THE SEVENTH FLEET The Vietnamese have more than once attacked the Seventh Fleet and damaged some of its vessels. There are coastal artillery posts which can reach them, and special torpedo boats and three Mig 21s were also used in these attacks. But the very fact that such actions have been the exception rather than the rule, proves that the Vietnamese army does not have the necessary equipment to stop the Seventh Fleet happily cruising around the Gulf of Tonkin. Vietnam has never, so far as we know, had the famous STYX missile used by the Egyptian navy (to sink the Israeli destroyer Ellath in 1967) and the Indians (who recently sank the Pakistani destroyer Kaila). These are subsonic missiles, 24 feet long, with a range of 15-25 miles and an automatic tracking device (the perfected version probably has an infra-red tracking device). They can be launched by the 'OSA 1' and 'OSA 2' type cruisers supplied to Egypt. The STYX is declared 'exceptional' in the international defence review. There are still none in Vietnam, nor are there any "Shaddocks', or the latest SS N9 missiles.
There are also planes which are better suited to attacking battleships than the Mig 21, which is not well protected against the US defences, and was designed as a fighter plane, not for ground attack and tactical support: in particular the Sukkhoi SU 7 (used in Egypt before the Six Days' War) and SU 11 (used there since). They have not been seen in Vietnam, either.
MINE-SWEEPERS The North Vietnamese ports have been mined. At Vladivostock, on the Pacific, there are special mine-sweepers. For many weeks now the North Vietnamese ports have been blockaded, but there is no word of the Soviet Pacific Fleet escorting the Vladivostock mine-sweepers towards Haiphong.
According to military experts, Israel would in an emergency destroy the defences of the Suez canal by long-range cannon from the east bank of the canal, rather than risk her planes beyond the defence lines, which would be too dangerous. But every day, hundreds of planes cross over into North Vietnam with minimal losses. Contrary to some press reports, this is not because the B 52s are protected from missiles by electronic screening EB 66's and Intruders in fact accompany every wave of air attacks. Moreover, the ciassic anti-aircraft missiles, which don't operate by electronic detection, have become extremely inefficient against the use of laser-guided bombs and target-seeking devices. According to the Pentagon, it takes an average of 280 North Vietnamese missiles to score one hit against a US piane! Griffon (above) and Ganef missiles: their use against B 52s could make all the difference The SAM Il is apparently the best missile the USSR supplies to Vietnam. It dates from 1951, is very sensitive to elecironic interference, has easily detectable launching pads, cannot be used above 1,000 metres, or at the height of the B 52 flights, and experiences very strong inertia which allows planes to evade it at low and medium altitudes. The SAM III missile, supplied in large quantities to Egypt, is much less susceptible to interference, has stronger acceleration and suffers less inertia. Neither the SAM III nor the SA 4 and SA 5 are present in Vietnam.
ANTI-AIRCRAFT DEFENCE As for the missiles which could be used against the B 52, Le Monde has this to say: "Apart from interception attempts by Mig 21s, a possibility excluded by the presence of Phantom fighters alongside the B 52s, the situation could only be modified by the use of the Ganef or Griffon type Soviet missiles. The Ganef-there are a few in Egypt-is a 30 foot rocket with a range of up to 50 miles, and operative to a height of 15 miles. The Griffon is a very big anti-aircraft missile, 54 foot long, 2-stage, and capable of destroying a plane at 18 miles altitude, leaves no room for doubt." Their detection and tracking equipment includes "counter-counter' devices which the Americans are some way from developing...