The use of air power in the Vietnam War would change the way wars were fought for the Twentieth century and beyond. New technological advances and more sophisticated weapons made the Vietnam War a testing ground for the U.S. military. New tactics and approaches were used and to varying degrees of success. Air power would be used as a bargaining tool and as punishment for North Vietnamese acts of aggression. Vietnam also introduced the attack helicopter as a vital weapon and it dawned a new age of tactics for the U.S. military. Starting with the training and advising of the South Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF), and culminating with the Christmas bombing of 1972, the U.S. would be involved in the skies over Vietnam for over 15 years.
Consistent with U.S. military as well as political objectives the air war in Vietnam gradually increased and built up throughout the campaign. Air components of all four military services were utilized. Jet bombers and fighters were used extensively for the first time in the history of modern warfare. There are many differences of opinion regarding the effectiveness of the air campaign during the Vietnam War, with many historians arguing that the air war was too costly in lives and money. Proponents of the air campaign say that it dawned a new age in warfare and actually helped bring the war to a close. The air campaign was not without cost however. The North Vietnamese, with the help of the former Soviet Union, had developed an extensive air defense network, and the United States suffered heavy helicopter, plane and pilot losses throughout the campaign.
