The Vietnam War was fought with equipment that ranged from jet bombers and helicopters to rifles, bicycles and hand-dug tunnels. Here are the main pieces used by each side, with a short description of each.
The United States and its allies relied on air power, helicopters and heavy firepower. North Vietnam and the Viet Cong, supplied largely by the Soviet Union and China, used simple, rugged weapons, air defenses, and supply routes designed to survive bombing.
Rifle
The standard U.S. infantry rifle by the late 1960s. It was light, fired a small 5.56 mm round, and could shoot single shots or automatic fire from a 20- or 30-round magazine. Early rifles jammed in wet, dirty conditions, so the design was changed in 1966 and soldiers were given cleaning kits and training.
Machine gun
A belt-fed 7.62 mm machine gun nicknamed “the Pig.” It gave infantry squads steady covering fire at ranges of well over a thousand yards. The gun and its heavy belts of ammunition were hard to carry, so gunners were usually helped by an assistant.
Grenade launcher
A single-shot, 40 mm launcher that lobbed a small grenade much farther than a soldier could throw. Soldiers called it the “thumper” or the “blooper” because of its sound. Each infantry squad often had one.
Mine
A curved, command-detonated mine that sprays small steel balls in one direction. Soldiers set it out to guard perimeters and ambush sites. The case is marked “Front Toward Enemy.”
Helicopter
The symbol of the war. Its official name was Iroquois, but the nickname “Huey” stuck. Hueys carried troops into battle, brought in supplies, and flew wounded soldiers to hospitals. Armed versions served as gunships. More than 7,000 Hueys served in Vietnam, and nearly half were lost.
Attack helicopter
The first dedicated attack helicopter used by the U.S. Army. It entered service in June 1967 with a slim body, rockets and guns. By early 1968 it had replaced most Huey gunships. More than 1,000 were delivered through 1973, and around 300 were lost.
Heavy-lift helicopter
A twin-rotor helicopter that moved artillery, supplies and large groups of troops. It also lifted damaged aircraft out of the jungle.
Attack jet
A small Navy attack jet flown from aircraft carriers off the coast. Its pilots bombed targets in North Vietnam. John McCain was flying one when he was shot down in 1967.
Fighter-bomber
A twin-engine jet flown by the Air Force, Navy and Marines. It shot down enemy fighters and also carried heavy bomb loads. It helped U.S. forces control the skies, though many were lost to ground fire and missiles.
Heavy bomber
A giant Boeing bomber designed in the late 1940s. B-52s began bombing targets in South Vietnam in 1965 and later hit North Vietnam, flying from bases on Guam and in Thailand. They dropped huge loads of bombs from high altitude, often out of sight and sound of the target. They were used heavily again in the December 1972 bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong.
Gunship
An old cargo plane fitted with machine guns that fired out of the left side as it circled a target. It could cover a base or a unit under attack for hours. Soldiers called it “Puff the Magic Dragon.”
Spray aircraft
From 1961 to 1972, U.S. planes sprayed herbicides to clear jungle cover and destroy crops. More than 19 million gallons covered about 4.5 million acres. The most-used herbicide, Agent Orange, contained dioxin and has since been linked to serious illness among veterans and Vietnamese civilians.
Tank
The main U.S. tank in Vietnam. It carried machine guns and a heavy gun, and could travel up to about 30 miles per hour. Jungle, rice paddies and soft ground limited its use, but it gave strong support to infantry on roads and open ground.
Armored vehicle
A tracked, aluminum-hulled carrier that moved infantry and supplies. Crews added gun shields and extra machine guns, and the modified version was called the ACAV, short for Armored Cavalry Assault Vehicle.
Artillery
The standard light artillery piece. A crew of about eight could fire several rounds a minute at targets over seven miles away. Howitzers were set up at “fire support bases,” hilltop camps that could cover troops in the field.
River boat
A fast fiberglass boat about 31 feet long, driven by water jets so it could run in shallow water. Navy crews patrolled the rivers and canals of the Mekong Delta in what was called the “Brown Water Navy.” They checked boats and tried to cut enemy supply routes.
Rifle
The standard rifle of the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong. It fired a 7.62 mm round from a 30-round magazine. It was simple, sturdy and easy to maintain in mud and rain. Soviet and Chinese versions were both used.
Rifle
A semi-automatic rifle widely used by Viet Cong units early in the war and by militia later. Each trigger pull fired a single shot.
Rocket launcher
Soviet-designed, shoulder-fired weapons that launched rocket-propelled grenades. Small units used them against armored vehicles, bunkers and helicopters, which gave them power far beyond what a rifle could do.
Indirect fire
Mortars and rockets could be carried in pieces and fired from hiding. They were used to shell U.S. and South Vietnamese bases and cities, including Saigon.
Air defense
North Vietnam built one of the densest air defense systems in the world, with guns of many sizes around cities, bridges and the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Ground fire brought down many U.S. aircraft.
Missile
A large Soviet missile fired from sites around Hanoi and Haiphong. In July 1965 it brought down a U.S. aircraft for the first time in the war. American pilots changed their tactics, and special aircraft were later used to find and attack missile sites.
Fighter jet
A Soviet-designed jet fighter that flew below the speed of sound but could turn very sharply. It was armed with cannon and fought U.S. fighters over North Vietnam.
Fighter jet
A faster, supersonic Soviet-designed fighter armed with air-to-air missiles. North Vietnam used it to attack U.S. bombers and fighters flying into the north.
Tank
Soviet-built tanks used by the North Vietnamese Army. The light, amphibious PT-76 was first used in large attacks in early 1968. The heavier T-54 played a major part in the 1972 Easter Offensive and in the final campaign in 1975.
Supply route
A network of roads, paths and river crossings through Laos and Cambodia carried troops and supplies south. Trucks moved mostly at night, and porters pushed heavily loaded bicycles along narrow paths. Work crews repaired the routes after bombing.
Defense
Viet Cong fighters dug large tunnel networks, such as the one near Cu Chi, to hide, store supplies and move without being seen. They also set simple booby traps and mines along trails, which slowed patrols and made soldiers wary of every step. U.S. troops who searched the tunnels were nicknamed “tunnel rats.”
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