directly threaten national interests Congressional restriction on President’s ability to commit U.S. military forces Lessened public opinion of the government and the military The all-volunteer military force Increased emphasis on military resources, training, and weapons The War in Southeast Asia Results


The War in Southeast AsiaLessons Learned : The War in Southeast Asia Lessons Learned U.S. can’t win a counterinsurgency war in another country--only the people of that country can Force and technology are of limited value in a “people’s war” Before committing force, national leaders leaders must base decisions on realistic assessments


More Lessons Learned : More Lessons Learned Know your enemy and know yourself “Graduated Response” is an ineffective way to employ air power -- reduces surprise, flexibility and concentration of force In a democracy, congressional and public support are critical, and difficult to get Modern war is open to public scrutiny Let those who understand war conduct it


Competencies : Competencies Air Superiority Precision Engagement Global Attack Rapid Global Mobility Agile Combat Support


Functions : Functions Counterland Close Air Support Interdiction Airlift Reconnaissance Search and Rescue Air Refueling Strategic Attack


Doctrine : Doctrine Strategic attack and nuclear deterrence prior to Vietnam Shift towards deterrence through strength and global attack