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List of Vietnam War flying aces

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The known flying aces of the Vietnam War include 17 North Vietnamese pilots, five Americans, and one Soviet aviator.

The American aces flew as members of two-man crews on F-4 Phantoms, reflecting the emergence of air-to-air missiles as the primary weapons of aerial combat. Two were pilots, two Air Force weapon systems officers, and two Navy radar intercept officer.

Robin Olds had 4 kills in Vietnam, making him a lifetime triple-ace with 16 kills, including the 12 he registered in World War II.[1]

Name Country Service Victories Aircraft
Nguyễn Văn Cốc[2] North Vietnam North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 9 MiG-17, MiG-21
Mai Văn Cường[2] North Vietnam North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 8 MiG-17, MiG-21
Nguyễn Hồng Nhị[2] North Vietnam North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 8 MiG-21
Phạm Thanh Ngân[2] North Vietnam North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 8 MiG-17, MiG-21
Đặng Ngọc Ngự[2] North Vietnam North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 7 MiG-21
Nguyễn Văn Bảy[2] North Vietnam North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 7 MiG-17
Lê Hải[2] North Vietnam North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 6 MiG-17
Lê Thanh Đạo[2] North Vietnam North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 6 MiG-21
Lưu Huy Chao[2] North Vietnam North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 6 MiG-17
Nguyễn Đức Soát[2] North Vietnam North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 6 MiG-21
Nguyễn Đăng Kỉnh[2] North Vietnam North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 6 MiG-21
Nguyễn Ngọc Độ[2] North Vietnam North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 6 MiG-21
Nguyễn Nhật Chiêu[2] North Vietnam North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 6 MiG-17, MiG-21
Nguyễn Tiến Sâm[3] North Vietnam North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 6 MiG-21
Vũ Ngọc Đỉnh[2] North Vietnam North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 6 MiG-21
Col. Vadim Shcherbakov[4] Soviet Union Soviet Union Soviet Air Forces 6 MiG-21
Capt. Charles B. "Chuck" DeBellevue[5] United States United States US Air Force 6 F-4 Phantom II D/E
Le Quang Trung[6] North Vietnam North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 5 MiG-17, MiG-21
Nguyễn Văn Nghĩa North Vietnam North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 5 MiG-21
Lt Randall "Duke" Cunningham[7] United States United States US Navy1 5 F-4 Phantom II
Lt j.g. William P. Driscoll United States United States US Navy 5 F-4 Phantom II J
Capt. Steve Ritchie[8] United States United States US Air Force1 5 F-4 Phantom II
Capt. Jeff Feinstein[9] United States United States US Air Force 5 F-4 Phantom II


U.S. officials say they lost 245 aircraft in air-to-air combat during the war.[10][failed verification] More air-to-air losses were allegedly attributed to surface-to-air missiles, as it was considered "less embarrassing".[11] Estimates of North Vietnamese losses range from 131, as documented in known Soviet, North Vietnamese, and allied records;[12] to 195, as claimed by U.S. officials.[13]

See also

References

  1. ^ Martin, Douglas (2007-06-20). "Robin Olds, 84, Fighter Ace and Hero of Big Vietnam Battle, Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved 2019-01-18.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Zampini, Diego (2012-03-23). "North Vietnamese Aces". acepilots.com. Retrieved 2019-01-19.
  3. ^ Toperczer, István (2017-09-21). MiG-21 Aces of the Vietnam War. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 95. ISBN 9781472823540.
  4. ^ Task Force Russia (POW/MIA) (1993-04-23). "18th Report, 17 March-16 April 1993". American Memory, Library of Congress. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
  5. ^ Futrell, R. Frank (1976). United States Air Force in Southeast Asia 1965-1973: Aces and Aerial Victories. Air University, Headquarters USAF. pp. 93–105.
  6. ^ Toperczer, István (2016-10-20). MiG-17/19 Aces of the Vietnam War. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 52. ISBN 9781472812568.
  7. ^ Sherman, Stephan (2012-03-22). "Randy Cunningham". acepilots.com. Retrieved 2019-01-19.
  8. ^ Boyce, Ward. "Brig. Gen. Steve Ritchie". tripod.com. Retrieved 2019-01-19.
  9. ^ "Jeffrey S. Feinstein". Air Force Times. Archived from the original on 17 October 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  10. ^ Lednicer, David; Camp, Adrian (2002-06-09). "US Air-to-Air Losses in the Vietnam War". myplace.frontier.com. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
  11. ^ E., Gordon (2008). Mikoyan MiG-21. Dexter, Keith., Komissarov, Dmitriĭ (Dmitriĭ Sergeevich). Hinckley: Midland. ISBN 9781857802573. OCLC 245555578.
  12. ^ "Kafedra i klinika urologii pervogo sankt-peterburgskogo gosudarstvennogo meditsinskogo universiteta im. akad. I. P. Pavlova: vchera, segodnya, zavtra". Urologicheskie Vedomosti. 5 (1): 3. 2015-03-15. doi:10.17816/uroved513-6. ISSN 2225-9074.
  13. ^ Air warfare: an international encyclopedia. Boyne, Walter J., 1929-. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. 2002. p. 679. ISBN 978-1576073452. OCLC 49225204.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  • Toperczer, Istvan, MiG-21 Units of the Vietnam War, Osprey Combat Aircraft #29, 2008; ISBN 978-1-84176-263-0
  • Michel III, Marshall L, Clashes, Air Combat over North Vietnam 1965-1972, Naval Institute Press, 1997; ISBN 978-1-59114-519-6
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