Archie to SAM: A Short Operational History of Ground-Based Air ...

AIRMEN VERSUS GUERRILLAS
The leaders also feared that such attacks might cause Soviet
casualties. Besides, one of McNamara’s chief assistants, John
McNaughton, believed that the SAMs only represented a bluff
and would not be used. 16
The potential SAM threat grew as the North Vietnamese incorporated
more missiles into their inventory (fig. 57). North
Vietnamese SAM battalions increased from one in 1965 to 25
the next year, to 30 in 1967, and to 35–40 in 1968. This growth
in units permitted the North Vietnamese to increase their missile
Figure 57. SA-2 position with missiles. The introduction of the SAM
changed the dynamic of the air war. Although responsible for only 9
percent of total aircraft losses, the SA-2 forced American aircraft lower
and into the sights of Communist gunners. (Reprinted from USAF.)
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