The Vietnam War was the first war that was truly televised to the shock and awe of the world. The world saw firsthand the destructive capabilities of American aircraft over the course of this conflict. While helicopters emerged in a number of roles, from dedicated attack to transport, in the skies above the jungles of Vietnam, the newest generation of fixed-wing American combat aircraft made their mark. (These are the most widely flown military aircraft on Earth.)
In the wake of World War II, the United States and Russia continued to develop military technologies. A reimagining of jet propulsion coupled with fighter aircraft was in the works and was initially tested out during the Korean War. However, in the Vietnam War years later, these new aircraft were put on full display in a number of reconceptualized combat roles.
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 alphabetically and included supplemental information from Military Factory regarding type of aircraft, year introduced, manufacturer, units produced, top speed, and armament.
The AC-130 Spectre and Spooky models were introduced just in time for the Vietnam War, where they saw extensive action as gunships. Typically, the C-130 Hercules aircraft was used for transport or tanker roles, but this gunship variation mounted a series of high-caliber automatic cannons capable of laying down heavy fire to support ground troops or take out enemy assets.
Gunships were a fairly popular type of aircraft throughout the Vietnam War. Some, like Spooky, were fixed-wing aircraft that strafed East-Asian battlefields while others were helicopters capable of ferrying troops in and out of the jungle-terrain while laying down suppressive fire. Outside of these fixed-wing combat aircraft, helicopters played an instrumental role throughout the Vietnam War. (These are the 25 helicopters of the Vietnam War.)
Here is a look at the American aircraft used to fight the Vietnam War:
A-1 Skyraider (AD-1)
Source: public domain / Flickr
- Type: Bomber / ground attack aircraft
- Year introduced: 1946
- Manufacturer: Douglas Aircraft
- Total units produced: 3,180
- Top speed: 321 mph
- Armament: 20mm autocannons, rocket pods, torpedoes, conventional drop bombs
A-26 / B-26 Invader
Source: sdasmarchives / Flickr
- Type: Heavy attack aircraft
- Year introduced: 1944
- Manufacturer: Douglas Aircraft
- Total units produced: 2,452
- Top speed: 355 mph
- Armament: 12.7mm machine guns, guided bombs, rocket pods
A-3 Skywarrior
Source: hisgett / Flickr
- Type: Strategic bomber aircraft
- Year introduced: 1956
- Manufacturer: Douglas Aircraft
- Total units produced: 282
- Top speed: 610 mph
- Armament: 20mm M3L cannons, conventional drop bombs
A-37 Dragonfly
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia commons
- Type: Light attack / observation and control aircraft
- Year introduced: 1967
- Manufacturer: Cessna
- Total units produced: 618
- Top speed: 506 mph
- Armament: 7.62mm GAU-2B/A minigun, conventional drop bombs, rocket pods, napalm drop bombs, sidewinder missiles
A-4 Skyhawk
Source: VanderWolf-Images / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Type: Multirole carrierborne fighter aircraft
- Year introduced: 1956
- Manufacturer: Douglas Aircraft
- Total units produced: 2,960
- 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
A-6 Intruder
Source: prayitnophotography / Flickr
- Type: Carrierborne heavy strike aircraft
- Year introduced: 1963
- Manufacturer: Grumman
- Total units produced: 693
- 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
A-7 Corsair II
Source: euthman / Flickr
- Type: Carrierborne strike aircraft
- Year introduced: 1967
- Manufacturer: Vought
- Total units produced: 1,569
- Top speed: 659 mph
- Armament: 20mm automatic cannons, Sidewinder missiles, Maverick missiles, rocket pods, laser-guided bombs, conventional drop bombs
AC-119 (Shadow / Stinger)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia
- Type: Close-air support aircraft
- Year introduced: 1968
- Manufacturer: Fairchild Corporation
- Total units produced: 52
- 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: usairforce / Flickr
- Type: Close-air support / force protection gunship
- Year introduced: 1972
- Manufacturer: Lockheed Aircraft
- Total units produced: 21
- Top speed: 300 mph
- Armament: 20mm gatling-style automatic cannons, 40mm automatic cannon, 105mm field gun, 25mm gatling-style automatic cannon
AC-47 Spooky
Source: ajw1970 / Flickr
- Type: Fixed-wing gunship aircraft
- Year introduced: 1965
- Manufacturer: Douglas Aircraft
- Total units produced: 53
- 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)
B-26B Invader on display.
