| Operation Millpond | |
|---|---|
| Part of Laotian Civil War | |
| Type | Covert operation |
| Location | |
| Planned | 13 March 1961 |
| Planned by | Joint Chiefs of Staff |
| Commanded by | John F. Kennedy, Harry C. Aderholt, Winthrop G. Brown |
| Objective | Establish airpower in Laos |
| Date | March 21, 1961—August 1961 |
| Executed by | USAF, CIA, PEO, Air America, RTAF, RLA |
| Outcome | Aborted |
| Casualties | Light damage from anti-aircraft while over Napé |
Operation Millpond, which operated from 13 March 1961 through August 1961, was an American covert operation designed to introduce air power into the Laotian Civil War. A force of 16 B26s, 16 Sikorsky H-34s, and other military materiel was hastily shipped in from Okinawa and held ready to operate from the Kingdom of Thailand. After this hasty preparation for bombing in Laos, the debacle at the Bay of Pigs invasion resulted in the cancellation of Millpond. The B-26s were returned to Okinawa. However, the precedent had been set for covert Central Intelligence Agency-sponsored air operations in Laos.