The Cambodian Campaign was a set of US military operations carried out against North Vietnamese forces and Viet Cong guerrillas in eastern Cambodia from April 29 to July 22, 1970, during the Vietnam War. Reinforced with South Vietnamese units, the US Army deployed more 109,000 men, who were backed by bombers and carrier-based attack aircraft, such as C-130 Specters, B-52, and A-6 Intruders.
Announced by President Richar Nixon on April 30, 1970, the main rationale of the Cambodian Campaign was to annihilate the National Liberation Front (Viet Cong) sanctuaries in eastern Cambodia from which they conducted raids against South Vietnamese Army and US Army bases in South Vietnam. This military action against the communist forces in the jungle of Cambodia would have a shield-like deterrent effect which would allow the US government to implement the planned policy of Vietnamization and the withdrawal of US forces from South Vietnam.
In 1970, the new government of Cambodia of General Lon Nol changed his country’s policy and authorized US military operations in the eastern strip of Cambodia. The result of the Cambodia Campaign was the capture of large amounts of communist supplies and material and the ignition of the Cambodian Civil War. The main operations of this campaign were: Toan Thang 42, Toan Thang 43 (Rockcrusher), Binh Tay I (Tame the West), Toan Tang 44 (Bold Lancer), Freedom Deal, etc.
The Battle of Saigon was a battle fought between attacking Viet Cong battalions and the combined defending forces of US troops and South Vietnamese Army’s elements. Being part of the Tet Offensive, it took place in the city of Saigon, from January 31 to March 7, 1968, during the Vietnam War. The Battle of Saigon was ignited by communist forces, which mounted a coordinated attack againgt the capital of South Vietnam on the first day of the anniversary of the Lunar New Year in Vietnam -a holiday known as Tet to the Vietnamese. Among the Viet Cong guerrilla forces were North Vietnamese Army’s elements.
Although the communist forces attacked the whole of South Vietnam from all sides, launching assaults on different targets, Saigon was the main focal point of this offensive. There were six main targets in the city which 35 Viet Cong’s battalions had to attack and capture: the headquarters of the South Vietnamese Army, President Thieu’s office, the US Embassy, the Tan Son Nhut air base, the Long Binh Naval Headquarters, and the National Radio Station.
Summary of the Battle of Saigon
The Battle of Saigon began in the early morning hours of January 31, 1968, when the Viet Cong and NVA launched a massive and coordinated attack against Saigon. North Vietnamese sappers and VC local forces attacked the Presidential Palace, the National Radio Station, the US Embassy, and other principal targets.
The 5th Viet Cong Division launched an attack on the military bases at Long Binh, and Bien Hoa. While the North Vietnamese 7th Division launched an attack on the US 1st Infantry Division and the 5th South Vietnamese Division at Lai Khe, The VC 9th Division launched another attack on the US 25th Infantry Division at Cu Chi.
Despite the seemingly overwhelming and unsurmountable assault on Saigon, by mid February most of the attacking communist forces were beaten back by US and South Vietnamese troops. Sporadic fighting continued in Saigon until March 7 as some sections of the city were left badly damaged by the feroucious combats that raged on for more than month.
Attack on the US Embassy during the Battle of Saigon (Video)
The F-89 Scorpion was a US Air Force, all-weather, interceptor aircraft which was designed and manufactured by Northrop Corporation. Test pilot Fred C. Bretcher flew the XP-89 prototype for the first time on August 16, 1948. This straight-wing, jet interceptor was among the first USAF jet aircraft armed with guided missiles and nuclear weapons, such as the unguided Genie rocket for air-to-air use.
Production was authorized in January 1949, but only eighteen F-89A aircraft were completed, which were mainly used for tests and trials, before the type was upgraded to F-89B standard, with new avionics. This variant entered service with the 84th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron in June 1951. A new version was introduced in 1956, the F-89H, which was equipped with massive new wingtip pods, each holding three semi-active radar homing GAR-1s and three infrared GAR-2s and 21 FFARs, for a total of six missiles and 42 rockets. Nevertheless, the major production version was the F-89D, which first flew October 23, 1951, entering service in 1954. The cannon was removed in favor of a new Hughes E-6 fire control system with AN/APG-40 radar and an AN/APA-84 computer.
Specifications for the F-89 Scorpion
Engine: two Allison J35-A-35 afterburning turbojets.
Maximum speed: 635 mph (1,022 km/h) at 10,600 ft (3,200 m).
Ferry range: 1,366 mi (2,200 km).
