Republic F-105 Thunderchief

Aircraft family

The Republic F-105 Thunderchief originated from a project begun in 1951 to develop a supersonic tactical fighter-bomber as a successor to the F-84F. [1]

Aircraft family

The prototype YF-105A first flew in October 1955. The aircraft later became widely known by the nickname Thud and developed into one of the principal American tactical strike aircraft of the Vietnam War. [1]

Aircraft family

Although originally designed for a nuclear strike mission, the F-105 was also capable of carrying substantial conventional weapons loads. [1]

Aircraft family

Its combination of supersonic performance and heavy ordnance capacity made it suitable for demanding tactical strike operations. [1]

Aircraft family

The F-105 saw extensive combat service during the Vietnam War. The United States Air Force employed F-105D aircraft during the Rolling Thunder air campaign against North Vietnam. [1]

Aircraft family

Thunderchiefs performed difficult bombing missions against heavily defended targets. The type was gradually replaced in its principal strike role by the F-4 Phantom. [1]

Variant: F-105F and F-105G

Two-seat F-105 variants were adapted for the Wild Weasel mission, which involved detecting and attacking enemy surface-to-air missile defenses. [2]

Variant: F-105G

The F-105G represented an improved Wild Weasel configuration with specialized electronic countermeasure equipment. [2]

Variant: F-105F and F-105G

These capabilities must be attributed to the appropriate two-seat variants, not automatically to all F-105 aircraft. [2]