A September 1965 CIA intelligence briefing stated that Kép airfield had been extensively improved with the runway lengthened to 6000 ft allowing for jet fighter operations and photo-reconnaissance indicated that 8 aircraft, identified as MiG-15sorMiG-17s were at the airfield.[1] In April 1966 the CIA concluded that a small number of MiG-21s had possibly deployed to Kép from Phúc Yên Air Base.[2]
On 24 April 1967, jets from VA-112 and VA-144 attacked Kép in the first U.S. airstrike on a VPAF airfield of the Vietnam War.[3]
A Regiment-sized unit of Korean People's Air Force MiG pilots known as Doan Z (Group Z) flew from Kép from late 1967 through 1968.[5]
On 15 June 1972 during Operation Linebacker U.S. fighter-bombers attacked the base cratering the runway.[6] The base was attacked again on 18 June with further damage to the runway.[7]
Kép, Phúc Yên and Hòa Lạc were targeted on the first night of Operation Linebacker II on 18 December 1972 to suppress fighters that might otherwise intercept US attack aircraft.[8]
^Nichols, John (1987). On Yankee Station: The Naval Air War Over Vietnam. United States Naval Institute. p. 155. ISBN978-0-87021-559-9.
^Grossnick, R (1997). United States Naval Aviation, 1910–1995. Naval Historical Center. ISBN0-16-049124-X. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
Vietnam People's Air Force
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
