The Air Force in the Vietnam War - Air Force Association

Principal US Navy and Marine Corps Aircraft
A-4 Skyhawk. The single-engine A-4 light
attack bomber was the Navy’s primary
light attack aircraft at the beginning of the
war. It had been designed in the 1950s
to be light and agile. Unlike most carrier
aircraft, it did not have folding wings
because of its short (27 feet, 6 inches)
wingspan. It was also used by the Marine
Corps from land bases. The “Scooter” flew
more bombing missions in Vietnam than
any other Navy aircraft. In 1974, a variant
of the A-4 replaced the F-4 for the Navy’s
Blue Angels aerial demonstration team.
A-6 Intruder. The twin-engine A-6 was
an excellent all-weather bomber. It could
carry more than 15,000 pounds of ordnance.
It has been operational since 1963.
It was subsonic but had good range and
accuracy not available from other aircraft
in the theater. The A-6 was instantly
recognizable by the refueling probe, which
rose like a crank handle in front of the
cockpit. It was crewed by a pilot and a
navigator, seated side by side. It was still
in service for Gulf War I in 1991.
A-7 Corsair. The A-7 deployed to Vietnam
in 1967, supposedly to replace the A-4 in
the light attack role. Instead, both of the
aircraft continued in service for the rest of
the war. The A-7 was modeled on the F-8
Crusader (both were Vought aircraft) but
was shorter and had less sweep to the
wings. The A-7 was also flown by the Air
Force late in the war and stayed in service
with the Navy until replaced years later by
the F/A-18.
F-4 Phantom. The F-4 entered service
first with the Navy, then with the Air Force.
It was the best fighter of the Vietnam War.
All of the Navy and Air Force aces were
The MiGs
MiG- . An updated model of the Soviet
jet fighter that confronted—and was
bested by—the American F-86 Sabre
in the Korean War. The MiG-15 was
obsolete and of limited combat value,
but the North Vietnamese continued to
field it in considerable numbers. It was
used mostly for training.
MiG- 7. Advanced , faster, and more
stable version of the MiG-15. Three of
North Vietnam’s 16 fighter aces flew
MiG-17s. Especially effective at lower
altitudes, where its 23 mm and 37 mm
cannons could be used to advantage
in a turning fight. The MiG-17 defended
North Vietnam’s airfields and patrolled
the approach and departure routes
used by US aircraft.
A-4 Skyhawk
A-6A Intruder
MiG-21
F-4 pilots. The F-4 was also used for interdiction,
reconnaissance, close air support,
and forward air control missions. It remained
in production until 1979 and flew
with the air arms of numerous nations.
F-8 Crusader. The F-8 was the principal
fighter for the Navy and Marine Corps in
the early part of the war. It carried Sidewinder
missiles but relied mainly on its 20
mm cannon, being the last US fighter designed
with guns as the primary weapon.
It accounted for 18 MiGs shot down in
combat and also operated in other roles,
including photo reconnaissance.
F-8 Crusader
MiG- 9. Chinese variant of the supersonic
Soviet fighter of the late 1950s.
It did not appear in Vietnam until after
the 1968 bombing halt. It carried two
heat-seeking Atoll missiles (similar to
the US AIM-9 Sidewinder) but depended
mostly on its three 30 mm guns.
MiG-2 . North Vietnam’s best fighter
and a close match in capability with
the American F-4. The F-4 was slightly
faster, but the MiG-21 had better acceleration.
The MiG-21 was especially
effective at higher altitudes. It had a
23 mm cannon but relied mainly on its
four Atoll missiles. Thirteen of North
Vietnam’s 16 fighter aces flew MiG-
21s.