Wild Weasels United

[awacs]

Hi there!

Couldn't resist to start a topic about the famous "Wild Weasels"
The Wild Weasel concept was originally proposed in 1965 as a method of countering the increasing North Vietnamese SAM threat, using volunteer crews flying the two-seat F model of the F-100 Super Sabre. While an effective airframe, the F-100F Wild Weasel did not have the performance characteristics to survive in a high threat environment.
At that time I wasn't even born, but cut the ==censored==. A topic about the legendary Wild weasels isn't yet started so her'es the kick-off!

Wild Weasel tactics & techniques were first developed in the Vietnam and the Yom Kippur War, and were later integrated into the Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) a plan used by US air forces to establish immediate air control, prior to possible full scale conflict.[2] Initially known by the operational code "IRON HAND" when first authorized on August 12, 1965, the term "Wild Weasel" derives from Project Wild Weasel, the USAF development program for a dedicated SAM-detection and suppression aircraft. (The technique {or a specific part} was also called an 'Iron Hand' mission, though technically the Iron Hand part refers only to a suppression attack that paves the way for the main strike.[3]) Originally named "Project Ferret", denoting a predatory animal that goes into its prey's den to kill it (hence: "to ferret out"), the name was changed to differentiate it from the code-name "Ferret" that had been used during World War II for radar counter-measures bombers.

In brief, the task of a Wild Weasel aircraft is to bait enemy anti-aircraft defenses into targeting it with their radars, whereupon the radar waves are traced back to their source allowing the Weasel or its teammates to precisely target it for destruction. A simple analogy is playing the game of "flashlight tag" in the dark; a flashlight is usually the only reliable means of identifying someone in order to "tag" (destroy) them, but the light immediately renders the bearer able to be identified and attacked as well. The result is a hectic game of cat-and-mouse in which the radar "flashlights" are rapidly cycled on and off in an attempt to identify and kill the target before the target is able to home in on the emitted radar "light" and destroy the site.

So, on to the photo's (and maybe the stories behind the photo's:-)
Let's begin with the F100 on to the F105 and finally the Phantoms and the F16's.


F-100 Super Sabre



F-100 Super Sabre



F-105D Thunderchief



F-105F Thunderchief



EF-4C Phantom



EF-4C Phantom



F16C + F-4G Phantom



F16C + F-4G Phantom



F-4G Phantom



F-4G Phantom


All Photo's copyrighted by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense-Public Affairs Defense Visual Information Directorate.



So let me see your Wild Weasels!!
"You Gotta Be Shittin' Me"

[wild weasel]

Aaaahhh, my favourites! though i've got no picture of them

[ehusmann]

Interesting topic and nice pictures. I am just wondering about the ´Chiefs. You are posting an F-105D and F-105F, but weren´t the F-105Gs actually the Wild Weasels? Or did they only become dedicated Wild Weasels after experience with the other models? I am not a expert in anyway, so I could be wrong on this point.

Erwin

[warthog64]

I do have a few,










Intesting website about the F-105 thunderchief,

webmaster, Rick versteegh was a ssb spotter....

http://geociti.es/Pentagon/7002/

[awacs]

Interesting topic and nice pictures. I am just wondering about the ´Chiefs. You are posting an F-105D and F-105F, but weren´t the F-105Gs actually the Wild Weasels? Or did they only become dedicated Wild Weasels after experience with the other models? I am not a expert in anyway, so I could be wrong on this point.

Erwin

Hey Erwin,

When the Wild Weasel role was passed in the summer of 1966 to the EF-105F Thunderchief. The F-105 Wild Weasel II was a better platform for this role and was equipped with more advanced radar, jamming equipment, and a heavier armament. Anti-radiation missiles were outfitted that could seek out radar emplacements. The F-105F Wild Weasel II was eventually replaced by the F-105G Wild Weasel III variant; 61 F-105F units were upgraded to F-105G specifications....so in order to you're comment, some F-105's types were dedicated to the Wild Weasel rol, and were finally upgraded to the F-105G

Hope this will enlighten you're answer:-)

[awacs]

I do have a few,





Wow Roel, love them!
The "OT" WW's, where were they stationed? Is that Otis?
Were you also a frequent visitor of Spangdahlem back in the eighties?
Got some old Wildweasels catched at Spangdahlem perhaps?:-)

[ehusmann]

Hope this will enlighten you're answer:-)

Yes it did, thanks! Like I said, I am not an expert in this so I learned something new again

Erwin

[dinovandoorn]

[awacs]

Wow Dino! Like them all:-)...very neat and shiny Widlweasels...or did they get a planewash before you took the pics?;-)

[awacs]

Here some history....

[Polecat]

allow me small sidestep, but a great tip to get into the real F-105 feel; Read the books written by Ed Rasimus!! Great stories and well written too, he mentions and describes a bit on Weasel flights as well though he only did WW1 sorties...

[awacs]

ALso found a nice piece of video via daily motion on the Wild weasels, Njoy!

http://dai.ly/dLAlYi

[awacs]

allow me small sidestep, but a great tip to get into the real F-105 feel; Read the books written by Ed Rasimus!! Great stories and well written too, he mentions and describes a bit on Weasel flights as well though he only did WW1 sorties...

Cool! Will look into that one, and any form of information is welcome, even when it's WWI related;-)...it al goes about the weasels....

[awacs]

And on with some historical pictures and WW facts....




A two-seat version of the F-105 Thunderchief. This is probably a trainer version but the 2-seaters also became the 2nd version of the "Wild Weasel" to replace the original F-100 version. Photographed by Stephen J. Rata in 1965.




The Thunderchief on display began operational service in 1964 as a standard F-105F. In 1967 it joined the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing in Thailand, where it flew combat missions for nearly three years. During this time, it became one of a select few USAF aircraft to claim three MiG kills. In 1970 it was fitted with electronic counter-measure equipment and joined the 388th TFW for "Wild Weasel" duty, attacking enemy surface-to-air missile sites. In 1972 the aircraft was modified to the improved F-105G "Wild Weasel" configuration. After another year in Thailand, it was assigned to the 35th TFW at George Air Force Base, Calif. It remained there until February 1980 when it was flown to the museum. It is marked as it appeared while assigned to the 561st Tactical Fighter Squadron based at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, in 1972-1973.


A tip of the hat to Gowen Field's colorful F-4 history... This puppy is a G model, the ultimate "Wild Weasel," which saw its career cut short during the lambasting defense cuts of the mid 90's (http://www.hangar71.com)

[Thermal]

Off topc: Love the "YGBSM" motto.

Apparently this was said by a former Electronic Warfare Officer who had converted from B-52's to fast jets in Vietnam.

When he learned that he had to fly in a fast jet to attract SAM's he said: "You Gotta Be Shitting Me!!"