General history Beginning-1964 (North Vietnam)The first Vietnamese aircraft were two trainers, a de Havilland Tiger Moth and aMorane-Saulnier, which were initially the private property of the emperor Bao Dai.In 1945, Bao Dai gave the aircraft to the Vietnamese government. On March 9, 1949,Ho Chi Minh ordered the organization of the Air Force Research Committee (Ban Nghiên Cứu Không Quân). The first Vietnamese service aircraft flight was made by the Tiger Moth on August 15, 1949. A small-scale training was carried out in following years.
1964-1974 (North Vietnam)The first North Vietnamese combat plane was a T-28 Trojan trainer, whose pilot defected from the Laotian Air Force; it was utilized from early 1964 by the North Vietnamese as a night fighter. The T-28 was the first North Vietnamese aircraft to shoot down a U.S. aircraft, a C-123, on February 15, 1964.
In 1965, the NVAF were supplied with supersonic MiG-21s by the USSR which were used for high speed GCI controlled hit and run intercepts against USAF strike groups. The MiG-21 tactics became so effective, that by late 1966, an operation was mounted to especially deal with the MiG-21 threat. Led by Colonel Robin Olds on January 2, 1967, Operation Bolo lured MiG-21s into the air, thinking they were intercepting a F-105 strike group, but instead found a sky full of missile armed F-4 Phantom II set for aerial combat. The result was a loss of almost half the inventory of MiG-21 interceptors, at a cost of no US losses.
First Lieutenant Nguyen Thanh Trung escaped to Phuoc Long Province after he attacked the Presidential Palace. Shortly afterwards, he led a flight of VPAF A-37 bombers to attack Tan Son Nhat Airport.The VPAF (NVAF) did not engage all US sorties. Most US aircraft were destroyed by SA-2Surface to Air Missiles or Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AAA). Typically, VPAF MiGs would not engage unless it was to their advantage. Some of the aerial tactics used, were similar toOperation Bolo, which lured the NVAF to the fight.
There were several times during the war that the U.S. bombing restrictions of North Vietnamese Airfields were lifted. Many VPAF (NVAF) aircraft were destroyed on the ground, and those that were not, were withdrawn to a sanctuary in Red China. In December 1972, the North Vietnamese air defences exhausted their supply of Surface to Air Missiles trying to down the high flying B-52 raids over the North. The North Vietnamese Air Defense Network was degraded by Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) and other Suppression of Enemy Defenses (SEAD) measures. However, the sheer volume of missiles (mass firings) claimed over 15 of the heavy bombers (B-52)s, including 2 attributed to the VPAF, during the last weeks of 1972 (Operation Linebacker II).
During the Vietnam War, NVAF used the MiG-17F, PF (J-5); MiG-19 (J-6), MiG-21F-13, PF, PFM and MF fighters. They claimed to have shot down 266 US aircraft, and US claimed to have shot down or destroyed 204 MiGs aircraft and at least six An-2s, of which 196 were confirmed with solid evidence. However, VPAF admits only 154 MiGs were lost through all causes, inculding 131 in air combat ). Like that, total kill ratio would be 1:1.3 to 1:2.[7] With the number of losses to MiGs confirmed by US (121 aircraft shotdown and 7 damaged), the kill ratio turn 1.7:1 against the MiGs, or 1.1:1 even accepting the VPAF's figure of only 131 in air combat.Transport Aircraft An-26 Curl Soviet UnionTransportAn-2648An-24 Coke Soviet UnionTransportAn-2412An-28 Cash Soviet UnionLight TransportAn-286An-2 Colt Soviet UnionLight TransportAn-215PZL M28 Skytruck PolandLight TransportM-2811some fitted with MS-600 radarsYak-40 Codling Soviet UnionVIP TransportYak-4015 Transport Helicopter Mi-8 Hip Soviet UnionTransportMil Mi-866Mi-17 Hip-H Soviet Union Transport Total Mil Mi-17Sh Mil Mi-17269 27 18Mi-6 Hook-A Soviet UnionHeavy lift helicopterMi-610-15PZL W-3 Sokol PolandVIP helicopter/ SAR helicopterTotal PZL W-3S PZL W-3RM8 4 4Kamov Ka-32S Helix-C Soviet Union SAR HelicopterKa-3210Kamov Ka-25 Hormone Soviet UnionASW helicopterKa-2512Ka-27 Helix Soviet UnionASW helicopterKa-2718Eurocopter Dauphin France SAR helicopter SA-365 N24 From the Ministry of Defence Eurocopter Ecureuil France Light utility helicopter AS-350 B32 From the Ministry of Defence Aérospatiale Puma France Civilian transport SA-330J9 From the Ministry of Defence Aérospatiale Super Puma France Civilian transport AS-332L27 From the Ministry of Defence. UH-1H Huey United States Utility UH-1H15+Miscellaneous Aircraft M-400 UAV Vietnam UAVM-40012?VNS-41 Vietnam Amphibious VNS-4112-15. Some airbases in the south were built by the French, Japanese* (World War II), United States Air Force or United States Navy for South Vietnam. The northern bases were likely built with assistance and/or use by the French; Communist Chinese, or Soviet Union during the Vietnam War.
