MiG TACTICS IMPROVED

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31500, 14 October 1967, Page 13

MiG TACTICS IMPROVED

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

DA NANG, October 13.

North Vietnamese MiG fighter pilots are using a new, sophisticated ground-to-air targeting system which enables them to sneak up on United States jets from behind with their missiles, it was disclosed yesterday.

The new system, using ground radar to locate United States planes and guide the North Vietnamese pilots on to their tails, could be a major reason for the recent reappearance of supersonic MIG2I fighters over

one pass, as they have been doing. Nor could the Americans now match the radar facilities in use by North Vietnam.

North Vietnam. “The MiGs are getting better,” an Air Force official said.

He noted that at one point better-trained United States pilots had almost chased the MiGs from the skies in the air war over the North.

“Now they have learned to use ground radar to vector them on to targets,” the official said.

He said the ground radar, more powerful and sophisticated than that aboard aircraft, is used to guide MiGs to the 6 o’clock position directly behind United States planes. As a result, the pilots often have the American planes in their sights before the United States pilots are aware that they are being followed. “They make one pass either above or below our planes and fire a missile,” the official said. “Then they are gone.” The supersonic MiG2l is a faster aircraft than the high performance American Phantom jet, which is the fastest plane the United States has flying over North Vietnam. The MiG2l is an ideal aircraft for use with ground radar. The official said the United States Phantom eould not hope to give chase and catch the MiG if they made only