U.s. Losses Outstrip Production in Vietnam

‘In an article in the New York Times, Hanson Baldwin writes: "In oné month's’ operations over Vietnam and Iaos, an Air Force squadron based at Ta Khli,. Thailand, lost 15 out-of 18 aircraft and nine pilots. ,.. Severe shortages of aircraft and pilots have been created by the steady and increasing attrition of the air war over North Vietnam, plus operational losses all over the world and the failure of the services up to now to retain many of their skilled younger pilots. Navy sources say that except for the squadrons operating. from the three carriers at 'Yankee Station' off North Vietnam, virtually all of the rest of their combat squadrons are below strength in either planes or pilots or both, The shortage .... is so acute that the Navy says it is taking old Lockheed T-33 jet trainers out of storage to supply Naval Air Reserve Units. In turn, the Douglas A-4B models of the light attack aircraft flown by the naval reserve - a model first flown in 1956 - are being trans-~ ferred to regular Navy squadrons. The A-4B had been virtually out of the regular navy inventory. .... "The Air Force is feeling a similar strain, Except for two squadrons, scheduled to be deployed to Southeast Asia, the Tactical Air Command in the U.S. is a training wit, officers say. All of its available squadrons are committed. The shortages have occurred because the losses of certain types of aircraft from combat have been larger for many months than the production rate of comparable replacement aircraft, and because casualties and the resignation rates of pilots have exceeded readily available replacements, The imbalance is attributed in both cases by some officers in both services to the refusal of the Defense Department to authorize expansion of production and training facilities soon enough, Results, in any case, have been a ‘draw down' upon inventories, the assignment of pilots from other duties or other types of aircraft to combat flying, and a strain upon personnel, "Despite a recent authorization by Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara for 280 additional aircraft. - about 240 of them for the Navy - the production rate of the combat types used by the Navy in Vietnam will not exceed the © official loss rate until next year, naval officers say. The Air Force does not expect to reach its full inventory of aircraft wmtil July 1968, aires continuance of the present loss rate and production schedule. .... The losses, both in absolute terms or numbers of aircraft, and in percentages of total sorties flown, have increased for a number of reasons. More and more United States squadrons are being committed to the air war and hence more ~ sorties are being flown over North Vietnam and Laos, Aircraft production, on the other: hand, has encountered many, and increasing bottlenecks, Short=ages in skilled labor and certain types of material have delayed deliveries: In the last year the lead time. (the time between placement! of order and delivery) for heavy aluminium extrusions increased from 12 to 50 weeks;* the lead time for heavy aluminium forgings doubled. eye ‘ "The pilot situation in the services 1g somewhat comparable to the aircraft situation, One naval officer said the Navy had a "shortage" of 1,660 pilots and the Marines had a shortage of about 650. His figures included all billets ~ ashore as well as afloat, in key administrative staff ‘and nonoperational jobs as well as in flying "slots" - that are normally filled by qualified pilots. In both the Navy and Air Force, a "comb-out" of these "billets" has occurred in order to provide qualified aviators for Vietnam. However, this represents a temporary expedient. The Air Force is increasing its training from 1,965 pilots in the fiscal year 1966 to 2,760 this:year. However, it is concerned about the pilot resignation rate, for 704 resigned last year."