Apple TV+ just announced that it will be producing a docuseries about the Vietnam War, entitled Vietnam: The War That Changed America. The series is looking to explore the Vietnam War and the indelible impact it left on the United States. One aspect of this project will focus on the use of American bombers throughout the conflict. (These are the 20 future combat aircraft of the world’s air forces.)
It goes without saying that these bomber aircraft played a pivotal role in the conflict, although at times it was highly controversial. The bombing raids in densely forested areas and North Vietnamese cities led to undue civilian casualties and widespread destruction. However, these raids were effective in damaging military infrastructure within the region. Here, 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at the American bombers that were used in the Vietnam War.
To identify the American bomber 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 ordered these bombers chronologically and included supplemental information from Military Factory regarding type of aircraft, year introduced, manufacturer, top speed, and armament.
One of the most iconic of these bombers was the B-52 Stratofortress. This behemoth of a jet could carry massive amounts of conventional bombs and cluster bombs, which were aimed at destroying North Vietnamese infrastructure. The B-52s were used in Operation Rolling Thunder, which was a bombardment campaign that lasted multiple years.
There were many other iconic bombers that had a hand in the war as well. And although their legacy may be controversial, there is still much to learn from this conflict at large. (The helicopter war: a look at the iconic helicopters that defined the Vietnam War.)
Here is a look at the American bombers that fought the Vietnam War:
Why Are We Covering This?
Source: Patrick Christain / Hulton Archive via Getty Images
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.
PBY Catalina
- Type: Maritime patrol floatplane
- Manufacturer: Consolidated / Boeing
- Year introduced: 1936
- Top speed: 179 mph
- Armament: 7.62mm machine guns, 12.7mm machine guns, torpedos, anti-ship mines, depth charges, maximum bombload of 4,000 lbs
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
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
IL-28 Beagle
Source: Bjoern Schwarz / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Tactical strike medium bomber aircraft
- Manufacturer: Ilyushin
- Year introduced: 1949
- Top speed: 560 mph
- Armament: 23mm cannons, torpedoes, ordnance load of up to 6,615 lbs
T-28 Trojan
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Medium bomber / reconnaissance aircraft
- Manufacturer: North American Aviation
- Year introduced: 1949
- Top speed: 343 mph
- Armament: 7.62mm machine guns, 12.7mm machine guns, 20mm cannon pods, rocket pods, 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
English Electric Canberra
Source: Daniel Z97 / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Medium bomber / reconnaissance aircraft
- Manufacturer: English Electric
- Year introduced: 1951
- Top speed: 580 mph
- Armament: 20mm cannons, 7.62mm machine gun pods, 51mm rocket pods, AS-30L air-to-surface missiles, drop bombs
P5M Marlin
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Maritime aircraft
- Manufacturer: Glenn L. Martin Company
- Year introduced: 1952
- Top speed: 252 mph
- Armament: Torpedoes, drop bombs, depth charges, naval mines
B-57 Canberra
Source: public domain / Flickr
- Type: Tactical bomber / reconnaissance aircraft
- Manufacturer: Glenn 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
B-52 Stratofortress
Source: Endrudphotography / iStock 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
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
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
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
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
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
F-111 Aardvark
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- 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
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