Service ceiling: 49,200 ft (15,000 m).
Length: 53 ft 9½ in (16.40 m).
Wingspan: 59 ft 8½ in (18.20 m).
Crew: two
Avionics: AN/APG-40 radar, an AN/APA-84 computer, and Hughes E-6 fire control system.
Weapons: one hundred and four 2.75 in (70 mm) "Mighty Mouse" folding-fin aerial rockets; 3,200 lb (1,500 kg) of bombs.
The F-9 Cougar was a carrier-based, jet fighter aircraft used by the US Navy. It was developed by Grumman based on the F9F fighter. It first flew on September 20, 1951, and entered into service in june 1952. The swept-wing F-9 Cougar was also used as reconnaissance aircraft fitted out with cameras instead of the nose cannon.
The only version of the Cougar to see combat was the TF-9J trainer. Four Cougars of H&MS-13 were used in the airborne command role, directing airstrikes against enemy positions in South Vietnam during 1966 and 1967. The TF-9J had a long service with US Navy, but the Cougar evolution (with J52 engine) was defeated when US Navy selected TA-4F instead. The only foreign armed force to use the F-9 Cougar was the Argentine Navy, who used the F9F Panther as well. Two F-9-8Ts trainers were acquired in 1962, and served until 1971.
Specifications for the Grumman F-9J Cougar
Engine: one Pratt & Whitney J48-P-8A turbojet.
Maximum speed: 647 mph (1,041 km/h).
Range: 1,312 mi (2,111 km).
Service ceiling: 42,000 ft (12,800 m).
Rate of climb: 5,750 ft/min (29.2 m/s).
Length: 42 ft 2 in (12.9 m).
Wingspan: 34 ft 6 in (10.5 m).
Crew: one
Weapons: four 20 mm (0.79 in) M2 cannons; six 5 in (127 mm) rockets; four AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles; could carry up to two 1,000 lb (454 kg) bombs.
The Sea Harrier was a naval jet fighter and attack aircraft which was successfully used by the Royal Navy in the Falklands War, the two Gulf Wars, and in the Balkans. The Sea Harrier was a carrier-based VTOL/STOVL subsonic fighter aircraft which was developed from the Hawker Siddeley Harrier by the aviation firm British Aerospace, entering service with the Royal Navy in April 1980 as the Sea Harrier FRS1.
Other than Britain, India became the only Sea Harrier operator in 1983. In 1993, a second, updated version was built for the Royal Navy, designated the Sea Harrier FA2, improving its air to air capabilities and weapons compatibilities, along with a more powerful engine. This variant was manufactured until 1998. The Sea Harrier was withdrawn early from Royal Navy service in March 2006 and temporarily replaced by the Harrier GR9. The intended replacement is Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II. The Sea Harrier is still in active use in the Indian Navy, though in the long term it will be replaced by the Mikoyan MiG.
Avionics
The Sea Harrier FA2 featured the Blue Vixen radar, which was described as one of the most advanced pulse doppler radar systems in the world. The Blue Fox radar was seen by some critics as having comparitively low performance for what was available at the time of procurement. The Blue Vixen formed the basis for development of the Eurofighter Typhoon’s CAPTOR radar. The Sea Harrier FA2 also carried the AIM-120 AMRAAM missile, the first UK aircraft to be provided with this capability.
Specifications for the Sea Harris FA2
Engine: one Rolls-Royce Pegasus turbofan.
Maximum speed: 735 mph (1182 km/h).
Combat radius: 620 miles (1,000 km).
Ferry range: 2,000 miles (3,600 km).
Service ceiling: 51,000 ft (16,000 m).
Length: 46 ft 6 in (14.2 m).
Wingspan: 25 ft 3 in (7.6 m).
Crew: one
Weapons: two 30 mm (1.18 in) ADEN cannon pods under the fuselage; four Matra rocket pods holding eighting SNEB 68mm rockets each; two AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles; two Sea Eagle anti-ship missiles; up to 5,000 lb (2,268 kg) of a variety of unguided iron bombs.
The SR-71 Blackbird was a US supersonic, strategic reconnaissance aircraft used by the US Air Force during the Cold War. The SR-71 was originally designed as the interceptor A-12 by the American engineer Clarence Johnson, for the Central Intelligence Agency. Although Lockheed produced thirteen A-12 interceptor prototypes, in 1964, upon President Johnson behest, the A-12 was converted into a top-secret reconnaissance model, the SR-71, which first flew as such on May 25, 1964.
