UAVs Suck: Manned O-1 Bird Dog AFACs over Vietnam: What RIGHT Looks Like

[ajdewitt1]

I sure would like to know how I can get a copy of this film. My brother in law was killed in one of these in Vietnam. He received the Medal of Honor. Would like to use this film to educate kids during events to remember Hilliard A Wilbanks.

[RichAStrong]

See my website about the 23 TASS on strongware

[RichAStrong]

See my website about the 23 TASS

[Cavelson]

Why fly UAV. Funny in the war is the adventure!!!

[kissrev1]

My Step-Dad did three tours flying these and O-2s in Vietnam. When he puts on his dress uniform, it's quite impressive. 2 silver stars, 3 bronze stars, and 2 Distinguished Flying Crosses. He never talked about it, but as one poster stated earlier, these guys, and my step-dad must have had balls of steel. Thanks for posting.

[jonny2387]

man i was born in the wrong era

[CorticalVortex]

Gotta have some brass ones to do this. Worth finding Marshall Harrison's "Lonely Kind of War" (can get used from Amazon) if you're interested in the OV-10 life as a FAC. Good read. The "Vietnamese" voice in this video sounds suspiciously Hispanic -- gotta love uncle sugar's propaganda machine.

[sularjuper]

cool video! the philippines is still using ov-10s for ground attacks and air surveillance in mindanao..

[MANC2311]

I've always thought the USMCs' old OV-10D NOG would be perfect for Afghanistan,working with the Harriers and Cobras.

[n68188]

OV-10s with AN/APQ-144 "disco lights" and exhaust baffles, proved survivable in Desert Storm. Two older A models which had not been retrofitted with the countermeasures kits were shot down however, and their loss was used as justification for the type's retirement without replacement. A number of older AH-64s that had not been upgraded with similar kits were the only other aircraft lost to manpads. The Air Force had left its FAC planes stateside because they were affraid of the manpad threat.

[dynmicpara]

I know one of the OV-10 observers and was aware of this HQMC BS back in '93 during the back-stab. The jet jocks (too fast) and rotorheads (too slow) egos n rice bowls were threatened by OV-10s.

[n68188]

countermeasures for manpads, implemented during desert storm.

1. AN/ALQ-144 "disco light" a kind of Infrared strobe confused IR guided missiles into turning away from the OV-10.

2. Baffles over the turbine exhausts to diffuse the hot exhaust gasses.

The two OV-10s shot down in Desert Storm were older models that had not yet been fitted with said equipment. The losses were still used to justify their retirement without suitable replacement. Similar losses experienced by older AH-64 Apaches.

[believer1965]

civil air patrol still have some of theses i think

[cap057]

Yes I think C.A.P. still has a few around but now mostly there are Cessna 172s', 152s', and 182s' as well as A.R.C.H.E.R. equipped Gippsland GA-8s' and a few other types along with gliders.

[cap057]

Yes i think C.A.P. still has a few around but now mostly there are Cessna 172s', 152s', and 182s' as well as A.R.C.H.E.R. equipped Gippsland GA-8s' and a few other types along with gliders.

[dynmicpara]

We should deploy the CAP to Iraq/Afghanistan; they'll do a far better job than BS UAVs that cannot see squat and have their imagery "hacked" by Hadji.

[RichAStrong]

Deja vu all over again. FACs working the Trail were working against small arms fire from anyone who had a gun, plus complexes of six 23 mm 4-barrel cannons. Over 200 FACs were killed in Southeast Asia during the conflict. I was lucky to only have three hits, since all of us learned very early on to always jink and never fly in steady lines or curves.

[nbq5z5]

Good to hear that lessone were learned quickly - pity some of these have to be re learned..

[dynmicpara]

Talk to some UAV retards on that bandwagon of failure running around these days...we could put up over 300+ MANNED O/A aircraft over Vietnam, today we can't get a dozen Predators up at a time when they are not crashing...

[dynmicpara]

Yes, they do now with counter-measures. IMHO we need to make O/A stealthy so they are not targetted at all. UAVs mostly crash themselves--not from SAMs.