- Type: Ground attack aircraft
- Year introduced: 1966
- Manufacturer: Douglas Aircraft
- Total units produced: 40
- Top speed: 322 mph
- Armament: 12.7mm machine guns, gun pods, cannon pods, drop bombs, rocket pods
B-36 Peacemaker
B-36J Peacemaker nose art displayed in city of Fort Worth.
- Type: Long-range strategic heavy bomber aircraft
- Year introduced: 1949
- Manufacturer: CONVAIR
- Total units produced: 384
- Top speed: 439 mph
- Armament: 20mm automatic cannons in various mounts, conventional drop bombs
B-47 Stratojet
Source: friedebach / Flickr
- Type: Heavy bomber aircraft
- Year introduced: 1951
- Manufacturer: Boeing
- Total units produced: 2,039
- Top speed: 600 mph
- Armament: 20mm cannons, conventional drop bombs
B-52 Stratofortress
Source: U.S. Air Force / Archive Photos via Getty Images
- Type: High-altitude, long-range strategic heavy bomber
- Year introduced: 1955
- Manufacturer: Boeing
- Total units produced: 744
- Top speed: 595 mph
- Armament: ALCM cruise missiles, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, AGM-142A air-to-surface missiles, free-fall nuclear bombs
B-57 Canberra
Source: public domain / Flickr
- Type: Tactical bomber / reconnaissance aircraft
- Year introduced: 1954
- Manufacturer: Glen L. Martin Company
- Total units produced: 403
- Top speed: 597 mph
- Armament: 12.7mm Browning M2 machine guns, 20mm M39 cannons, conventional drop bombs, unguided rockets
B-58 Hustler
Source: Harry Benson / Hulton Archive via Getty Images
- Type: Supersonic medium bomber
- Year introduced: 1960
- Manufacturer: CONVAIR
- Total units produced: 116
- Top speed: 1,321 mph
- Armament: 20mm T171 gatling-style automatic cannon, conventional drop bombs
B-66 / RB-66 Destroyer
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia
- Type: Tactical light bomber / reconnaissance aircraft
- Year introduced: 1956
- Manufacturer: Douglas Aircraft
- Total units produced: 294
- Top speed: 634 mph
- Armament: 20mm cannons, conventional drop bombs
EA-6 Prowler
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Carrierborn electronic warfare aircraft
- Year introduced: 1963
- Manufacturer: Grumman
- Total units produced: 197
- Top speed: 652 mph
- Armament: HARM anti-radiation missiles, ALQ-99 tactical jamming system mission pods
F-100 Super Sabre
Source: Wirestock / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Type: Fighter-bomber air superiority aircraft
- Year introduced: 1954
- Manufacturer: North American Aviation
- Total units produced: 2,294
- Top speed: 864 mph
- Armament: 20mm M39 autocannons, Sidewinder missiles, Bullpup missiles, Shrike missiles, HVAR rockets, conventional drop bombs, nuclear missiles
F-101 Voodoo
Source: Evening Standard / Hulton Archive via Getty Images
- Type: Interceptor / reconnaissance aircraft
- Year introduced: 1957
- Manufacturer: McDonnell Aircraft
- Total units produced: 885
- Top speed: 1,134 mph
- Armament: 20mm M39 automatic cannons, Genie nuclear-tipped missiles, Falcon missiles
F-102 Delta Dagger
Source: public domain / Flickr
- Type: Supersonic interceptor aircraft
- Year introduced: 1956
- Manufacturer: CONVAIR
- Total units produced: 1,000
- 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-104 Starfighter
Source: lurkerm / Flickr
- Type: High-speed fighter/ interceptor aircraft
- Year introduced: 1958
- Manufacturer: Lockheed Aircraft
- Total units produced: 2,578
- 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
- Year introduced: 1958
- Manufacturer: Republic Aviation
- Total units produced: 833
- Top speed: 1,390 mph
- Armament: M61 20mm cannon, Sidewinder missiles, rocket pods, conventional drop bombs
F-106 Delta Dart
