spartans_in_darkness

TOfl SEeREffle6MINTHX1
(U) The MiG-17was a slow, poorly
armed aircraft, especially when
compared to its American counterparts.
It lacked an ability to carry airto-air
missiles and relied solely on its
cannon. This meant that it had to
close in on its targets to be effective.
I
Its one advantage, an ability to turn
inside the less maneuverable U.S. aircraft
was often frittered away due a
lack of aggressiveness by the
Vietnamese pilots. The MiG-17 was
generally ineffective in general air
combat and was used mostly for lowlevel
point defense and intercept.
III
It~
-I d:
(U) On the other hand, the Sovietdesigned
MiG-2I, even its strippeddown
export version, was comparable
to the American front-line fighters of the time, the
F-4 and the navy's F-8 (Crusader). It was superior
in maneuverability and acceleration, especially
at high altitudes, to American jets. Flown by an
experienced pilot, the Fishbed could hold its own,
Armed with both guns and infrared air-to-air
missiles, the MiG-2I proved a difficult and dangerous
adversary.
(V) MiG-21 (Flshbed)
(U) Hanoi's main organizational advantage
was that its air defense system was integrated,
and that it could call on any combination of
resources to meet the threat, whether it be AM,
SAMs, or fighters. Backing up this was Hanoi's
main operational advantage, its GCl system. With
radar coverage extending to almost 100 miles
outside its borders, North Vietnamese controllers
had the ability to detect Air Force and Navy
strikes early and could track and control their
own MiGs. They could position their pilots into
tactical advantage, while warning them of
approaching American interceptors.
(U) This was something the American pilots
lacked. Land-based radar coverage into North
Vietnam was limited. Such systems could see only
a short distance; similar efforts by the Navy with
(V) North Vietnamese early warninq radar coveraqe.
The solid line indlcates the limit ofdetection fot'ln
F-105-size '1itct'lft Aying 'It 15,000 feet. The broken
line Indicates the limit ofdetection ofthe same type
of'litct'lft'lt 5,000 feet.
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T6P SEeRETHeOMINff/)(l