THE VIETNAM WAR

Scope
Brief historical background of events/causes leading to the conflict General description of overall campaign briefly touching upon the land and naval aspects of the conflict Conduct of air operations during the campaign Brief analysis of campaign Explain essential Characteristics of Air Power in the campaign Highlight the Principles of War applied Lessons drawn
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Everything in war is very simple, but

the

simplest a

thing kind of

is

difficult.
and end

The
by

difficulties

accumulate

producing the war

friction

that

is

inconceivable unless one has experienced

CARL VON CLAUSEWITZ
Vietnam War 3

Friction is the only concept that more or less corresponds to the factors that distinguish real war from war on paper

CARL VON CLAUSEWITZ

Vietnam War 4

Eisenhower

Truman

Kennedy

Johnson

Nixon

SEQUENCE
Historical Background of Events

WC JAFRI
Causes Leading to the Conflict

Political Overview Air Campaigns during the conflict Analysis of the conflict
Lessons

GC MANGALARI WC EHSAN SL AMIR

Conclusion
Vietnam War

WC JAFRI
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LOCATION
G E O G R A P H Y

GEOSTRATEGIC SIGNIFICANCE

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TOPOGRAPHIC REGIONS
Red River

Tonkin Region

Annam Region Mekong River

Cochin-China
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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
1887 French Indochina

(Kampuchea)

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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

1941
Vietnam War 18

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
Japanese faced strong resistance from

Viet Minh - a Vietnamese Communist Revolutionary Organization

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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
Japanese faced strong resistance from

Viet Minh - a Vietnamese Communist Revolutionary Organization

Lead by a nationalist Ho Chi Minh

Vietnam War

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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
Japanese faced strong resistance from

Viet Minh - a Vietnamese Communist Revolutionary Organization

Lead by a nationalist Ho Chi Minh Ho Chi Minh was assisted by Americans

during WW- II against Japanese

After Japanese defeat in WW-II, French

tried to re-establish their colony

Vietnam War 21

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
Americans supported the French
1946 - Guerrilla war by Viet Minh War of Vietnams independence known

as the First Indochina War

1949 - Communism in place in China 1954 US bore 80% cost of French War
Vietnam War 22

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
1954 French were defeated at the

Battle of Dien Bien Phu

1954 Geneva peace negotiations:
France declared withdrawal Vietnam divided along 17th Parallel in North

and South Vietnam

Vietnam War

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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

Vietnam War

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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
Communist North Vietnam
DMZ 17th Parallel

Non Communist South Vietnam

Vietnam War

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French withdrawal from Indochina provoked direct American involvement

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BACKGROUND OF CONFLICT

1954
Americans replaced King Bao Dai of South Vietnam with president Ngo Dinh Diem

King Bao Dai

Vietnam War

Ngo Dinh Diem

27

BACKGROUND OF CONFLICT

1960
Uprising of Viet Cong revolutionaries supported by Viet Minh from the North

Vietnam War

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BACKGROUND OF CONFLICT
1954 South Vietnamese king replaced 1960 Viet Cong established in South

1961 President Kennedy took over

US troops increase from 760 to 3,205

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BACKGROUND OF CONFLICT
1961 Fact Finding Report suggested

introduction of 8000 American combat

troops into Vietnam

US troops number 15000 in Vietnam

Use of napalms approved

Limited defoliation approved

Vietnam War

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BACKGROUND OF CONFLICT
Diem refused to hold elections

1963 Diem assassinated by Americans

Soon President Kennedy assassinated

1963 Lyndon Johnson became the 36th

president of US

Vietnam War

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BACKGROUND OF CONFLICT
Choice between:
Increased US involvement in war Seeing the Communists to win

JCSC recommended aerial bombing Study

by Policy Planning Council predicted that action would imprison US

Vietnam War

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BACKGROUND OF CONFLICT
Report was ignored

Bombing policy was evolved

The conflict escalated further

Ho Chi Minh responded with effective

ground infiltration

Vietnam War

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GP CAPT MANGALARI
POLITICAL OVERVIEW OF CONFLICT

Indochina the key area of South East Asia is under

immediate threat, if this fell, Burma and Thailand

would soon follow and balance of South East Asia would then be in grave hazard

 Unification of North and South Vietnam

Tire & defeat the American sponsor South Vietnam

US FORCES STRENGTH
1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 March 1973
Vietnam War

