From 1964 to 1973, the Air Force Paid a Terrible Price in Lives and Aircraft
From 1964 to 1973, the Air Force paid a terrible price in lives and aircraft. Scherbakov/RIA Novosti photo The CruCible of VieTnam or the past four decades, the The airspace over Vietnam was a Above: The wreckage of a US Navy A-6 Air Force has lost relatively lethal environment for airmen. At times, Intruder draws a crowd of North Viet- namese in 1968. USAF’s aircraft losses few aircraft in combat. This the USAF advantage in air-to-air com- were devastating, and the Navy and level of combat success was bat slipped perilously close to parity. Marine Corps also lost many aircraft. not always the norm. Airmen paid the price in aircraft down, Right: An F-105 “Thud” crash-lands at FAs recently as the Vietnam War, USAF lives lost, and survivors taken prisoner. Udorn RTAB, Thailand, in 1967. Forty and the United States struggled to control Overall, USAF lost 2,254 fixed percent of the F-105 inventory was lost during the war. the air, failed to achieve safety from wing aircraft from February 1962 to enemy air defenses, and struggled to October 1973 in the Southeast Asia overcome an adversary air force. Many theater of operations. Some 1,737 for a week to pass without an aircraft of the problems were self-inflicted, but fixed wing aircraft were combat losses, lost in combat operations. the fact remains that the years 1964 to and another 517 aircraft went down in Some of the cumulative totals were 1973 were tremendously difficult for related noncombat operations. Losses shocking: The Air Force lost 40 per- the Air Force and American airpower.
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