The Vietnam Air War's Great Kill-Ratio Debate | Historynet By Douglas Martin. Hundreds of U.S. fixed-wing aircraft were lost to ground fire of antiaircraft artillery (AAA), surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), and fighter interceptors (MiG)s. The great majority of U.S. combat losses in all areas of Southeast Asia were to AAA. A U.S. Navy Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star. For American fighter-bomber pilots flying above North Vietnam in the late 1960s, ground fire and Surface-to-Air-Missiles (SAMs) were far more feared than the occasional MiG. Gen. Robin Olds, a World War II fighter ace who became an aviation legend by commanding the Air Force wing that shot down seven MIGs over North Vietnam in . Navy Cmdr. However, most damage was done by anti-aircraft guns on ground level. Thorsness intercepted more Since 1970 more than 170 Indian pilots and 40 civilians have been killed in MiG-21 accidents. same advantages over North Korea between 1950 and 1953, and over North Vietnam in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but the aerial kill ratios were different then. . The F-100 has never been credited with an aerial victory. The MiG-21 N. 4324 of the Vietnam People's Air Force. US Navy squadron was VF-96 with 10 kills. According to the North Vietnamese, 31% were shot down by S-75 missiles (1,046 aircraft, or 6 missiles per one kill); 60% were shot down by anti-aircraft guns; and 9% were shot down by MiG fighters. MiG-23MS of the 4477th Test and Evaluation Squadron . Many American airmen were shot down, killed, or captured and . 26 February 1999 - An Eritrean Mig-29 was shot down near Badme by an Ethiopian Su-27 piloted by Aster Tolossa. The older F-105 had been designed primarily for high-speed, low-altitude nuclear delivery missions. June 20, 2007. In Vietnam it was the bridge at Thanh Hoa, called Dragon's Jaw.For seven long years hundreds of young US airmen flew sortie after sortie against North Vietnam's formidable and strategically important bridge, dodging a heavy concentration of anti-aircraft fire and enemy MiG planes. The air war over North Vietnam was intense, and even bombers were involved in the dogfights. Richter also shot down a North Vietnamese MiG-17 on September 21, 1966 using the . Vietnam the record was worse. An EC-121 was shot down by North Korean MiG-21s on April 15, 1969, killing all 31 crew members. "A handful of of the MiG-15 of Korean War fame, the MiG-17 also took advantage of the light weight and maneuverability . Eleven more EB-66s were lost to accidents. This fighter aircraft, flown by various pilots, was credited for 14 kills during the Vietnam War. U-21 losses need added U-8 losses need added u-6 losses need added all are army fixed wing aircraft There were aircraft losses during the Vietnam War. It appears that the North Vietnamese actually shot down two of their own MiGs with their own ground fire - possibly the same two MiGs that bagged the F-105s. The next day would see two confirmed shoot downs of F105s by MiG-17s. The F-105s were untouched. Milligan was held in captivity after being shot down over North Vietnam. The plane North Korea shot down was an EC-121 - hulking and armed only with high-tech surveillance gear that monitored sensitive communications in the region, including in Vietnam. In every case, the MiGs' victories were initiated from astern of an unaware target. An American U-2 spy plane is shot down while conducting espionage over the Soviet Union. It crashed near the village of Sasnashen, 34 miles northwest of Yerevan, the Armenian capital. This fighter aircraft, flown by various pilots, was credited for 14 kills during the Vietnam War. At least 16 B-29s were shot down over North Korea, and as many as 48 were lost in crash landings or written off because of heavy damage after returning to base. Samuel Turner and Airman 1st Class Albert Moore, each shot down a MiG-21 on separate missions. In some 21,000 sorties they dropped 167,000 tons of bombs and claimed 16 MiGs and 17 other fighters shot down. pursued another MiG and shot it down with guns. Tactics were revised slightly on Day 2 of the attack, but routes remained the same. How many MiG 21s were shot down in Vietnam? The Royal Australian Air Force also flew combat and airlift missions in South Vietnam, as did the . against MiG-17s and shot down four MiG-21s during the Vietnam War, while MiG-17s shot down only three Crusaders, a ratio which has fueled interest in its capabilities as an air-to-air fighter ever since. A U.S. military aircraft shot down in . During a Linebacker II mission on Dec. 18, 1972, Turner became the first B-52 tail gunner credited with shooting down an enemy aircraft. During a Linebacker II mission on Dec. 18, 1972, Turner became the first B-52 tail gunner credited with shooting down an enemy aircraft. Samuel Turner, tail gunner on Brown 03, also shot down a MiG-21, the first in B-52 combat history. against MiG-17s and shot down four MiG-21s during the Vietnam War, while MiG-17s shot down only three Crusaders, a ratio which has fueled interest in its capabilities as an air-to-air fighter ever since. The most dreaded of these came in the form of the SA-2 "Guideline" SAM, a telephone-pole length missile which inflicted many l Provocative, fierce and gutsy, the ship's crew kept alive the fighting spirit of their. The Talos was the big, long-range missile. MiG fighters shot down one EB-66 and SAMs shot down five. The U.S. did nothing after North Korea shot down a Navy spy plane in 1969. . At least 14 MiG-21s have crashed between 2010 and 2013. The United States command said the MIGs were the 155th and 156th reported shot down by American crews since June 17, 1965. (2) On 26 February 1999, Two Ethiopian Mig-21 were shot down by Eritrean MIG-29s. This was a dismal turn of events, with the U.S. Air Force's overall kill ratio dropping from 4.1-1 to 2.3-1. During the 12-minute engagement, seven North Vietnamese MiG-21s -- about half of their operational force -- were shot down with no USAF losses. Five of the aircraft lost were from Andersen AFB and of those five, four were G models. Ng Han Guan/AP photo. retaliate amid the Vietnam War. Bob Owen, . How many MiG 21s were shot down in Vietnam? Col. Robin Olds paints a victory star on an F-4 he flew while downing a MiG-21. The UH-1E, F, L, N and P were typically non-Army. North Korean MIG's were closing in fast on the EC-121." . Philip Smith's F . 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