Source: clemensv / Flickr
- Type: Supersonic interceptor aircraft
- Year introduced: 1959
- Manufacturer: CONVAIR
- Total units produced: 350
- 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
F-111 Aardvark
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Type: Long-range strategic medium bomber aircraft / tactical strike aircraft
- Year introduced: 1967
- Manufacturer: General Dynamics
- Total units produced: 554
- Top speed: 1,650 mph
- Armament: 20mm M61 Vulcan internal cannon, laser-guided bombs, HARM anti-radiation missiles, Sidewinder missiles, conventional drop bombs
F-4 Phantom II
Source: VanderWolf-Images / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Type: Carrierborn strike fighter aircraft
- Year introduced: 1960
- Manufacturer: McDonnell Douglas
- Total units produced: 5,195
- 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
F-5 Freedom Fighter (Tiger / Tiger II)
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Type: Lightweight multirole aircraft
- Year introduced: 1962
- Manufacturer: Northrop Aircraft Corporation
- Total units produced: 2,246
- Top speed: 1,077 mph
- Armament: 20mm M39A2 automatic cannons, Sidewinder missiles, Maverick missiles, rocket pods, conventional drop bombs, napalm bombs
F-8 Crusader
Source: hisgett / Flickr
- Type: Carrierborne naval fighter aircraft
- Year introduced: 1957
- Manufacturer: Vought
- Total units produced: 1,219
- Top speed: 1,118 mph
- Armament: 20mm automatic cannons, Sidewinder missiles, Bullpup missiles
F3D F-10 Skyknight
Source: arabani / Flickr
- Type: Carrierborne night-fighter aircraft
- Year introduced: 1951
- Manufacturer: Douglas Aircraft
- Total units produced: 268
- Top speed: 529 mph
- Armament: 20mm Hispano-Suiza M2 cannons, air-to-air rockets, conventional drop bombs, Sparrow missiles
F6F Hellcat
Source: rancho_runner / iStock via Getty Images
- Type: Carrierborne fighter-bomber aircraft
- Year introduced: 1943
- Manufacturer: Grumman
- Total units produced: 12,272
- Top speed: 380 mph
- Armament: 12.7mm Browning M2 machine guns, 20mm automatic cannons, Tiny Tim rockets, HVAR rockets, conventional drop bombs, torpedoes
F8F Bearcat
Source: KGrif / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Type: Carrierborne interceptor aircraft
- Year introduced: 1945
- Manufacturer: Grumman
- Total units produced: 1,266
- Top speed: 421 mph
- Armament: 12.7mm machine guns, 20mm cannons, rockets, conventional drop bombs
F9F Cougar
Source: friedebach / Flickr
- Type: Carrierborne fighter aircraft
- Year introduced: 1952
- Manufacturer: Grumman
- Total units produced: 1,392
- Top speed: 647 mph
- Armament: 20mm M2 cannons, 127mm high explosive rockets, Sidewinder missiles, conventional drop bombs
P-3 Orion
Source: Sundry Photography / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Type: Anti-submarine warfare aircraft
- Year introduced: 1962
- Manufacturer: Lockheed Aircraft
- Total units produced: 757
- Top speed: 466 mph
- Armament: Torpedoes, depth charges, Harpoon / SLAM-ER anti-ship missiles, Maverick missiles, naval mines
T-37 Tweet
Source: public domain / Flickr
- Type: Light attack aircraft
- Year introduced: 1957
- Manufacturer: Cessna
- Total units produced: 1,269
- Top speed: 425 mph
- Armament: Conventional drop bombs
V-10 Bronco
Source: dominart / Flickr
- Type: Light attack / close-air support aircraft
- Year introduced: 1966
- Manufacturer: North American Rockwell
- Total units produced: 356
- Top speed: 281 mph
- Armament: 7.62mm machine guns, Sidewinder missiles, folding-fin aerial rockets, rocket pods, minigun pods, conventional drop bombs
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