Article ID: CBB001213864

Breaking the Trance: The Perils of Technological Exuberance in the U.S. Air Force Entering Vietnam (2013)

unapi

A survey of U.S. Air Force air-to-air armament from World War II through Vietnam's Operation ROLLING THUNDER reveals the institution's focus on developing advanced technologies and tactics designed to thwart hordes of Soviet bombers. Challenged by nimble MiGs over Vietnam, the service was reluctant to investigate low-tech armament solutions. When the value of a gun in air combat was finally acknowledged, the Air Force elected to field it as part of an integrated weapons system on the F-4E. In the interim, pilots at DaNang air base cobbled together an inelegant but effective air-to-air external gun system. The episode reveals the significant potential, and fragility, of unit-initiated tactical innovation and the peril that can arise when an organization's technological exuberance obfuscates less technologically-appealing solutions.

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Citation URI
https://data.isiscb.org/isis/citation/CBB001213864/

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Authors & Contributors
Martini, Edwin A.
Michael W. Hankins
Jim Laurier
Jayson A. Altieri
Peter E. Davies
Michael Napier
Concepts
Technology and war; technology and the military
Vietnam War
Science and war; science and the military
Aircraft; airplanes
Military technology
Cold War
Time Periods
20th century, late
21st century
20th century, early
20th century
Places
United States
Vietnam
Kuwait
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Iraq
Institutions
United States Air Force (USAF)
United States. Department of Defense
National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)
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