23,000 181,000 385,000 486,000 536,000 474,000 335,800 190,800 27,000 - American withdrawal
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NORTH VIETNAM FORCES STRENGTH

Year 1965 1968 1973 NVA 1, 80,700 2, 61,000 2, 25,000 VIETCONG 5,800 79,400 1,00,000 RUSSIA 3,000 3,000 3,000

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NORTH VIETNAM FORCES STRENGTH

NVA (North Vietnam Army)
Infiltrated in groups Organized into regiments 32nd,

33rd Regiments

and

66th

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North Vietnam regarded as agents of global communism Inconsistent strategies No President wants to lose a country to communism

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Consistent strategy

Guerrilla warfare

US employed defensive operations from 19541964 offensive operations in later stages of war North Vietnam employed guerrilla warfare to bleed US army

THE BEGINNING
Aug 1964 Gulf of Tonkin

USS Maddox USS Turner Joy

Vietnam War

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THE BEGINNING
Americans were successfully deceived 1964

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: US Congress authorised President Johnson for use of military force

US troops number reached 23,300

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THE BEGINNING
Aug 1964 Gulf of Tonkin
Hanoi
Haiphong

USS Constellation

Saigon
Vietnam War

USS Ticonderoga

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THE BEGINNING

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THE BEGINNING

This second Indochinese conflict is commonly known as the Vietnam War

Vietnam War

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THE BEGINNING
United States + South Vietnam

vs

Viet Cong + North Vietnam

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THE BEGINNING

Anti-war movement

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THE BEGINNING
9 August, 1974

1st ever resignation of a US President Nixon, as a result of the Watergate Scandal

Vietnam War 51

THE BEGINNING
1973 Treaty of Paris:
Ceasefire was reached

Vietnam to be reunited

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THE BEGINNING
1973 Treaty of Paris:
Ceasefire was reached

Vietnam to be reunited

Bloodshed continued 1975 Fall of Saigon to North Vietnam

Vietnam reunified under the Communist

Rule

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Vietnam War

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PHASES
C A M P A I G N
Vietnam War

1964 to 1968 Phase I

The Escalation 1968 to 1971 Phase II Terror Bombing 1971 to 1973 Phase III Withdrawal

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THE CAMPAIGNS
Operation Flaming Dart Operation Rolling Thunder Operation Bolo Operation Arc Light Khe Sanh Siege & Operation Niagra Tet Offensive & Counter-offensive Operation Menu Eastertide Offensive & Counter-offensive Operation Freedom Train Operation Linebacker Operation Linebacker-II
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THE CAMPAIGNS
Hanoi

Ho Chi Minh Trail Sihanouk Trail

Haiphong

Saigon
Vietnam War 58

THE STRATEGY
Hanoi
Haiphong

Guerrilla Warfare

Saigon
Vietnam War 59

All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near. Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him
SUN TZU
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THE STRATEGY
C A Ground battle supported by air force and navy M P Use of chemical and biological A warfare I G N
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C & B WARFARE
C A M P A I G N

Defoliants used:
Agent Blue Agent White Agent Orange

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NAPALM BOMBS

Vietnam War

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THE STRATEGY
Hanoi
Haiphong

Yankee
Saigon
Vietnam War

Dixie
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THE STRATEGY
C A M P A I G N
Air War over North Vietnam consisted:
Short duration retaliatory strikes Pre-emptive operations

Sustained and decisive campaigns

Combat operations confined mainly over

central Annam and the southern Tonkin areas for fear of direct intervention by Chinese or Soviets
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Vietnam War

LAND/NAVAL OPERATIONS
1966 Operation Attleboro 1967 Operation Cedar Falls 1967 Operation Junction City 1967 Battle of La Drang Valley 1969 Operation Lincoln 1969 Battle of Dak To

1964 Gulf of Tonkin Incident (Naval)

Vietnam War 66

WG CDR EHSAN
AIR CAMPAIGNS

FLAMING DART
Hanoi

Aug 1964 Viet Cong Attack

Haiphong

Dec 1964 Flaming Dart

Saigon
Vietnam War

Yankee

Dixie
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ROLLING THUNDER
Hanoi
Haiphong

