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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 2,750 [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 UH-1 is seen in many films about the Vietnam War, including The Green Berets, The Deer Hunter, Platoon, Hamburger Hill, Apocalypse Now, [96] Casualties of War, and Born on the Fourth of July. It is prominently featured in We Were Soldiers as the main helicopter used by the Air Cavalry in the Battle of Ia Drang .
Anti-submarine warfare helicopter Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation 1954 1954 2108 Bell 201: Experimental helicopter Bell Aircraft: 1954 Never 1 Bell UH-1 Iroquois: Utility helicopter Bell Aircraft: The UH-1 was in the service of the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. Nicknamed the "Huey" because the original Army designation was HU-1. 1956 1959 >16,000
Closely related to the development of the Bell AH-1 is the story of the Bell UH-1 Iroquois transport helicopter—an icon of the Vietnam War and one of the most numerous helicopter types built. The UH-1 made the theory of air cavalry practical, as the new tactics called for US forces to be highly mobile across a wide area.
During the war it was used in a wide variety of roles including observation, reconnaissance, and medivac. From its role in medevac flights, it gained the nickname "Angel of Mercy". It was also used as an observation helicopter early in the Vietnam War, before being replaced by the Hughes OH-6 Cayuse in 1966.
On 28 July 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced that the U.S. would increase the number of its forces in South Vietnam from 75,000 to 125,000. The arrival of additional USMC and United States Air Force squadrons at Da Nang AB led to severe overcrowding at the base and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing (I MAW) began looking for an alternative site for the helicopter squadrons of MAG-16.
The helicopters transported over 1,000 Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) paratroopers for an assault on a suspected Viet Cong (VC) stronghold 10 miles (16 km) west of Saigon. The VC were surprised and soundly defeated.
For the majority of the Vietnam War, the principal weapon of the door gunner was a medium machine gun (MG), initially, a M1919A4 .30 caliber MG, and soon thereafter, the M60 7.62mm MG became the standard helicopter door armament system. Initially however not all helicopters were armed or outfitted with a dedicated MG for door armament.