The Blackbird could reach a top speed of Mach 3+, which generated high temperature. To solve this problem, high-temperature materials were needed, and the airframe of the SR-71 was substantially made of titanium. The aircraft was designed to minimize its radar cross-section, an early attempt at stealth design. The aircraft was painted a dark blue, almost black, to increase the emission of internal heat and to act as camouflage against the night sky. There was a sharp, pointed movable cone called a "spike" at the front of each inlet; it was locked in the full forward position on the ground or in subsonic flight. During acceleration to high-speed cruise, the spike would unlock at Mach 1.6 and then begin a mechanical (internal jackscrew powered) travel to the rear. It moved up to a maximum of 26 inches (66 cm).
On March 21, 1968, Major Jerome F. O’Malley and Major Edward D. Payne flew the first operational SR-71 sortie in SR-71 serial number 61-7976 from Kadena AB, Okinawa. From the beginning of the Blackbird’s reconnaissance missions over enemy territory (North Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia) in 1968, the SR-71s averaged approximately one sortie a week for nearly two years. By 1970, the SR-71s were averaging two sorties per week, and by 1972, they were flying nearly one sortie every day. While deployed in Okinawa, the SR-71s and their aircrew members gained the nickname Habu after a pit viper indigenous to Japan, which the Okinawans thought the plane resembled.
Avionics
Capabilities for the SR-71 included optical/infrared imagery systems, side-looking airborne radar (SLAR), electronic intelligence (ELINT) gathering systems, defensive systems (for countering missile and airborne fighter threats) and recorders for SLAR, ELINT and maintenance data. Imagery systems used on the Blackbird were diverse. At the simple end of the spectrum, SR-71s were equipped with a Fairchild tracking camera of modest resolution and an HRB Singer infrared-tracking IR camera, both of which ran during the entire mission to document where the aircraft flew and answer any post-flight political charges of overflight.
Specifications for the SR-71A
Engine: two Pratt & Whitney J58-1 continuous-bleed afterburning turbojets.
Maximum Speed: Mach 3.2+ (2,200+ mph, 3,530+ km/h) at 80,000 ft (24,000 m).
Range: 2,900 nmi (5,400 km).
Service ceiling: 85,000 ft (25,900 m).
Length: 107 ft 5 in (32.74 m).
Wingspan: 55 ft 7 in (16.94 m).
Crew: two
The Mirage III was a French, delta-winged, jet fighter aircraft used by the French Air Force during the Cold War. It was designed by Dassault Aviation during the late 1950s. The prototype, the Mirage I, first flew on November 17, 1956, and, in 1961, entered into service in the French Air Force as the Mirage IIIC fighter. Around 1,450 units were built in France by Dassault Aviation. It was one of the most successful fighter aircraft manufactured in the post-war Europe, and the proud of France, as it was sold to many countries around the world and remaining in production for more than a decade. The most important custmor for the Mirage IIICs manufactured in France was the Israeli Air Force, which used the new French fighter widely and wisely during the Six-Day War, scoring kills against Syrian Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17s and MiG-21 aircraft.
At the time the Mirage IIIC was being manufactured and sold, the French firm Dassault was also considering a multi-role/strike variant of the aircraft, which eventually materialized as the Mirage IIIE. The first of three prototypes flew on 1 April 1961. The Mirage IIIE differed from the IIIC interceptor most obviously in having a 300 mm (11.8 in) forward fuselage extension to increase the size of the avionics bay behind the cockpit. The stretch also helped increase fuel capacity, as the Mirage IIIC had marginal range and improvements were needed. A number of reconnaissance variants were also produced under the general designation of Mirage IIIR. These aircraft had a Mirage IIIE airframe; Mirage IIIC avionics; a camera nose and unsurprisingly no radar; and retained the twin DEFA cannon and external stores capability. The camera nose accommodated up to five OMERA cameras.
Specifications for the Mirage IIIE
Engine: one SNECMA Atar 09C turbojet.
Maximum speed: Mach 2.2 (2,350 km/h, 1,460 mph)
Range: 2,400 km (1,500 mi).
Service ceiling: 17,000 m (56,000 ft).
Length: 15 m (49 ft 3.5 in).
Wingspan: 8.22 m (26 ft 11 in).
Crew: one.
Weapons: two 30 mm (1.18 in) DEFA 552 cannons; two Matra JL-100 drop tank/rocket pack, each with nineteen SNEB 68 mm rockets; two AM-39 Exocet anti-ship missiles; two Matra R550 Magics air-to-air missiles; aircraft could carry up to 4,000 kg (8,800 lb) of payload on five external hardpoints.