Aircraft inventory Most of the VPAF's aircraft were supplied from the Soviet Union & PRC, but hundreds were left over by the Americans via the Republic of Vietnam; most of which are no longer in service. The Soviet Union supplied 180 MIG-21s 60 new built - 120 ex from ex Soviet service those MIG were more avanced than who were operated during the Vietnam War. In 1984, 70 Su-22 Fitter-H/J/K supplied by Soviet Union probably to replace the F-5 Freedom Fighters seized from the SVNAF in 1975.
On May 31, 1977, the Vietnam People's Air Force (Không Quân Nhân Dân Việt Nam) was separated from the Air Defense Force (Phòng Không Việt Nam).
MI-8 helicopter
The North Vietnamese Air Force's first jet air-to-air engagement with U.S. aircraft was on April 3, 1965. The NVAF claimed the shooting down of one US Navy F-8 Crusader, which was not confirmed by US sources, although they acknowledged having encountered MiGs.Consequently, April 3 became "North Vietnamese Air Force Day". On April 4 the VPAF (NVAF) scored the first confirmed victories to be acknowledged by both sides. The US fighter community was shocked when relatively slow, post-Korean era MiG-17 fighters shot down advanced F-105 Thunderchief fighters-bombers attacking the Thanh Hoa Bridge. The two downed F-105s were carrying their normal heavy bomb load, and were not able to react to their attackers.
The North Vietnamese Air Force (NVAF) received its first jet fighter aircraft, the MiG-17 in February 1964, but they were initially stationed at air bases in Communist China, while their pilots were being trained. On February 3, 1964, the first fighter regiment No. 921 "Sao Do" was formed (Trung Đoàn Không Quân Tiêm Kích 921), and on August 6 it arrived from China in North Vietnam with its MiG-17s. On September 7, the No. 923 fighter regiment "Yen The", led by Lt. Binh Bui, was formed. In May 1965, No. 929 bomber squadron (Đại Đội Không Quân Ném Bom 929) was formed with Il-28 twin engine bombers.
1975-present (reunified Vietnam)The VPAF did not play a major role during the Ho Chi Minh Campaign in 1975. The only sorties flown were conducted by five captured VNAFA-37s. SA-2s were transported into South Vietnam to counter possible US military air strikes. The US held back air power during the 1975 offensive, which had proven decisive in 1972, and the VNAF did not have the capability to strike targets in the north nor to defend against the onslaught in the south.
When Vietnam invaded Cambodia in 1979, former VNAF A-37s flew most of the ground support missions. These aircraft were more suited to the role than the MiGs. Former VNAF F-5Es, C-123s, C-130s, and UH-1s were used by the VPAF for many years after the end of the War.
In the years between 1953 and 1991, approximately 700 warplanes, 120 helicopters, and 158 missile complexes have been supplied to North Vietnam by the USSR and Red China (primarily the MiG-19 (J6 series). Even today, three-quarters of Vietnamese weaponry has been made in post-Cold-War Russia. Today the VPAF is in the midst of modernization. It still operates late model MiG-21s, Su-22s, aircraft of the cold war era . However, it has recently been modernizing its air force with models of the Su-27-SK air superiority fighter following closer military ties, and an array of arms deals with Russia. To date, Vietnam has ordered and received 12 of these aircraft. In 2004, it also acquired 4 modified variants of the Su-30 MK2V, newer models of the Su-27. In May 2009, they have inked a deal to procure additional 12 aircraft from the Russian to bolster their aging fleet. The Vietnamese air force has also acquired new advanced air defense systems, including two S-300 PMU1 (NATO designation: SA-20) short-to-high altitude SAM batteries in a deal worth $300 million with Russia .
Vietnam War (US)Air Division and Regimental Fighter Aircraft Sukhoi Su-30MK2V "Flanker", Russia Multi Role fighter Su-30MK2V2436 on order ,Sukhoi Su-27SK/UB Flanker, Russia Air Defence fighter Su-2730 SK & 6 UBKMikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21,Bis Fishbed L/N Soviet UnionFighter,MiG-21200+In 1981.Sukhoi Su-22M3/4 Fitter-J/K Soviet UnionAttack Su-22145+,Trainer Aircraft Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21U Mongol Soviet Union Trainer MiG-21,U30+Aero L-39C ,Albatros Czechoslovakia Trainer L-39C2412 on order from PolandYakovlev, Yak-130 Russia Trainer Yak-1308 on order,Yakovlev Yak-52 Russia Trainer Yak 5236. Reconnaissance An-30 Clank Soviet Union ,Reconnaissance An-306 CASA C.212 Aviocar Spain Reconnaissance CASA C.212-4003 Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) MS6000 maritime surveillance system with Side-Looking Airborne Radar. Under Vietnam Marine Police control. Attack Helicopter Mil Mi-24 Hind, Soviet Union ,Attack helicopterMil Mi-24A/D36.