South Vietnamese air force grows to eighth largest force
The South Vietnamese air force has expanded from under 100 to over 900 aircraft in a decade and operates into Laos and Cambodia. U.S. advisers say it cannot replace all U.S. missions in Indochina and that continued American involvement remains likely to 1973 and beyond. The force relies on aging World War II era planes, with limited range and payload, and helicopters making up about 40 percent of personnel.