The A-26 Invader was a twin-engined light bomber which used by the US Army Air Forces during World War II and the Korean War, and by the French Air Force during the First Indochina War. It was designed and manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Co., with the XA-26 prototype performing its first flight on July 10, 1942. The Invader entered service in August 1943, as the A-26B, with the Fifth Air Force and first saw action in the Southwest Pacific theater on June 23, 1944, when they bombed Japanese-held islands near Manokwari. The Douglas A-26 was withdrawn from military service in 1972. The redesignation of the type from A-26 to B-26 in 1948 has led to popular confusion with the Martin B-26.
Specifications
Engine: two Pratt & Whitney R-2800-27 "Double Wasp" radial piston engines, 2,000 hp each.
Maximum speed: 355 mph (570 km/h).
Range: 1,400 mi (2,300 km).
Service ceiling: 22,000 ft (6,700 m).
Length: 50 ft 0 in (15.24 m).
Wingspan: 70 ft 0 in (21.34 m).
Crew: three
Weapons: eight 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns in the nose; eight 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 machine guns in four optional underwing pods; two 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 machine guns in remote-controlled dorsal turret; two 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 machine guns in remote-controlled ventral turret; the A-26 Invader could carry up to 6,000 lb (2,700 kg) of bombs.
The EA-6B Prowler was a US twin-engine, electronic warfare aircraft which was used by the US Navy and US Marine Corps during the Cold War and the war against Muslim terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Prowler was developed by Grumman from the A-6 Intruder airframe, which was equipped with new electronic warfare (EW) equipment when it was turned into the EA-6B. The Prowler was designed as an electronic escort and command and control platform for strike missions, but it was also capable of attacking surface targets on its own, especially radar antennae, surface-to-air missile launchers, and other enemy defenses. It entered service with the US Navy in 1971.
The EA-6B was powered by two non-afterburning jet engines and is capable of high subsonic speeds. Due to demanding EW operations and age, the Prowler was a high-maintenance aircraft and also underwent more frequent equipment upgrades than any other aircraft in the Navy. Northrop Grumman received contracts from the US Navy to deliver new electronic countermeasures gear to Prowler squadrons. The heart of each ICAP III set consisted of the ALQ-218 receiver and new software that provided more precise selective-reactive radar jamming and deception and threat location. The ICAP III sets were also equipped with the Multifunction Information Distribution System (MIDS), which included the Link 16 data link system.
Specifications (EA-6B Prowler)
Avionics: ALQ-99 on board receiver (OBS); ALQ-99 pod mounted jamming system (TJS); USQ-113 communications jamming system.
Engine: two Pratt & Whitney J52-P408A turbojets.
Maximum speed: 651 mph (1,050 km/h).
Range: 2,400 mi (3,861 km).
Length: 59 ft 10 in (17.7 m).
Wingspan: 53 ft (15.9 m).
Crew: four (one pilot, and three electronic countermeasures officers).
Weapons: four AGM-88 HARM antiradar missiles.
The FH Phantom was one of the first United States jet fighter aircraft. It was developed by McDonnell toward the end of World War II for the US Navy. The PH-1 Phantom made its first flight on July 21, 1946, taking off the deck of the USS Franklin D Roosevelt aircraft carrier. It had folding wings to reduce the width of the aircraft in storage configuration and an aluminum monocoque structure with flush riveted aluminum skin. The engines were buried in the wing root to keep intake and exhaust ducts short, offering greater aerodynamic efficiency than underwing nacelles, and the engines were angled slightly outwards to protect the fuselage from the hot exhaust blast.
The first FH Phantoms entered service with US Navy fighter squadron VF-17A in August 1947. Phantoms were delivered to US Marine squadron VMF-122, making it the first USMC combat squadron to deploy jets. The PH was one of the first jets used by the U.S. military for exhibition flying. Several Phantoms used by the Naval Air Test Center fell into the hands of a unique demonstration team called the Gray Angels, whose members consisted entirely of Marine aviators holding the rank of General.
Specifications
Engine: two Westinghouse J30-WE-20 turbojets.
Maximum speed: 479 mph (771 km/h) at sea level.
Range: 695 mi (1,120 km).
Length: 37 ft 3 in (11.35 m).
Wingspan: 40 ft 9 in (12.42 m).
Crew: One
Weapons: four .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns.
