Sparks over Vietnam
Subtitle: the EB-66 and the early struggle of tactical electronic warfare
By: Gilles Van Nederveen
Series: ARI paper -- 2000-03; Research paper (Air University (U.S.). Airpower Research Institute) -- 2000-03
Publisher: College of Aerospace Doctrine, Research and Education, Air University
Published: 2000
Place of publication: Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
Language: eng
Number of pages: 100
Subjects: Electronic countermeasures
Description: This study underscores the important use of electronic intelligence and jamming as an electronic countermeasure. Three decades ago, the USAF faced a North Vietnamese electronic air defense threat about which little was known. Through some extraordinary efforts, the USAF ably countered that threat employing an obsolete aircraft, the EB-66, only refitted and upgraded for mid 1960s missions. Since the aircraft was at the end of its projected lifecycle, and a new jammer was on the drawing board, the air staff would not fund additional EB-66 modifications and maintenance requirements. Parallels are easy to draw with today's jammers, as essentially the same situation exists with the EA-6B. The number of EB-66 aircraft during the Vietnam War was inadequate to meet both operational and training requirements. Thus, crews were trained on the job, often during combat operations, and the "boneyard" at Davis-Monthan was often the site of scavenger hunts for repair parts needed to keep the aircraft aloft. The advent of the Pueblo crisis created an additional demand for the EB-66 forcing a partial redeployment of the fleet from Thailand to Korea. Training assets were also flown from Shaw to Germany during the same period to monitor the escalating air defense threat in the Warsaw Pact nations. Missions and employment doctrine had to change to match electronic counters by adversaries from all directions.
Notes: Cover title.

Includes bibliographical references.
Table of contents: title: Introduction; title: An electronic warfare primer; title: Development of the B-66 bomber and its reconnaissance variants; title: The perspectives from Shaw AFB (1956-1974); title: The perspective from the Pacific and Europe (1956-1965); title: Rolling Thunder 1965-1968; title: The intermission of the Vietnam War 1969-1971 and linebacker operations in 1972; title: EB-66 Vietnam War era summary; title: Post-Vietnam tactical electronic warfare; title: Appendix A : EB/RB-66S displayed in museums; title: Appendix B : Aircraft number of EB-66C/B/E airframes; title: Appendix C : Vietnam war losses.