The Vietnam Era Aircraft That Reshaped Warfare

There’s no denying that aircraft shaped the Vietnam War and the tactics employed throughout the conflict.

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 chronologically and included supplemental information from the Military Factory regarding the type of aircraft, year introduced, manufacturer, top speed, and armament.

Why Are We Covering This?

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 will 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.

Here is a look at the American aircraft that fought the Vietnam War.

F6F Hellcat

• Type: Carrierborne fighter-bomber aircraft
• Manufacturer: Grumman
• Year introduced: 1943
• Top speed: 380 mph
• Armament: 12.7mm Browning M2 machine guns, 20mm automatic cannons, Tiny Tim rockets, HVAR rockets, conventional drop bombs, torpedoes

A-26 / B-26 Invader

• Type: Heavy attack aircraft
• Manufacturer: Douglas Aircraft
• Year introduced: 1944
• Top speed: 355 mph
• Armament: 12.7mm machine guns, guided bombs, rocket pods

F8F Bearcat

• Type: Carrierborne interceptor aircraft
• Manufacturer: Grumman
• Year introduced: 1945
• Top speed: 421 mph
• Armament: 12.7mm machine guns, 20mm cannons, rockets, conventional drop bombs

A-1 Skyraider (AD-1)

• Type: Bomber/ground attack aircraft
• Manufacturer: Douglas Aircraft
• Year introduced: 1946
• Top speed: 321 mph
• Armament: 20mm autocannons, rocket pods, torpedoes, conventional drop bombs

B-36 Peacemaker

• 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

B-47 Stratojet

Boeing B-47 Stratojet (CC BY 2.0) by Eric Friedebach

• Type: Heavy bomber aircraft
• Manufacturer: Boeing
• Year introduced: 1951
• Top speed: 600 mph
• Armament: 20mm cannons, conventional drop bombs

F3D F-10 Skyknight

Douglas F3D-2 Skyknight (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Velkiira

• Type: Carrierborne night-fighter aircraft
• Manufacturer: Douglas Aircraft
• Year introduced: 1951
• Top speed: 529 mph
• Armament: 20mm Hispano-Suiza M2 cannons, air-to-air rockets, conventional drop bombs, Sparrow missiles

F9F Cougar

Grumman RF-9J Cougar F9F (CC BY 2.0) by Eric Friedebach

• Type: Carrierborne fighter aircraft
• Manufacturer: Grumman
• Year introduced: 1952
• Top speed: 647 mph
• Armament: 20mm M2 cannons, 127mm high explosive rockets, Sidewinder missiles, conventional drop bombs

B-57 Canberra

• Type: Tactical bomber/reconnaissance aircraft
• Manufacturer: Glen 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

F-100 Super Sabre

• Type: Fighter-bomber air superiority aircraft
• Manufacturer: North American Aviation
• Year introduced: 1954
• Top speed: 864 mph
• Armament: 20mm M39 autocannons, Sidewinder missiles, Bullpup missiles, Shrike missiles, HVAR rockets, conventional drop bombs, nuclear missiles

B-52 Stratofortress

• 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

Douglas A3D A-3 Skywarrior 3 (CC BY 2.0) by Tony Hisgett

• Type: Strategic bomber aircraft
• Manufacturer: Douglas Aircraft
• Year introduced: 1956
• Top speed: 610 mph
• Armament: 20mm M3L cannons, conventional drop bombs

A-4 Skyhawk

• Type: Multirole carrierborne fighter aircraft
• Manufacturer: Douglas Aircraft
• Year introduced: 1956
• 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

B-66 / RB-66 Destroyer

• Type: Tactical light bomber/reconnaissance aircraft
• Manufacturer: Douglas Aircraft
• Year introduced: 1956
• Top speed: 634 mph
• Armament: 20mm cannons, conventional drop bombs

F-102 Delta Dagger

• Type: Supersonic interceptor aircraft
• Manufacturer: CONVAIR
• Year introduced: 1956
• 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-101 Voodoo

• Type: Interceptor/reconnaissance aircraft
• Manufacturer: McDonnell Aircraft
• Year introduced: 1957
• Top speed: 1,134 mph
• Armament: 20mm M39 automatic cannons, Genie nuclear-tipped missiles, Falcon missiles

