 Weaponry
used in the war in Vietnam included supersonic jets; the
Russian-built MiG-17 and MiG-21 opposed the F-105 and F-4.
American pilots faced the substantial new menace of
surface-to-air (SAM) missiles used for air defense.
Electronic technology, however, provided them with laser-guided
and optically guided bombs, missile-detection and radar-jamming
countermeasures, and air-to-air and air-to-ground rockets.
The development of aerial refueling aided in extending
the range of combat aircraft. On the other hand, the
efforts of carrier-based aircraft were largely wasteful
compared with their successes in World War II. It was in
Vietnam that World War II C-47 cargo plane was converted
into a gunship. |
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