The historical imprint of air combat during the Vietnam War is certainly centered on B-52 heavy raids or tactical strikes in the Hanoi area
Confronting them were MiG fighters and dense North Vietnamese air defense systems
However, behind all this was the 'electronic warfare'
Based on the B-66, a light bomber built in the 1950s
the United States Air Force developed an EB-66B electronic countermeasure (ECM) version
which played a forward role in the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union during the early 1960s
These aircraft would subsequently see combat service during the Vietnam War
The B-66 was a continuation of the A-3 Skywarrior series, designed with a long, slab-sided fuselage with a stepped cockpit flightdeck
Wings were high-mounted along the fuselage roof and swept rearwards, each with an underslung engine nacelle
Power was served through 2 x Allison J71-A-11 turbojet engines, developing 45 kN thrust each
Performing its maiden flight on 28 June 1954, the aircraft was introduced to USAF service during 1956
The EB-66Bs and EB-66Es came into being in the spring of 1966, when the prefix E was assigned to all versions of the B-66s intended for electronic warfare
In 1968, confronted by increasingly sophisticated enemy defenses, the Air Force began using all EB-66s in the jamming role
This pinpointed the need for further improvements, such as steerable antennas and modification of the aircraft's new communication jammer
F-104C Starfighters were initially provided as escorts for the EB-66s, and their MiG-killing potential was appreciated
However, their endurance was inadequate and they were soon replaced by F-4 Phantom IIs
Destroyer escort was never a popular mission due to the cruising speed differential between the aircraft
F-4 pilots always had to weave slowly behind the ECM aircraft
putting them at a disadvantage against a MiG-21 climbing or diving at supersonic speed into their rear quarter
To deal with the North Vietnamese SAM-2, the US mobilized EB-66 electronic warfare aircraft
This aircraft was responsible for jamming the warning radar system, the fire control radar of the SAM-2 complex
In the jammed environment, radar was difficult to detect, identify and guide missiles
5 minutes before each air raid, EB-66 actively broadcasts suppression, creating electronic armor to cover groups of combat aircraft to attack targets
The EB-66C was a specialized electronic reconnaissance and electronic countermeasures (ECM) aircraft
It was operated by an expanded crew of seven, which included the additional electronics warfare specialists
These aircraft were outfitted with distinctive wingtip pods that accommodated various receiver antennas
which were also present upon a belly-mounted blister
Unarmed EB-66B, EB-66C and EB-66E aircraft flew numerous missions during the Vietnam War
They helped gather electronic intelligence about North Vietnamese defenses
and provided protection for bombing missions of the Republic F-105 Thunderchiefs by jamming North Vietnamese radar systems
Early on, B-66s flew oval "racetrack" patterns over North Vietnam, but after one B-66 was shot down by a MiG
the vulnerable flights were ordered to fly just outside North Vietnamese air space
By 1975, the last EB-66C/E aircraft had been withdrawn from USAF service
Most aircraft were scrapped in place, others were temporarily stored while awaiting eventual scrapping