Earlier this month, the U.S. Army announced that it would be renaming its Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense system (M-SHORAD). The system will be renamed to SGT STOUT after the Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. Mitchell Stout who served as an artilleryman. Sgt. Stout is the only air defense artillery soldier to earn the Medal of Honor.
During the Vietnam War, aerial defense systems were paramount to protecting troops on the ground. A large part of this defense was handled through artillery, and another significant part was through maintaining air superiority with combat aircraft. Here, 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at the combat aircraft used by the United States throughout the conflict. (The helicopter war: a look at the iconic helicopters that defined the Vietnam War.)
To identify the American combat aircraft of the Vietnam War, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed a catalog of American aircraft from Military Factory, an online database of arms, vehicles, and aircraft used in militaries worldwide. We excluded all helicopters and any aircraft that were not used in direct combat roles. We ordered these aircraft chronologically and included supplemental information from Military Factory regarding type of aircraft, year introduced, manufacturer, top speed, and armament.
The F-4 Phantom II stood out as one of the more dominant fighter jets of the conflict. It played a number of roles including reconnaissance, ground attack, and air superiority missions. The Phantom II could carry a sizable payload of bombs and missiles, and it proved a formidable asset in bombing campaigns and air-to-air combat.
The Phantom II, along with a number of other aircraft, reshaped the Vietnam War and the tactics employed throughout the conflict. These aircraft emphasized air superiority and would go on to influence American fighter aircraft for decades to come. (These are the 20 future combat aircraft of the world’s air forces.)
Here is a look at the American aircraft that fought the Vietnam War:
Why Are We Covering This?
Source: Robert Sullivan / Public Domain / Flickr
The Vietnam War was one of the first modern military conflicts that employed helicopters and fighter jets. As such the tactics and strategies used throughout the conflict would be studied and refined for years to come. Understanding this facet of the conflict gives context to the overall conflict and provides insight into the evolution of military doctrine.
F6F Hellcat
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Carrierborne fighter-bomber aircraft
- Manufacturer: Grumman
- Year introduced: 1943
- Top speed: 380 mph
- Armament: 12.7mm Browning M2 machine guns, 20mm automatic cannons, Tiny Tim rockets, HVAR rockets, conventional drop bombs, torpedoes
A-26 / B-26 Invader
Source: Ragnhild & Neil Crawford / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Heavy attack aircraft
- Manufacturer: Douglas Aircraft
- Year introduced: 1944
- Top speed: 355 mph
- Armament: 12.7mm machine guns, guided bombs, rocket pods
F8F Bearcat
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Carrierborne interceptor aircraft
- Manufacturer: Grumman
- Year introduced: 1945
- Top speed: 421 mph
- Armament: 12.7mm machine guns, 20mm cannons, rockets, conventional drop bombs
A-1 Skyraider (AD-1)
Source: public domain / Flickr
- Type: Bomber / ground attack aircraft
- Manufacturer: Douglas Aircraft
- Year introduced: 1946
- Top speed: 321 mph
- Armament: 20mm autocannons, rocket pods, torpedoes, conventional drop bombs
B-36 Peacemaker
Source: Team Asino Grasso / Wikimedia
- Type: Long-range strategic heavy bomber aircraft
- Manufacturer: CONVAIR
- Year introduced: 1949
- Top speed: 439 mph
- Armament: 20mm automatic cannons in various mounts, conventional drop bombs
B-47 Stratojet
- Type: Heavy bomber aircraft
- Manufacturer: Boeing
- Year introduced: 1951
- Top speed: 600 mph
- Armament: 20mm cannons, conventional drop bombs
F3D F-10 Skyknight
- Type: Carrierborne night-fighter aircraft
- Manufacturer: Douglas Aircraft
- Year introduced: 1951
- Top speed: 529 mph
- Armament: 20mm Hispano-Suiza M2 cannons, air-to-air rockets, conventional drop bombs, Sparrow missiles