Mar 65 Oct 68 Rolling Thunder

USAF USAF

Hawaii

Yankee
Saigon
Vietnam War

USAF

Dixie
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ROLLING THUNDER
Gradual escalation US troops number 1,84,000 by 1965 Targets closer to DMZ gradually shifting

Northwards towards Hanoi Interdiction of all Lines of Comm

Destruction of Rail / Road links to China Strikes on all port facilities

Strikes on Ammunition dumps

Strikes on Supply dumps
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ROLLING THUNDER
3 years long operation was a failure Political leadership overcautious

USAF tactical freedom seized

Uncoordinated

and random target dictation from Pentagon Bombing at certain places denied for fear of killing Soviet technicians

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ROLLING THUNDER
North Vietnamese air defences became

quite formidable Employment of MiG-21s from 5 air bases US aircraft losses to SAMs rose from 171 in 1965 to 280 in 1966 USAF fighter-bomber sorties 304,000 Munitions dropped 643,000 tons USAF aircraft lost 922
Vietnam War 72

OPERATION BOLO
Jan 67 Operation Bolo
Hanoi
Haiphong

Swift OCA campaign 07 X Mig-21s shot

Yankee
Saigon
Vietnam War

Dixie
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OPERATION ARC LIGHT

June 1965 August 1973

B-52 bombers operated from Pacific

Supported

by KC-135s air tankers stationed in Okinawa Japan Later B-52s operated from Thailand without refuelling Mid air collision of two B-52s Bombing accuracy less than expected B-52 raids a new type of artillery
Vietnam War 74

OPERATION NIAGRA
Jan 68 Khe Sanh Jan 68 Niagra
Hanoi
Haiphong

Yankee
Saigon
Vietnam War

Dixie
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Tet OFFENSIVE
Hanoi

Jan 68 Tet Offensive

16,000 sorties by B-52 108 B-52s used 1000 sorties by Marines Use of 280 Tpt aircraft & helicopters
Saigon
Vietnam War

Haiphong

36 provincial capitals 05 major cities 23 airfields Numerous diplomatic centers in the South

Yankee

Dixie
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OPERATION MENU
1969 Menu
Hanoi
Haiphong

Yankee
Saigon
Vietnam War

Dixie
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OPERATION MENU
1969 President Nixon in office Secret bombing in Cambodia & Laos Bombing missions mostly at night

14 month operation
Resulted in Khmer Rouge rebellion

Quarter Laos population refugees

4,00,000 Lao killed by 1971
Vietnam War 78

EASTERTIDE
Mar 1972 Eastertide
Hanoi
Haiphong

Neutralized The Offensive Inflicting 100,000 Casualties

Yankee
Saigon
Vietnam War

Dixie
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FREEDOM TRAIN LINEBACKER

Apr 1972 Freedom Train Linebacker
Hanoi
Haiphong

Yankee
Saigon
Vietnam War

Dixie
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LINEBACKER
First time in more than three years,

bombing raids were cleared to strike almost all of North Vietnam

Smart bombs were first ever used
10th May, 1972 nine MiGs shot down Linebacker forced Hanoi towards the

negotiations table
Vietnam War 81

LINEBACKER II
Dec 1972 Linebacker-II
Hanoi
Haiphong

Yankee
Saigon
Vietnam War

Dixie
82

This is your chance to use military power effectively to win this war and if you dont, I will consider you personally responsible

Vietnam War

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LINEBACKER II
Planned to disrupt economic, military

and political life of North Vietnam

PGMs were used for the fist time ever
More than 175 KC-135s refuelled the

B-52s between Guam and their targets in North Vietnam, a distance of more than 2,600 miles
Vietnam War 84

