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

AIRMEN VERSUS GUERRILLAS
F-105s against SAM positions. These operations, known as Iron
Hand (SAM suppression), preceded the main force by about five
minutes, attacked and harassed the SAMs, and thus permitted
operations at 4,000–6,000 feet above the light flak into which
the SAMs had forced the American aircraft. 22
The Airmen also used a new version, antiradiation missiles
(ARM), in the battle against enemy radars. In April and May of
1966, American Airmen first used the Navy’s AGM-45A Shrike
missiles that homed in on the SAM’s radar signal (fig. 60). It
was a great concept; however, the Shrike had limited range
and maneuverability and could become confused. These liabilities
reduced the ARM’s effectiveness, as did Communist
countermeasures. North Vietnamese crews soon learned that
by limiting emissions and coordinating several radars, they
could still operate the SAMs and yet limit their vulnerability to
the Wild Weasels. Just as the North Vietnamese used decoys
to neutralize and ambush American air strikes, SAM operators
sometimes turned on their radar to provoke an ARM launch
and then turned it off before missile impact. The Shrike’s kill
rate declined from 28 percent of those launched by Air Force
Figure 60. Navy A-4 firing Shrike. An active counter to Communist
radar was the Navy’s Shrike antiradiation missile that homed in on
radar signals. It was also used by the US Air Force. (Reprinted from
USAF.)
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