Combat aircraft

attack aircraft attempted to jam enemy

radars and communications as the newly

formed ‘Wild Weasel’ units suppressed

surface-to-air missile (SAM) and anti-

aircraft artillery (AAA) batteries. As a result,

by the end of the Vietnam War less than

half the aircraft involved in major US air

strikes were tasked with tackling the

primary target.

During the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the

Israeli Air Force lost 109 aircraft in just 18

days, with most falling victim to radar-

guided SAMs or AAA.

Pentagon analysts predicted that NATO

air assets would be decimated in just over

two weeks if all-out air combat broke out

in Europe. A fundamental reappraisal of

combat aviation in contested airspace

became essential.

The F-117 Nighthawk was retired 10 years ago. As Combat Aircraft

marks the 75th anniversary of the Lockheed ‘Skunk Works’, we

reflect on the Nighthawk’s history and evaluate why a few F-117s

continue to fly in secrecy.

REPORT Paul Crickmore

The unmistakable

profile of the

F-117A illustrated

by a quartet of

Nighthawks flying

near Holloman

AFB as the type

prepared to bow

out of service in

2008. Rich Cooper

D

URING THE BATTLE of

Britain, the Royal Air Force

demonstrated to the world

the effectiveness of an

integrated air defense system

(IADS), albeit in a fledgling

guise. It spurred a blueprint that was

to be adopted by both the Eastern and

Western power blocs. As the Vietnam War

evolved, the US found itself facing a North

Vietnamese opponent supported by both

the Soviets and Chinese communists.

As a result, US air arms lost the element

of surprise and losses increased

dramatically. To ameliorate against high

levels of attrition, suppression of enemy

air defenses (SEAD) tactics became an

essential element of any strike package

into defended airspace. Aircraft were used

to create ‘chaff corridors’, while electronic

52 June 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net

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