F-8 Crusader

Vought F-8 Crusader (CC BY 2.0 DEED) by Tony Hisgett

• Type: Carrierborne naval fighter aircraft
• Manufacturer: Vought
• Year introduced: 1957
• Top speed: 1,118 mph
• Armament: 20mm automatic cannons, Sidewinder missiles, Bullpup missiles

T-37 Tweet

• Type: Light attack aircraft
• Manufacturer: Cessna
• Year introduced: 1957
• Top speed: 425 mph
• Armament: Conventional drop bombs

F-104 Starfighter

• Type: High-speed fighter/ interceptor aircraft
• Manufacturer: Lockheed Aircraft
• Year introduced: 1958
• 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

• Type: Fighter-bomber aircraft
• Manufacturer: Republic Aviation
• Year introduced: 1958
• Top speed: 1,390 mph
• Armament: M61 20mm cannon, Sidewinder missiles, rocket pods, conventional drop bombs

F-106 Delta Dart

File:F-106 Delta Dart 5th IS.JPEG (Public Domain) by SSGT Bill Thompson

• Type: Supersonic interceptor aircraft
• Manufacturer: CONVAIR
• Year introduced: 1959
• 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

B-58 Hustler

• Type: Supersonic medium bomber
• Manufacturer: CONVAIR
• Year introduced: 1960
• Top speed: 1,321 mph
• Armament: 20mm T171 Gatling-style automatic cannon, conventional drop bombs

F-4 Phantom II

• Type: Carrierborn strike fighter aircraft
• Manufacturer: McDonnell Douglas
• Year introduced: 1960
• 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

A-5 Vigilante

• 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

F-5 Freedom Fighter (Tiger / Tiger II)

• Type: Lightweight multirole aircraft
• Manufacturer: Northrop Aircraft Corporation
• Year introduced: 1962
• Top speed: 1,077 mph
• Armament: 20mm M39A2 automatic cannons, Sidewinder missiles, Maverick missiles, rocket pods, conventional drop bombs, napalm bombs

P-3 Orion

• Type: Anti-submarine warfare aircraft
• Manufacturer: Lockheed Aircraft
• Year introduced: 1962
• Top speed: 466 mph
• Armament: Torpedoes, depth charges, Harpoon / SLAM-ER anti-ship missiles, Maverick missiles, naval mines

A-6 Intruder

A-6 Intruder (CC BY 2.0) by Thank You (24 Millions ) views

• 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

EA-6 Prowler

• Type: Carrierborn electronic warfare aircraft
• Manufacturer: Grumman
• Year introduced: 1963
• Top speed: 652 mph
• Armament: HARM anti-radiation missiles, ALQ-99 tactical jamming system mission pods

AC-47 Spooky

Douglas C-47A Skytrain u00c3u00a2u00c2u0080u00c2u00982928... (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Alan Wilson

• Type: Fixed-wing gunship aircraft
• Manufacturer: Douglas Aircraft
• Year introduced: 1965
• 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)

• 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

V-10 Bronco

• Type: Light attack / close-air support aircraft
• Manufacturer: North American Rockwell
• Year introduced: 1966
• Top speed: 281 mph
• Armament: 7.62mm machine guns, Sidewinder missiles, folding-fin aerial rockets, rocket pods, minigun pods, conventional drop bombs

A-37 Dragonfly

• Type: Light attack/observation and control aircraft
• Manufacturer: Cessna
• Year introduced: 1967
• Top speed: 506 mph
• Armament: 7.62mm GAU-2B/A minigun, conventional drop bombs, rocket pods, napalm drop bombs, sidewinder missiles

A-7 Corsair II

A-7 Corsair II, 1984 (2) (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Ed Uthman

• Type: Carrierborne strike aircraft
• Manufacturer: Vought
• Year introduced: 1967
• Top speed: 659 mph
• Armament: 20mm automatic cannons, Sidewinder missiles, Maverick missiles, rocket pods, laser-guided bombs, conventional drop bombs

F-111 Aardvark

• 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

AC-119 (Shadow / Stinger)

• Type: Close-air support aircraft
• Manufacturer: Fairchild Corporation
• Year introduced: 1968
• 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

• Type: Close-air support/force protection gunship
• Manufacturer: Lockheed Aircraft
• Year introduced: 1972
• Top speed: 300 mph
• Armament: 20mm Gatling-style automatic cannons, 40mm automatic cannon, 105mm field gun, 25mm Gatling-style automatic cannon