The 'missile with a man in it' was known for its blistering speed and
deadliness in air combat. The F-104C flew more than 14,000 combat hours
in Vietnam as a bomber escort, a Wild Weasel escort and a close air
support aircraft. Though many were sceptical of its ability to carry
weapons, the Starfighter gave a fine account of itself in the close air
support role. It was also well known that the enemy were especially
reluctant to risk their valuable and scarce MiGs when the F-104 was
escorting bombers over North Vietnam or flying combat air patrols
nearby. The missions were not without risk, and 14 Starfighters were
lost during the war over a two-year period. This was not insignificant
considering that the USAF only had one wing of these valuable aircraft
at the time, and wartime attrition and training accidents also took
quite a bite from the inventory.
While the F-105 Thunderchief and F-4 Phantom got most of the glory and
publicity during the war in Vietnam, the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter was
not given much chance of surviving in a 'shooting war'. In the event, it
did that and much more. Although built in small numbers for the USAF,
the F-104C fought and survived for almost three years in Vietnam. Like
its predecessor the F-100, the Starfighter was a mainstay of Tactical
Air Command and Air Defence Command, with whom it served with
distinction as an air superiority fighter and point defence interceptor.
This small, tough and very fast fighter, dubbed 'The Missile with a Man
in It', was called upon to do things it was not specifically designed
for, and did them admirably. Among these were close air support and
armed reconnaissance using bombs, rockets and other armaments hung from
its tiny wings, as well as its 20 mm Vulcan cannon, firing 6000 rounds
per minute. The jet participated in some of the most famous battles of
the war, including the legendary Operation Bolo, in which seven North
Vietnamese MiGs went down in flames with no US losses. Even as it was
fighting in Vietnam, the Starfighter was being adopted by no fewer than
six NATO air forces as well as Japan and Nationalist China. It was later
procured by Jordan, Turkey and Pakistan. The latter nation took the
Starfighter to war with India twice in the 1960s, and it also saw combat
with Taiwan.
The story of the Starfighter in Vietnam is one of tragedy and of
ultimate vindication. For decades the F-104's contribution to the air
war in Vietnam was downplayed and its role as a ground attack machine
minimised. Only in recent years has that assessment been re-evaluated,
and the facts prove the Starfighter to have been able to do its job as
well or better than some of the other tactical aircraft sent to the
theatre for just that purpose.
