List of aircraft losses of the Vietnam War

Burning American aircraft at Bien Hoa Air Base in 1965

During the Vietnam War, thousands of U.S. aircraft were lost to antiaircraft artillery (AAA), surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), and fighter interceptors (MiG)s. The great majority of U.S. combat losses in all areas of Southeast Asia were to AAA. The Royal Australian Air Force also flew combat and airlift missions in South Vietnam, as did the South Vietnamese Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF). Among fixed-wing aircraft, more F-4 Phantoms were lost than any other type in service with any nation.

The United States lost 578 Firebee Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) (554 over Vietnam and 24 over China).[1] More than 400 QH-50C/D UAVs were also lost.[2]

There were about 11,846 U.S helicopters that served in the Vietnam War. The U.S records show 5,607 helicopter losses.[3]

In total, the United States military lost in Vietnam almost 10,000 aircraft, helicopters and UAVs (3,744 planes,[4] 5,607 helicopters[3] and about 1,000 UAVs.[1][5]).

South Vietnam lost 1,018 aircraft and helicopters from January 1964 to September 1973.[6] 877 Republic of Vietnam aircraft were captured at war's end (1975)[7] Of the 2750[8] aircraft and helicopters received by South Vietnam, only about 308 survived (240 flew to Thailand or US warships[9] and 68 returned to the United States[10]).

The United States, South Vietnam and Australia, lost about 12,500 aircraft, helicopters and UAVs.

North Vietnam lost 150 – 170 aircraft and helicopters.

  1. ^ a b Dark Eagles: A History of the Top Secret U.S. Aircraft (1999). Peebles Curtis. Presidio Press. P.39
  2. ^ "For ALL QH-50 Programs, operating on 165 U.S. Naval Ships to ARPA Vietnam-Operations, over 50 QH-50s are shot down over Vietnam and 350 are lost Fleet-wide during the entire Vietnam War"/Milestones. Gyrodyne Helicopter Historical Foundation
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference roush was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Assessing the War's Costs. Colonel Donovan. Vietnam Magazine, April 1996
  5. ^ "For ALL QH-50 Programs, operating on 165 U.S. Naval Ships to ARPA Vietnam-Operations, over 50 QH-50s are shot down over Vietnam and 350 are lost Fleet-wide during the entire Vietnam War"/Milestones. Gyrodyne Helicopter Historical Foundation
  6. ^ Correll, John (2004). The Air Force in the Vietnam War (PDF). The Air Force Association. p. 26. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 December 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  7. ^ Toperczer, Istvan. MiG-21 Units of the Vietnam War. Osprey 2001, No. 29. pp. 80–81
  8. ^ "South Viet Nam Air Force - VNAF - Equipment". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  9. ^ Air War Vietnam Plans and Operations 1969–1975. Elizabeth Hartsook, Stuart Slade. 2013. P.463
  10. ^ "South Viet Nam Air Force - VNAF - Aircraft Deliveries". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 29 July 2023.