How did the technology of the Vietnam war differ from previous wars?

Answer 1

The Vietnam War was the only war, during the COLD WAR, in which the United States failed in preventing a non-communist country from falling to the communist powers. The US successfully stopped the communists at the 38th Parallel in the Korean War (1950-1953). The Axis Powers of WWII were sounded defeated by the US & Allies. The Central Powers of WWI were defeated by the US & Allies.

Answer 2

The Korean War 1950-1953, was the first jet war (jet age warfare). But Korea still had plenty of extra (surplus) WWII aircraft, tanks, naval craft, small arms (Infantry weapons) that were used in the Korean War. For the NEW "Cold War", the US was the busiest from 1950 through 1959...the US built new "atomic age"/"jet age" ships (USS Nautilus, our first atomic powered submarine to dive under the North Pole); atomic cannons, for the US Army's Artillery; and new "sound barrier breaking" jet fighter aircraft, such as the F-100 Supersabres (an advanced offspring from the Korean War F-86 Sabre jet), F-101 Voodoo's, F-102 Delta Daggers (President Bush Jr.'s aircraft flown with the Texas Air National Guard), F-104 Starfighters, F-105 Thunderchiefs, F-8 Crusaders, F-4 Phantoms, A-6 Intruders (see film: Flight of the Intruder), B-52 Stratofortress's, B-57 Canberras, U-2 Spy Planes, SR-71 Blackbird Reconnaissance Aircraft, etc. All of these aircraft fought in Vietnam. The WWII US Army tank, the M-26 Pershing had been modified and re-named the M-46 Patton for the Korean War. The M-47 Patton replaced the M-46, but never saw action with US Forces. By the late 1950's, the new M-48 Patton was the new cold war tank (see film: GI Blues, Starring Elvis Presley. He was drafted in 1958 and was an armor crewman on a M-48 Patton tank, which is shown in the film). In 1962, the first M-113 APC (Armored Personnel Carrier) was fielded in Vietnam...it is still in use today by the US Army. The 1960's was still the cold war period; and in 1969 the US Army fielded in Vietnam the new M-551 Sheridan tank (during the war officially designated the Armored Airborne Reconnasissance Assault Vehicle). For small arms the US Army FINALLY got every rifleman a fully automatic rifle, the M-16. All of these "cold war" weapons were USED in the Vietnam War: The M-48 Patton tank, the M-551 Sheridan tank, the M-113 APC (which evolved into the ACAV-Armored Cavalry Assault Vehicle in Vietnam), ALL of the above mentioned jet fighter & jet bomber aircraft, and fully automatic rifles (M-16 rifle). In addition to the Cold War weapons/equipment, newer concepts & weapons for Vietnam were introduced during the war: 1. The first "designed from the ground up" Attack Helicopter, the COBRA. 2. The first Airmobile (Helicopter borne) Divisions (WWII introduced the first Airborne Divisions-Paratroopers). 3. The first, for the US; swimming, air drop capable, missile firing (although not missile equipped in Vietnam), M-551 Sheridan tank which fired CASELESS cannon shells in 152mm. The Sheridan was unique, in that it was designed, built, and sent into combat in Vietnam all during the 1960's. 4. Prior to Vietnam; the US Army Infantry consisted of Airborne Divisions & Infantry Divisions. With the army's new M-113 APC/ACAV which was built in 1960, and fielded in Vietnam in 1962, the US Army combat tested it's newly equipped "Mechanized Infantry." Along with the new Airmobile Division, the US Army now had 4 types of Infantry: Airborne, Airmobile, Mechanized, and Infantry. 5. For the first time since the US Civil War, the US Navy re-activated it's "Brown Water Navy" for it's Riverine Forces in Vietnam. The new Swift Boat, all aluminum, and 50 feet long; the PBR (Patrol Boat River) fiberglass, 32 feet long; the Alpha Boat (ASPB-Assault Support Patrol Boat) this boat was built specifically for Vietnam, from the keel up; and designed to survive under water exploding mines; and the Monitors, riverine battleships armed with cannons.