F9F Cougar
- Type: Carrierborne fighter aircraft
- Manufacturer: Grumman
- Year introduced: 1952
- Top speed: 647 mph
- Armament: 20mm M2 cannons, 127mm high explosive rockets, Sidewinder missiles, conventional drop bombs
B-57 Canberra
Source: public domain / Flickr
- Type: Tactical bomber / reconnaissance aircraft
- Manufacturer: Glen L. Martin Company
- Year introduced: 1954
- Top speed: 597 mph
- Armament: 12.7mm Browning M2 machine guns, 20mm M39 cannons, conventional drop bombs, unguided rockets
F-100 Super Sabre
Source: Wirestock / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Type: Fighter-bomber air superiority aircraft
- Manufacturer: North American Aviation
- Year introduced: 1954
- Top speed: 864 mph
- Armament: 20mm M39 autocannons, Sidewinder missiles, Bullpup missiles, Shrike missiles, HVAR rockets, conventional drop bombs, nuclear missiles
B-52 Stratofortress
Source: U.S. Air Force / Archive Photos via Getty Images
- Type: High-altitude, long-range strategic heavy bomber
- Manufacturer: Boeing
- Year introduced: 1955
- Top speed: 595 mph
- Armament: ALCM cruise missiles, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, AGM-142A air-to-surface missiles, free-fall nuclear bombs
A-3 Skywarrior
- Type: Strategic bomber aircraft
- Manufacturer: Douglas Aircraft
- Year introduced: 1956
- Top speed: 610 mph
- Armament: 20mm M3L cannons, conventional drop bombs
A-4 Skyhawk
Source: VanderWolf-Images / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Type: Multirole carrierborne fighter aircraft
- Manufacturer: Douglas Aircraft
- Year introduced: 1956
- Top speed: 645 mph
- Armament: 20mm Mk 12 automatic internal cannons, Sidewinder missiles, Bullpup missiles, Maverick missiles, Shrike anti-radiation missiles, Walleye glide drop bombs, LAU-10 rocket pods, conventional drop bombs
B-66 / RB-66 Destroyer
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia
- Type: Tactical light bomber / reconnaissance aircraft
- Manufacturer: Douglas Aircraft
- Year introduced: 1956
- Top speed: 634 mph
- Armament: 20mm cannons, conventional drop bombs
F-102 Delta Dagger
Source: public domain / Flickr
- Type: Supersonic interceptor aircraft
- Manufacturer: CONVAIR
- Year introduced: 1956
- Top speed: 825 mph
- Armament: AIM-4A radar-homing air-to-air missiles, AIM-4C infrared homing air-to-air missiles, folding-fin aerial rockets, AIM-26A Falcon nuclear missile
F-101 Voodoo
Source: Evening Standard / Hulton Archive via Getty Images
- Type: Interceptor / reconnaissance aircraft
- Manufacturer: McDonnell Aircraft
- Year introduced: 1957
- Top speed: 1,134 mph
- Armament: 20mm M39 automatic cannons, Genie nuclear-tipped missiles, Falcon missiles
F-8 Crusader
- Type: Carrierborne naval fighter aircraft
- Manufacturer: Vought
- Year introduced: 1957
- Top speed: 1,118 mph
- Armament: 20mm automatic cannons, Sidewinder missiles, Bullpup missiles
T-37 Tweet
Source: public domain / Flickr
- Type: Light attack aircraft
- Manufacturer: Cessna
- Year introduced: 1957
- Top speed: 425 mph
- Armament: Conventional drop bombs
F-104 Starfighter
Source: lurkerm / Flickr
- Type: High-speed fighter/ interceptor aircraft
- Manufacturer: Lockheed Aircraft
- Year introduced: 1958
- Top speed: 1,320 mph
- Armament: 20mm M61 Vulcan automatic cannon, Sidewinder missiles, Sparrow missiles, Selenia Aspide missiles, rocket pods, conventional drop bombs
F-105 Thunderchief
Source: public domain / Flickr
- Type: Fighter-bomber aircraft
- Manufacturer: Republic Aviation
- Year introduced: 1958
- Top speed: 1,390 mph
- Armament: M61 20mm cannon, Sidewinder missiles, rocket pods, conventional drop bombs
F-106 Delta Dart
- Type: Supersonic interceptor aircraft
- Manufacturer: CONVAIR
- Year introduced: 1959
- Top speed: 1,487 mph
- Armament: AIM-4F/4G Falcon, AIR-2A Genie nuclear rocket, AIM-26 Super Falcon missiles, 20mm M61 Vulcan gatling cannon
B-58 Hustler
Source: Harry Benson / Hulton Archive via Getty Images
- Type: Supersonic medium bomber
- Manufacturer: CONVAIR
- Year introduced: 1960
- Top speed: 1,321 mph
- Armament: 20mm T171 gatling-style automatic cannon, conventional drop bombs
F-4 Phantom II
Source: VanderWolf-Images / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Type: Carrierborn strike fighter aircraft
