68 THE AVIATION HISTORIAN Issue No 21
configured Lockheed C-130B-IIs of the USAF
Security Service’s 6988th Security Squadron.
The unit’s operators were able to detect when a
North Vietnamese take-off order had been given,
when the MiG pilots had American aircraft in
sight and when they were ordered to attack;
invaluable information for the Phantom pilots —
if they could access it. Olds was told, however,
that the NSA would not potentially compromise
its intelligence operations for purely tactical
considerations. Nevertheless, he persisted and
was finally authorised to include the use of the
C-130B-IIs for his plans.
The next challenge for Olds would be the
installation of ECM pods on the F-4Cs to
simulate the electronic signature of the F-105s.
After drafting an outline of his plan, he flew to
Baguio in the Philippines, where a General Staff
conference was being held. Once there, Olds went
directly to see the commander of the Seventh Air
Force, Gen William W. Momyer, but without
success. Olds continued to plead his case up the
ladder of command until the idea began to arouse
interest. Finally, on December 22, 1966, his plan
was approved and christened Operation Bolo.^2
Olds was granted the required support and could
borrow the ECM pods for one week.
Bolo would be the biggest MiG-hunt to date,
and would involve the deployment of two
main Phantom forces. First, a formation of 20
Da Nang-based F-4Cs of the 366th TFW would
penetrate North Vietnam from the Gulf of Tonkin
to cover the eastern part of the Red River Valley
and Kep airbase, and act as a barrage along the
Chinese border in order to prevent VPAF MiGs
escaping across it. The main striking force would
comprise 28 Ubon-based 8th TFW F-4Cs, which
would cross into North Vietnam from Laos and
head directly into the Hanoi area. These would
entice the MiGs to come up by masquerading as
a formation of lumbering F-105Ds, the Phantoms
carrying the same ECM pods. A third force of 24
F-105D/Fs would clear the way for the Phantoms
by attacking SAM sites around the main VPAF
bases at Kep, Cat Bi and Noi Bai. Supporting
elements included four EB-66s with their eight
escorting F-4Cs, one EC-121D Warning Star, two
NSA RC-130B-IIs, several Boeing KC-135 tankers
and a cadre of Sikorsky HH-3 Jolly Green Giant
rescue helicopters and their accompanying
Douglas Skyaiders. The whole force would be
covered by 16 Lockheed F-104C Starfighters
while withdrawing from North Vietnam.
The planners determined that if the MiGs took
the bait, their fuel endurance from take-off to
landing would be a maximum of around 55min.
Accordingly, the arrival times of the Phantom
flights over the targeted airfields were set
5min apart, to ensure continuous coverage and
provide maximum opportunity for engagement
in the target area, the idea being to run the MiGs
out of fuel by preventing them from landing.
The mission was also planned so that no other
American aircraft would be active in the area,
allowing the first three flights of F-4s “missile-
free” engagement without first having to identify
the target.Bolo is go!
It was not until December 30, 1966, that the
participating pilots were informed about the
forthcoming operation. Details of the plan
were meticulously gone over, particularly the
need to adhere strictly to the specified flight
parameters, in order to simulate convincingly the
performance of the lumbering Thuds. It would be
the first time the pilots had used the ECM pods.
Olds also charged his maintenance crews with
inspecting, cleaning and repairing all equipment
on the aircraft assigned to the mission, and fine-
tuning each missile. The crews worked non-stop
for 27hr. As soon as the F-4s were fitted with the
ECM pods, the date of the operation was set for
January 1, 1967.
The mission was delayed, however, owing to
bad weather, and rescheduled for the next day.A pair of Lockheed C-130B-IIs similar to this example were employed
for the first and only time in a tactical role during Operation Bolo.
The 6988th Security Squadron crew (or “Bats” as they were known)
comprised linguists and translators who eavesdropped on orders
issued by the VPAF controllers and passed the information on to
the USAF pilots.USAF