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Exploring Wild Weasel history, vital role in today’s airpower

  • Published
  • By Captain Harrison Gebs
  • 55th Fighter Squadron
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  Shaw Weasels. These two words greet us as we pass through the gates in the morning for work and ring in the ears of Airmen during commander’s calls.

It has become a common phrase here, but the history behind these two words is anything but common.

The Wild Weasel mission finds its origins during the Vietnam War in 1965, when American ingenuity once again proved that it can rise to meet and defeat whatever challenge the enemy throws its way.

Since 1965 the aircraft, pilots and tactics have changed dramatically, but the core essence of the Weasel mission has not.

In March 1965, as part of a massive effort to bring North Vietnam to the negotiating table, the United States launched its first major aerial campaign intended to cripple the North’s warfighting ability. As thousands of tons of bombs exploded on the Vietnamese countryside, the North’s leadership secretly began importing a radical new surface-to-air missile system, the SA-2 Guideline.

In May 1965, just after Operation Rolling Thunder commenced, U.S. reconnaissance flights began picking up telltale signs of these formidable missiles and not long afterward, the first shoot downs of American aircraft started.

On July 24, 1965, the SA-2 claimed its first victim, a U.S. Air Force F-4C Phantom II. Losses began to mount as the North Vietnamese honed their skills.

The U.S. was completely unprepared to deal with this new weapon, but something had to be done to stem the hemorrhaging of F-4s and B-52s from the fleet.

In October 1965 a specialized group of Air Force pilots met at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida to develop new tactics and equipment to counter the threat. This highly classified endeavor, code named Project Weasel, was the genesis of the now famous Wild Weasel mission.

Standard F-100F Super Sabre jets were modified to include specialized receivers to home in on the SA-2 radar signals, as well as devices used to warn of an impending missile launch. Their niche was to find and destroy the North’s surface to air missiles, completing their mission of suppression of enemy air defenses.

These SEAD missions were extremely perilous, as Wild Weasel pilots flew well out in front of the main formation of strike aircraft to entice the Vietnamese to turn their SA-2 radars on. The Weasels used evasive techniques, bombs and guns to keep the SA-2 sites preoccupied while the strikers entered and egressed the target areas. The presence of the specially modified F-100 Super Sabre and soon to be developed F-105 Thunderchief aircraft slashed losses of American aircraft as the pilots began earning their now famous, “First in, Last out” motto.

Fast forward about 50 years or so and the Wild Weasel mission has seen a number of changes, but the basic concept remains the same.

Following the Vietnam War, the U.S. transitioned to the F-4 Phantom II as its main Wild Weasel or SEAD platform, but was retired in 1996. Thus entered the mighty Block 50/52 F-16 Fighting Falcon, unofficially nicknamed the Viper.

The 20th Fighter Wing specifically flies the Block 50 version powered by a General Electric-129. Producing approximately 30,000 pounds of thrust and combined with the small size and enhanced fly-by-wire maneuverability, the Viper makes for an extremely powerful and nimble fighter that is perfect for the modern day Wild Weasel mission.

The Fighting Falcon pilots at Shaw and around the Air Force fly have several specialized avionics upgrades and weapons that are vital for mission execution, including the high speed anti-radiation missile, the HARM targeting system pod, and the sniper advanced targeting pod.

A far cry from the basic systems the pilots of yesteryear used, these upgrades allow for single seat pilots to manage the intense workloads of flying a high speed jet while simultaneously engaging enemy SAMs.

What exactly does the modern day SEAD mission entail?

While the enemy still has legacy systems such as the SA-2, SAMs have become infinitely more capable and deadly. Instead of SAM radars that can only engage one target at a time, many new systems can track and fire multiple missiles at multiple targets. If the U.S. were to become involved with a near-peer adversary, our Air Force would certainly face these new threats and without the F-16 and our specialized capabilities, the Air Force could suffer substantial losses.

A typical SEAD mission that Shaw pilots train for and fly every day starts with intense planning – a key to successfully taking down a network of integrated SAM sites. Factors that Weasel pilots have to consider include what types of strike aircraft are being escorted, length of time spent in a threat area, and what type of SAMs to expect.

Although planning is important, the execution phase is obviously where Weasels take action. Everything is choreographed down to the second, as there are specific times that each aircraft needs to penetrate the air defenses as well as drop their bombs. In order to protect the strikers and disrupt the enemy’s radars, Viper pilots use the HTS pod to cue the HARM. The HARMs sole job is to home in on the SAMs radar and explode, shutting down the missile system for good. Without a radar, a SAM operator is unable to guide his missiles to the target.

Another method Weasels use to disrupt SAMs is to find the actual system using the advanced targeting pod that we carry on the belly of our jet. Once we locate the radar with the pod, pilots can guide laser or GPS bombs to the target, ensuring destruction of the system.

Sometimes, just the threat of our F-16s being in the enemy airspace will be enough to keep the SAMs from turning on. In other words, no operator wants to turn his radar on and then get hit with a HARM thirty seconds later. Either way, pilots choose to disrupt enemy SAMs, the mission of allowing friendly strike aircraft to get to the target and back without being harassed by air defenses is accomplished.

The Wild Weasel mission that pilots fly today at Shaw stems from a proud legacy going all the way back to the Vietnam War. It is a crucial mission to the Air Force and one that is unique to the F-16.

Since Shaw has three of only six active duty SEAD squadrons the U.S. Air Force, our role for the defense of our country and around the world is vital.

Without the three squadrons at Shaw maintaining the highest state of readiness and proficiency in the SEAD mission, the combat capability of the Air Force would be severely degraded.