HISTORY

AN/ALQ-101

QRC-335As, pre-production versions of what would become

known as the AN/ALQ-101(V)-2 began showing up in SEA in

April 1968. Unlike the earlier pods, it was capable of both

noise (barrage) and deception jamming. However, production

AN/ALQ-101 pods didn’t become operational until 1970,

during the bombing halt that began in November 1968 and

lasting until early 1972.

Available information on the 432nd TRW is completely

contradictory. In the same paragraph it is stated that they

began receiving AN/ALQ-87s in April 1968 and during April and

May carried a one each of standard AN/ALQ-71s and AN/ALQ87s. Beginning in June 1968, this changed to carrying a single

pod, either an AN/ALQ-71 or AN/ALQ-87. By mid-1968, RF-4Cs

began carrying two standard AN/ALQ-71s. Then it goes on to

state that the QRC-335As (also) arrived in April 1968 and until

the bombing halt, the 432nd TRW F-4D/Es were configured

with one standard and one SPECIAL pod (ALQ-71s or ALQ-87s),

or one QRC-335A and one standard configured AN/ALQ-87.

Initially, Takhli-based 355th TFW Wild Weasel F-105Fs did not

carry ECM pods. However, beginning in July 1968, they began

carrying one QRC-335A and/or a normal AN/ALQ-87. F-105F

Wild Weasels from the 388th TFW didn’t began using QRC335As until the end of 1968 (presumably after the bombing

halt began). Later, the F-105G Wild Weasels used a ‘split’ AN/

ALQ-101, called the AN/ALQ-105, mounted on its fuselage

flanks.

Although authorized for use by the F-105D, no evidence

has been found to indicate they actually used the AN/

ALQ-101 operationally and all the F-105s, save the F-105Gs

were withdrawn from SEA well before the bombing of North

Vietnam began again in 1972.

By the time of Operation LINEBACKER, which began in May

1972, the AN/ALQ-71s appear to have been largely (but not

totally) superseded by a mixture of AN/ALQ-87s and AN/ALQ101s. AN/ALQ-101(V)-2s were also used as SPECIAL pods.

In total, 155 of the original AN/ALQ-101(V)-2 pods were built.

Only 71 of the longer AN/ALQ-101(V)-3 were built before being

superseded by the AN/ALQ-101(V)-4, with 324 being built and

seeing extensive used during Operation LINEBACKER. Only 58

AN/ALQ-101(V)-6s, with the distinctive conduit running down

the left side of the pod, were built. While they may have

been used towards the end of the Vietnam War, they seem to

have been mainly exported. They were widely used by Israeli

F-4Es during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, carried in the front left

Sparrow well, and were also noted on German F-4Fs, mounted

on the centerline station.

USAF Units Using ECM Pods During the Vietnam War

During the Vietnam War, pods were distributed by base. These bases and their aircraft were:

Da Nang AB

Mar 68-Apr 69

Jan 68-Jun 72

Apr 69-Jun 72

366th TFW

F-4D (CA-CZ)

F-4D (LF)

F-4E (LA, LC)

Korat RTAFB

Apr 66-Dec 69

Nov 68-Dec 75

Jun 74-Jun 75

388th TFW

347th TFW

F-105D/F (JJ, JE, JV)

F-105G (JB, MD, ZB), F-4E (JJ, JV, UP), A-7D (JH)

F-111A (HG)

Takhli RTAFB

Nov 65-Dec 70

Sep 72-Jul 73

Aug 73-Jun 74

355thTFW

474th TFW

347th TFW

F-105D/F (RE, RK, RM, RU),

F-111A (NA)

F-111A (HG)

Tan Son Nhut AB

Mar 65-May 65

45th TRS

Ubon RTAFB

Dec 65-Sep 74

Apr 72-Sep 73

8th TFW

4th TFW

Udorn RTAFB

Sep 66-Nov 74

432nd TRW

INFO Eduard - December 2019

RF-101C

F-4C (FG, FP) F-4D (FA, FG, FO, FP, FY), AC-130A/E (FT)

F-4E (SA, SC, SJ)

F-4D (OC, OO, OY), RF-4C (OZ), F-4E (ED, OS, OY, PN, ZF)

eduard

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