LINEBACKER II

Hanoi sued for peace and accepted

the proposals in Paris Peace Treaty

on 23rd January, 1973

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SQN LDR M AAMIR

ANALYSIS OF CONFLICT

FACTFILE
A N A L Y S I S
Vetnam War twice long as WW-II
1.4 million ground attack sorties and 6.2

million tons munitions by USAF

Death toll:
58,000 US military men

1.1 million Communists

2,54,000 South Vietnamese

Vietnam War

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FACTFILE
A N A L Y S I S
2255 aircraft were lost
Official estimate of economic cost of

war is US $ 140 billion

1968 5,84,000 US troops Drastic

changes in technology throughout the 25 yr US involvement

Vietnam War

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TECH ADVANCEMENT
A N A L Y S I S
1945 55 Piston engine aircraft and

straight wing very early jet fighters

1950 60 First generation equipment,

swept wing fighters/bombers Mach 1

1960 70 Second generation fighters,

Mach 2 capability, advanced electronics

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AVIONICS
A N A L Y S I S
Advancements included:
Radar Homing Devices Radar Warning Devices ECM Suites Reconnaissance Pods

Self Protection Suites, chaff and flares

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ARMAMENT
A N A L Y S I S
Advancements included:
Dumb bombs replaced with PGMs/LGBs 70 80 % accuracy at later stages Introduction of AAMs Anti-radiation missiles replaced with HARM

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CHARACTERSITICS OF AIR POWER

A N A L Y S I S
Vietnam War

STRENGTHS
Height
Speed Reach Flexibility Ubiquity

Responsiveness
Concentration
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Never, never, never believe any war will be smooth and easy, or that anyone who embarks on the strange voyage can measure the tides and hurricanes he will encounter
Sir Winston Churchil
Vietnam War 109

CHARACTERSITICS OF AIR POWER

A N A L Y S I S
Vietnam War

Political sensitivity Resilience of Viet Cong Leadership

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"You can kill ten of my men for every one I kill of yours, yet even at those odds, you will lose and I will win"
Ho Chi Minh

Vietnam War

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PRINCIPLES OF WAR
Selection and Maintenance of aim Maintenance of morale

L E S S O N S

Offensive action Security Surprise Concentration of force Economy of effort Flexibility Cooperation Administration
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Vietnam War

PRINCIPLES OF WAR
Selection and Maintenance of aim

Maintenance of morale

L E S S O N S
Vietnam War

Offensive action Security

Surprise
Concentration of force Economy of effort

Flexibility
Cooperation Administration
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PRINCIPLES OF WAR
Selection and Maintenance of aim Maintenance of morale

L E S S O N S
Vietnam War

Offensive action Security Surprise Concentration of force Economy of effort Flexibility Cooperation Administration
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PRINCIPLES OF WAR
Selection and Maintenance of aim

Maintenance of morale

L E S S O N S
Vietnam War

Offensive action Security

Surprise
Concentration of force Economy of effort

Flexibility
Cooperation Administration
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SELECTION/MAINT OF AIM
L E S S O N S
Vietnam War

Political objectives ambiguous

Trumans Doctrine of Containment

Escalation of US involvement Will of North Vietnam never broken

116

MORALE
L E S S O N S
Vietnam War

National morale continued declining Various factors responsible

Little authority delegated to military

leaders
Lack of tactical freedom

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OFFENSIVE ACTION
L E S S O N S
Vietnam War

Demands of Strategic Air Campaign not fulfilled

Gradual escalation

Failed to break North Vietnams determination

118

WG CDR JAFRI
LESSONS

CONCLUSION

LESSONS LEARNT
L E S S O N S
Vietnam War

One of the tests of leadership is the

ability to recognize a problem before it

becomes an emergency

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LESSONS LEARNT
L E S S O N S
Vietnam War

Circumstances are what get you

started; Motivation is what keeps you

going.

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LESSONS LEARNT
L E S S O N S
Vietnam War

Offensive action is needed not only

to achieve victory but also to avert

humiliating defeat

122

LESSONS LEARNT
L E S S O N S
Vietnam War

Together, the characteristics of air

power may not always overwhelm the

outcome of a war. It may just be the

right combination of few, at the right time, at the right place

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LESSONS LEARNT
L E S S O N S
Vietnam War

It is extremely difficult to fight

against guerrilla tactics

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CONCLUSION

BIBLIOGRAPHY
The Vietnam War By Gen W C Westmoreland

Vietnam Conflict & Controversy

By Paul Elliot On Strategy By Harry G Summers Inernet

Vietnam War

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