2,251: Number of aircraft lost during the Vietnam War

Aircraft wrecks, WW2 Pacific Treasures

By Pierre Kosmidis

SOURCE

FURTHER READING:

5,086: Number of helicopters destroyed during the Vietnam War

The U.S. Air Force flew 5.25 million sorties over South Vietnam, North Vietnam, northern and southern Laos, and Cambodia, losing 2,251 aircraft: 1,737 to hostile action, and 514 in accidents.

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2,197 of the losses were fixed-wing, and the remainder rotary-wing. The USAF sustained approximately 0.4 losses per 1,000 sorties during the conflict, which compared favorably with a 2.0 rate in Korea and a 9.7 figure during World War II.

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The Republic of Vietnam lost 1,018 aircraft and helicopters from January 1964 to September 1973.

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877 Republic of Vietnam aircraft were captured at war’s end (1975)

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North Vietnam lost 150 – 200 aircraft and helicopters.

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Among fixed­ wing aircraft, more F­4 Phantoms were lost than any other type in service with any nation (445 total, 382 in combat).

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