Review by Martin Koenigsberg
Early in the Cold War, Anti Aircraft suppression had to be done with ECM- jamming- or full missions dedicated to flak suppression. Radars were things to be noted and avoided, or whole side missions designed to destroy them were scheduled. Korea led to Vietnam- the whole time strategic requirements had to be met as well- and an idea developed in the Military industrial complex in NATO countries that perhaps Radar killing Missiles could take some of the pressure off the Bomber crews. Early on, a second crewman found the Radars and homed in basic missiles to the coordinates – a mission that came to be called “Wild Weasel”. Early work with F-100s, F-101s, and F-105 was promising, but the mission really came of age in Vietnam with the F-4 Phantom that would serve through the Second Gulf War and the HARM (Hi Speed Anti Radiation Missile) Missiles that could dive straight at Radars guiding themselves. Peter E Davies, a prolific Aviation author tells the story – assisted by the Osprey Publishing team who fill the book with photos, maps, charts and diagrams . The F-4 Phantom II was a massive aircraft with lots of room for all the gear required for this tech -heavy mission. As long as it shrank in size every few years…It had enough power to get out of bad situations and carried a lot of ordnance. USAF/NATO Pilots came to rely on the services of the USAF Wild Weasels to clear the way through Vietnam , Gulf War II, and the Anti-Assad no fly zone era. Enemy Radar Operators lived- and often died, in fear of the folks who delivered consequences if you lit up your array. The book is filled with taut memories from Pilots that do compell the reader. There are few adult themes and no graphic injury passages, so this is a book for the Junior Reader ovewr 11/12 year with an aviation interesting. For the Gamer/Modeler/Military Enthusiast this is a very useful resource. Gamers get a general explanation of the mission, descriptions of actual missions and a lot of great Silhouette Schemes of the aircraft themselves. The Modeler gets those schemes as well as a lot of other shots that will prove useful to build and diorama development. For the Military Enthusiast, getting the Wild Weasel Mission story- and its most iconic practitioner airframe – is invaluable to understanding modern air warfare. I think even general readers will come away with a greater appreciation for the USAF and its many roles on the modern battlefield.
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