Article about North Vietnamese pilots being trained to operate Soviet-made jet

Item

derivative filename/jpeg

363-07729 to 363-07733.pdf

Digital Object Identifier

363-07729 to 363-07733

Title

Article about North Vietnamese pilots being trained to operate Soviet-made jet

Description

Keever's title: "During bombing pause, Hanoi trains pilots to fly Soviet-made MIG jets", article about North Vietnamese pilots being trained to operate Soviet-made jet, for the New York Herald Tribune

AI Usage Disclosure

Draft transcripts were automatically generated via Google Document AI and are currently under review. Please report significant errors to Archives & Special Collections at archives@unl.edu.

Transcript

(Morgan Gandy) SAIGON 30200 (UPIS) North Vietnamese pilots are being trained during the American bombing pause to operate the Soviet-made, double-the-speed-of-sound MIG 21 repeat MIG 21 jet interceptors, authoritative sources announced today. The announcement came amid growing fears by American military commanders and South Vietnamese government officials that the [insertion: thirty sevn day] bombing pause has dragged on too long--and in fact may notrptnot be resumed. “I would notrptnot even guess whether or not the bombing pause will be resumed at all,” one authoritative source explained. “It’s up to President Johnson--and I’m in norptno position to read his mind.” The training program for the North Vietnamese jet pilots is known to be conducted northve the capitals cityve Hanoi--the planes have been flying about in daylight hours--but norptnot in the southern portion of the Communist country, these sources reported. “It’s very logical that during the stand-down in American airpower, the North Vietnamese have got more airspace to practice in without their neophytes getting shotdown,” one source explained. (More Malloy--BD) first add--morgan gandy--saigon x x x the source explained x x x The MIG 21s--”their first line aircraft”--are capable of carrying air-to-air missiles, but tis currently known whether the [deletion: these] the planes in North Vietnam are carrying such lethal weapons. A dangerous interceptor even without missiles, the [XXXX indicating deletion] speed of the MIG 21 is roughly equal to that of America’s fastest jet--the [XXXX indicating deletion] droopy-nosed Phantom, which the Unistates Airforce, Navy and Marines have previously used to [XXXX indicating deletion] sow bombs and rockets over North Vietnamese military targets before the “stand-down” began on Christmas Eve last year. The MIG 21 is roughly equivalent to the Unistates Air Force FFF-104 repeat onehundred four [deletion: “Starli] “Starfighter” interceptor, which is being phased out of [deletion: the] American inventories. (More Malloy--BD) second add--morgan gandy--saigon x x x american inventories x x x. There is notrptnot evidence that Chicom or Soviet pilots are flying the MIG2 MIG 21s, these authoritative sources reported, nor is there any evidence that the planes are bearing Chicom [deletion: [illegible]] insignia. Intelligence sources report that Communist China is [insertion: still] believed to be [deletion: still] unable to manufacture such sophisticated aircraft as the MIG 21s. The sources said that the number of aircraft within North Vietnam still numbers roughly seventyfive planes, but “there has been an increase in the quality of the aircraft when the MIG 21s came in to replace other planes,” (More Malloy--BD) third add--morgan gandy--saigon x x x other planes x x x. In related developments, the sources reported: 1. During the bombing pause, the North Vietnamese [XXXX indicating deletion] are believed to have made [deletion: repari] repairs [deletion: to] on all the main road and railroad lines of communication--including the two lines leading into Communist China [XXXX indicating deletion] Necessary material for future repairs is believed to be already stockpiled. “Truck convoys are moving in daytime conditions in North Vietnam, roads have been bypassed or repaired, mobile pontoon bridges are being used and all the main lines are trafficable, thus improving Hanoi’s logistical network,” the source said. 2. Aye “relatively small number” of truck convoys have been traveling--both day and night--on roads in southern Laos which lead directly into northern [XXXX indicating deletion] provinces of South Vietnam. “We [deletion: know] see these truck convoys from time to time,” the source said. “But, of course, it’s very difficult to locate [deletion: fo] infiltration by foot.” (More Malloy--BD) fourth add--morgan gandy--saigon x x x by foot. x x x 3. [insertion: A] “significant change” in North Vietnamese anti-aircraft capabilities is expected within the next three months as the result of visit [deletion: of] to Hanoi by Soviet delegation [deletion: lead by] of top Kremlin aide Alexander Shelepin in early January. “Shelepin probably gave Ho Chi Minh another hand-out--and most of [XXXX indicating deletion] this will probably be anti-aircraft equipment, but there hasn’t been enough time to move the equipment in yet,” the source said. The [XXXX indicating deletion] official said [XXXX indicating deletion] the number of “active, manned and equipped” surface-to-air missile sites remains at between fifteen and twenty with “many more” potential sites already laid out to move more equipment into. “They can move [insertion: the missile equipment] to these potential sites in a short period of time and that [deletion: aids] adds to the complexity of attacking the missile sites,” the source said. (Cabling this since other specials also have it). (Endit--Maloy Malloy--BD)

Date

1966

Subject

Vietnam War, 1961-1975; United States. Air Force; Bombardment; Military assistance, Communist; Vietnam (Democratic Republic). Quân đội; MiG (Fighter planes); Jet fighter planes; USSR armed forces

Location

Saigon, South Vietnam

Coordinates

10.8231; 106.6311

Size

20 x 26 cm

Container

B188, F3

Format

dispatches

Collection Number

MS 363

Collection Title

Beverly Deepe Keever, Journalism Papers

Creator

Keever, Beverly Deepe

Collector

Keever, Beverly Deepe

Copyright Information

These images are for educational use only. To inquire about usage or publication, please contact Archives & Special Collections.

Publisher

Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries

Language

English