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  • War over Radio Waves: Signals Intelligence

    The Radar War: Electronics IntelligenceThe enemy's air defense system depended heavily on radar signals. Enemy radars detected incoming U.S. aircraft, guided surface-to-air missiles and directed anti-aircraft fire.Air Force RB-66C, RB-47H and RC-135 crews identified enemy radar locations and

  • Planes without Pilots: SAC Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA)

    Remotely piloted aircraft (RPAs) saw their first widespread combat use during the Southeast Asia War. Strategic Air Command (SAC) remotely piloted AQM-34 Firebees obtained excellent photography of dangerous areas without risking aircrews. First deployed to South Vietnam in 1964, AQM-34s flew

  • Optical Reconnaissance Cameras

    Air Force reconnaissance aircraft in Southeast Asia carried optical and infrared cameras. Optical cameras needed visible light to record images on film -- they could also be used at night with photoflash cartridges. Some USAF aircraft took photographs of variations in heat using infrared cameras,

  • PATRICIA LYNN: Taking Away the Night

    PATRICIA LYNN was a highly-classified reconnaissance program using specially-modified RB-57Es. The sophisticated equipment in these aircraft revealed enemy positions and transportation even on the darkest of nights. They also carried optical cameras for day missions. Though there were only six

  • Capt. Jack Wilton Weatherby

    On July 29, 1965, Capt. Jack Weatherby volunteered to lead an extremely dangerous photo mission against a key surface-to-air missile (SAM) site deep in North Vietnam.Forty miles from the target, Weatherby and his wingman, Maj. Jerry Lents, descended to 200 feet and accelerated to more than 600 miles

  • Photo-reconnaissance: Alone, Unarmed and Unafraid

    The majority of Air Force reconnaissance flights in Southeast Asia involved unarmed RF-101C Voodoo and RF-4C Phantom II aircraft. Both were developed from fighter aircraft and had cameras installed in the forward fuselage.Voodoo and Phantom aircrews photographed communist positions in South Vietnam

  • Early USAF Reconnaissance in Southeast Asia

    The first USAF missions in the Southeast Asia War were reconnaissance flights. These top-secret flights confirmed communist activity in South Vietnam and Laos and led to greater U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia.A camera-equipped C-47 flew the first missions until it was shot down by anti-aircraft

  • Eyes and Ears in the Sky: USAF Reconnaissance in Southeast Asia

    Knowing an enemy's location, activities, intentions and resources has always been important for successful military operations. In the Southeast Asia War, the U.S. Air Force kept a close watch on the enemy and provided critical intelligence through aerial photography and intercepting enemy signals.

  • Rescue of Bat 21

    In one of the most difficult rescues of the war, Lt. Col. Iceal "Gene" Hambleton was recovered from enemy territory after 11 1/2 days on the ground. This was the largest rescue operation in USAF history. On April 2, 1972, 53-year-old navigator Lt. Col. Hambleton was the only crewmember to safely

  • Blinding the Enemy: EB-66 Electronic Warfare over North Vietnam

    Unarmed Douglas EB-66 electronic warfare aircraft detected and jammed enemy air defense radars. Though small in number, EB-66s and their crews remained in high demand as part of the total strike package in bombing missions against North Vietnam.The North Vietnamese used radar signals to detect