NDQSAAir Defense Artillery service during the Vietnam War
NDQSA
This Photo Gallery is organized by US Army Vietnam Air Defense weapons systems and the units equipped with them. The pictures have been shared by Veterans and their families, most of whom are members of the National Dusters, Quads & Searchlights Association. We thank them for their service and for being a huge part of preserving our heritage.
Information about 1st Battalion, 44th Artillery Twin 40mm “Dusters”
Information about 4th Battalion, 60th Artillery Twin 40mm “Dusters”
Information about 5th Battalion, 2nd Artillery Twin 40mm “Dusters”
Information about Battery E, 41st Artillery Quad 50 Caliber (MG)
Information about Battery G, 55th Artillery Quad 50 Caliber (MG)
Information about Battery G, 65th Artillery Quad 50 Caliber (MG)
Information about Battery D, 71st Artillery Quad 50 Caliber (MG)
Information about Battery B, 29th Artillery
Information about Battery G, 29th Artillery
Information about Battery H, 29th Artillery
Information about Battery I, 29th Artillery
HAWK means ‘Homing All-the-Way Killer’ and was a medium range, surface-to-air guided missile that provided air defense coverage against low-to-medium-altitude aircraft. Basic HAWK was developed in the 1950s and initially fielded in 1960. The tracking system is a radar homer which picks up signals from a radar which are reflected by the target, and steers itself to the interception. The original launcher was a three-missile cluster on a trailer. Later a mobile configuration was developed. Hawk anti-aircraft missile units served in Vietnam with the 97th Artillery Group.
The 6th Battalion, 56th Artillery (HAWK) had four line batteries, A, B, C and D and a headquarters battery (HHB). It was located in the Long Binh and Bien Hoa area north of Saigon with its headquarters on Long Binh. It primarily focused on providing air defense with its fixed site systems for the key areas of Tan Son Nhut, Bien Hoa, Long Binh, and Qui Nhon. The 6/56 deployed to Vietnam on 30 September 1965 and returned to the United States on 2 August 1969.
The 1st Vulcan Combat Team was deployed to Vietnam for combat evaluation in November 1968. The unit trained at Ft. Bliss, Texas, and all men were volunteers. They were scheduled to leave in March 1969, but stayed an additional 45 days to finish mopping up after the 1969 Tet offensive. The team consisted of five Vulcans, 2 officers, and 21 enlisted men. There was also a group of civilian technicians and Army observers/evaluators. The Vulcan Air Defense system was identified as the XM-163, each mounting the Vulcan M16A1 six barreled gatling gun on a converted M113A1 chassis. The 28 person unit was attached to the 5/2nd Artillery operating out of Long Binh and was supplemented by soldiers from the 5/2nd Artillery. They were used mainly in a convoy escort role to test the Vulcan’s suitability for the ground combat role.