- Manufacturer: McDonnell Douglas
- Year introduced: 1960
- Top speed: 1,473 mph
- Armament: 20mm M61 Vulcan internal cannon, Sparrow, Sidewinder, Skyflash, Python 3, Maverick, Shrike, HARM missiles, gun pods, rocket pods, conventional drop bombs
A-5 Vigilante
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia
- Type: Nuclear attack bomber / reconnaissance aircraft
- Manufacturer: North American Aviation
- Year introduced: 1961
- Top speed: 1,319 mph
- Armament: Mark 27 B28 or B43 nuclear bombs, conventional drop bombs
F-5 Freedom Fighter (Tiger / Tiger II)
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Type: Lightweight multirole aircraft
- Manufacturer: Northrop Aircraft Corporation
- Year introduced: 1962
- Top speed: 1,077 mph
- Armament: 20mm M39A2 automatic cannons, Sidewinder missiles, Maverick missiles, rocket pods, conventional drop bombs, napalm bombs
P-3 Orion
Source: Sundry Photography / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Type: Anti-submarine warfare aircraft
- Manufacturer: Lockheed Aircraft
- Year introduced: 1962
- Top speed: 466 mph
- Armament: Torpedoes, depth charges, Harpoon / SLAM-ER anti-ship missiles, Maverick missiles, naval mines
A-6 Intruder
- Type: Carrierborne heavy strike aircraft
- Manufacturer: Grumman
- Year introduced: 1963
- Top speed: 644 mph
- Armament: Mk-84 cluster bombs, Maverick missiles, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, HARM anti-radiation missiles, Sparrow missiles, Paveway II/III laser-guided bombs
EA-6 Prowler
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Carrierborn electronic warfare aircraft
- Manufacturer: Grumman
- Year introduced: 1963
- Top speed: 652 mph
- Armament: HARM anti-radiation missiles, ALQ-99 tactical jamming system mission pods
AC-47 Spooky
- Type: Fixed-wing gunship aircraft
- Manufacturer: Douglas Aircraft
- Year introduced: 1965
- Top speed: 233 mph
- Armament: 7.62mm GAU-2 / M134 minigun, .30 caliber Browning medium machine guns, illumination flares
B-26K Counter Invader (A-26B)
Source: sdasmarchives / Flickr
- Type: Ground attack aircraft
- Manufacturer: Douglas Aircraft
- Year introduced: 1966
- Top speed: 322 mph
- Armament: 12.7mm machine guns, gun pods, cannon pods, drop bombs, rocket pods
V-10 Bronco
Source: dominart / Flickr
- Type: Light attack / close-air support aircraft
- Manufacturer: North American Rockwell
- Year introduced: 1966
- Top speed: 281 mph
- Armament: 7.62mm machine guns, Sidewinder missiles, folding-fin aerial rockets, rocket pods, minigun pods, conventional drop bombs
A-37 Dragonfly
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia commons
- Type: Light attack / observation and control aircraft
- Manufacturer: Cessna
- Year introduced: 1967
- Top speed: 506 mph
- Armament: 7.62mm GAU-2B/A minigun, conventional drop bombs, rocket pods, napalm drop bombs, sidewinder missiles
A-7 Corsair II
- Type: Carrierborne strike aircraft
- Manufacturer: Vought
- Year introduced: 1967
- Top speed: 659 mph
- Armament: 20mm automatic cannons, Sidewinder missiles, Maverick missiles, rocket pods, laser-guided bombs, conventional drop bombs
F-111 Aardvark
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Long-range strategic medium bomber aircraft / tactical strike aircraft
- Manufacturer: General Dynamics
- Year introduced: 1967
- Top speed: 1,650 mph
- Armament: 20mm M61 Vulcan internal cannon, laser-guided bombs, HARM anti-radiation missiles, Sidewinder missiles, conventional drop bombs
AC-119 (Shadow / Stinger)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia
- Type: Close-air support aircraft
- Manufacturer: Fairchild Corporation
- Year introduced: 1968
- Top speed: 208 mph
- Armament: 7.62mm GAU-2/A six-barreled gatling style miniguns, 20mm Vulcan six-barreled gatling-style automatic cannons, Mk 24 flares
AC-130H Spectre / AC-130U Spooky
Source: Public Domain via usairforce / Flickr
- Type: Close-air support / force protection gunship
- Manufacturer: Lockheed Aircraft
- Year introduced: 1972
- Top speed: 300 mph
- Armament: 20mm gatling-style automatic cannons, 40mm automatic cannon, 105mm field gun, 25mm gatling-style automatic cannon
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