Project CHECO Southeast Asia Report. Rolling Thunder, January 1967 - November 1968
Abstract
This third "ROLLING THUNDER" CHECO report about air operations against North Vietnam is concerned primarily with the plans, statistics, and eventual results of the program for the years 1967 and 1968. Although the Air Force role is stressed, vital contributions from other services are recorded to achieve proper balance; basic trends and comparisons are valid In January 1967, air operations forced Hanoi to pay heavily for its aggression against the Republic of Vietnam. In addition, airstrikes had generated serious economic upheavals in North Vietnam, and had presented a dramatic picture of U.S. power and determination, culminating in the initiation of negotiations in Paris. Planning for airstrikes against North Vietnam began in June 1964, when the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) asked CINCPAC to prepare targets in North Vietnam for airstrikes. ROLLING THUNDER (RT) attacks began in March 1965, and are detailed in two earlier CHECO reports. References made to the ROLLING THUNDER Target List (RTTL) refer to JCS' Designated Targets that required JCS' authorization for a strike. The lists, constantly in a state of change, due to additions and deletions, were numbered: RT 1, 2, 3, etc. The Alpha Targets of the RTTL were those considered the most critical in Route Packages V and VIA (ROLLING THUNDER Handbook, July 1968). A more detailed explanation of the ROLLING THUNDER Target List is presented in Section II of this handbook.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1969
- Accession Number
- ADA486572
Entities
People
- James B. Overton
Organizations
- Pacific Air Forces