Project CHECO Southeast Asia Report. Combat Skyspot
Abstract
The need to support Special Forces Camps under attack during periods of inclement weather was forcibly brought out during the battle and subsequent loss of A Shau. Located in a valley in the northern section of South Vietnam, A Shau Special Forces Camp came under heavy Viet Cong attack early in the morning on 9 March 1966. At that time, the weather--broken to overcast--with a 300-500-foot indefinite ceiling, provided ideal working conditions for the enemy, since it prevented effective air strikes. The few air strikes managing to transit below the cloud cover were so restricted in their delivery patterns as to be ineffectual in repelling the overwhelming numbers of Communist troops. The loss of A Shau emphasized the need for a weapons system which could support ground forces at all times. This need pointed especially to the importance of an all-weather strike capability-during the day or night, and in any kind of weather. The Strategic Air Command, to evaluate the proficiency of their aircrews, had been using a ground-based radar/computer unit designated MSQ-35. This system, called Radar Bomb Scoring or RBS, could predict the exact point of impact of a simulated bomb drop.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 09, 1967
- Accession Number
- ADA586292
Entities
People
- Richard A. Durkee
Organizations
- Pacific Air Forces