U.S. aircraft in Vietnam appear to have been extremely vulnerable to AAA

[NickM]

Originally Posted by Felix C

I have been reading this book: Vietnam Air Losses: USAF, Navy, and Marine Corps Fixed-Wing Aircraft Losses in SE Asia 1961-1973 and the amount of U.S aircraft lost to small arms, .50/51" and 23/37mm is surprising to me.

Seems northern Laos had heavy concentrations of these weapons which mightily bothered U.S. aircraft. But I note the F-100 suffered heavy casualties in South Vietnam primarily to small arms and .50/51" machine gun fire. I guess single pintle mount for the latter.

Were jets from this era unusually vulnerable to small arms and light AA? Where the VC/NV that capable or was it poor tactics? I am guessing the South Vietnam and Laos losses were to optical sights and NV losses to radar directed.

I thought U.S. WW2 single/twin engine a/c could absorb more damage.


Here is the book I am reading:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/185...ls_o03_s00_i00

I have to add that light AA guns (12.7mm/14.5mm/23mm/37mm) have always been effective on low flying aircraft-even fast movers...in RE: to Laos airstrikes had to often come in low to search for targets on 'The Trail'--and it was sometimes pretty easy to set up 'flak traps'.