First In, Last Out: America’s “Wild Weasels” Over Vietnam
The Wild Weasel missions were among the most dangerous in the air war over Vietnam, with massive casualty rates due to intense enemy fire and the inherent risks of low-altitude operations.
“First In, Last Out,” was an incredible motto developed by the heroic pilots and electronic warfare officers (EWOs) of America’s “Wild Weasel” aircraft during the Vietnam War.
These modified F-100F Super Sabres were equipped with radar-detection gear to locate Soviet-provided surface-to-air missile (SAM) sites scattered throughout the harsh jungles of North Vietnam. These SAMs threatened the safe operations of U.S. warplanes and bombers conducting airstrikes on targets in North Vietnam as part of America’s wider effort to defend the U.S. allies of South Vietnam from their communist neighbors to the north.
And not only did the Wild Weasel planes seek out deadly Soviet-made SAM sites before American warplanes entered an area to conduct airstrikes, but the daring planes would then linger in the kill zone to ensure that friendly birds made it back safety—either to air bases in South Vietnam or to the U.S. Navy’s carriers floating off the coast.
North Vietnam’s Air Defenses Shocked the United States
The U.S. military had entered the Vietnam War with a relatively gung-ho mentality. Twenty years earlier, they had defeated the Axis Powers. They had stopped the far-larger Chinese horde in the Korean War. And they were an advanced military power fighting against peasant farmers in the rice paddies of Vietnam.
But the top brass quickly—and painfully—realized that the Vietnam War would not be a cakewalk. America’s fighter pilots and bomber crews were among the first to learn this lesson after they faced the aforementioned Soviet-built air defense systems such as the S-75 Dvina surface-to-air missile (SAM). American warplanes and bombers, viewed before the fighting began as nearly invincible, were blasted from the sky with alarming regularity by the Soviet air defenses of North Vietnam.
America Soon Developed Electronic Missile Countermeasures
To overcome North Vietnam’s excellent air defense network, the American side began to develop unique electronic countermeasures. One of the most notable innovations was the “Wild Weasel” aircraft, which quickly became the cornerstone of American air operations in the war. This plane reshaped the air war over Vietnam, saving countless American lives in the process.
Wily American strategists quickly understood that, to overcome the S-75 threat, they would need to “bait” the Soviet air defenses that ringed around cities like Hanoi and Haiphong in North Vietnam—then, when they were active, to lock in on them and destroy them. The first Wild Weasel aircraft, designated “Wild Weasel I,” were modified F-100F Super Sabres tasked with locating the missile sites with new radar-detection gear, then destroying them with rockets, bombs, or even cannons.
Early Wild Weasel missions were perilous experiments for the pilots and electronic warfare officers (EWOs) involved. The Weasels flew into heavily-defended areas in order to provoke the North Vietnamese into activating their radars. The problem with this approach was that the radars—and the missiles they were linked to—were now focused on the Weasels themselves. Once the Sabre planes were detected, the North Vietnamese would either attack or direct other aircraft to strike. The F-100F’s limited speed and payload restricted its effectiveness, and losses were high.
By 1966, the program transitioned to the more capable F-105F Thunderchief (Wild Weasel III), which offered greater speed, durability, and the ability to carry anti-radiation missiles like the AGM-45 Shrike. Later, the F-4G Phantom II joined the fleet, further enhancing the Wild Weasel’s capabilities with advanced electronics and weaponry.
The Wild Weasels Went Through Hell Over Vietnam
A typical Wild Weasel mission involved detecting radar emissions, evading S-75 missiles through radical maneuvering, then striking North Vietnamese targets with precision.
Notably, the introduction of the Shrike missile allowed crews to target radar installations directly—though its short range meant flying dangerously close to enemy defenses. North Vietnamese forces adapted by cycling radar signals or employing decoy SAM sites, creating a deadly game of cat-and-mouse that tested the ingenuity of both sides in the war.
But the American effort led to results. By 1972, during the Linebacker heavy bombing campaign against North Vietnam, Wild Weasels had significantly reduced the effectiveness of Hanoi’s air defenses, enabling deeper and more sustained bombing campaigns. Data from the period suggests that Wild Weasel missions contributed to the destruction or suppression of hundreds of SAM sites, though exact numbers vary.
Even when they did not destroy North Vietnamese radar sites, the Wild Weasels forced their operators to limit radar use, reducing S-75 launches and increasing survivability for the aircraft conducting strikes over fortified North Vietnam. Beyond their tactical successes, Wild Weasels boosted morale among aircrews of warplanes and bombers assigned to strike deep inside North Vietnam. Without those specialized American crews in their Wild Weasel planes risking their lives, the U.S. warplanes and bombers attacking North Vietnam would have likely been destroyed en masse by those Soviet air defenses.
Wild Weasel missions required uncanny skills and extraordinary bravery by the men who participated in them. These missions were among the most dangerous in the air war over Vietnam, with massive casualty rates due to intense enemy fire and the inherent risks of low-altitude operations. Wild Weasel crews faced S-75s, barrages of anti-aircraft guns, and even the occasional MiG interceptor. Despite these challenges from North Vietnam and their Soviet allies, though, the program’s success laid the foundation for modern suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD) doctrines, influencing air campaigns in later conflicts like the Gulf War.
We Must Never Forget the Wild Weasels
Because of the Wild Weasels, U.S. airpower in the Vietnam War was able to maintain its edge. These birds did not end the threat entirely to U.S. warplanes and bombers conducting dangerous strike missions. They did, however, mitigate the dangers significantly—albeit at a great cost for the crews of the Wild Weasel birds.
This program was a testament to the ingeniousness and indomitable will of the American warfighter in the crucible of war. We should never forget the bravery, innovativeness, and sacrifice of the men involved with the Wild Weasel program of the Vietnam War.
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert, a Senior National Security Editor at The National Interest as well as a contributor at Popular Mechanics, who consults regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including the Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, the Asia Times, and countless others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.