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Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star

January 01, 1970

The Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star was an American airborne early warning and control radar surveillance aircraft operational in the 1950s in both the United States Navy (USN) and United States Air Force (USAF).

EC-121 Warning Star
EC-121T Warning Star
Role Airborne early warning and control
National origin United States
Manufacturer Lockheed Corporation
First flight 9 June 1949
Introduction 1954
Retired 1978 (USAF)
1982 (USN)
Primary user United States Navy, United States Air Force
Produced 1953–1958
Number built 232
Developed from L-749 Constellation
L-1049 Super Constellation
C-121 Constellation
Second PO-1W prototype at NAS Barbers Point 1952
Third production WV-2 in flight 1954

The military version of the Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation was used to serve as an airborne early warning system to supplement the Distant Early Warning Line, using two large radomes (a vertical dome above and a horizontal one below the fuselage). It replaced the TBM-3W used by the USN. Some EC-121s were also used for signal intelligence gathering. The EC-121 was introduced in 1954 and phased out in 1978, although a single specially modified EW aircraft remained in USN service until 1982.

The USN versions when initially procured were designated WV-1 (PO-1W), WV-2, and WV-3. The USAF Warning Stars served during the Vietnam War both as electronic sensor monitors and as a forerunner to the Boeing E-3 Sentry AWACS. USAF aircrews adopted its civil nickname, "Connie" (diminutive of Constellation) as reference, USN aircrews used the nickname "Willie Victor".

Development edit

Since 1943, the Lockheed Constellation had been in USAAF service as the C-69. The use of the Constellation by the USN for patrol and airborne early warning duties was first investigated in 1949, when the USN acquired two Lockheed L-749 Constellations. First flown on 9 June 1949, the PO-1W carried large, long-range radars in massive radomes above and below the fuselage. As the radomes possessed considerably more side area, the vertical stabilizers of the PO-1W had to be enlarged. After the PO-1W (redesignated WV-1 in 1952) had proved that operating large radars on aircraft was possible, the USN ordered the WV-2 based on the L-1049 Super Constellation. The WV-1s were transferred to the Federal Aviation Agency in 1958–1959.[1][2]

The WV-2/EC-121D was initially fitted with a dorsal AN/APS-45 height finder and a ventral AN/APS-20 search radar. These were later upgraded to AN/APS-103 and AN/APS-95 radars, although not simultaneously.[3] The crew commonly numbered 18, six officers (two pilots, two navigators, and two weapons controllers) and 12 enlisted (two flight engineers, one radio operator, two crew chiefs, five radar operators, and two radar technicians).[4] However, when North Korea shot down a Navy EC-121 in 1969, a crew of 31 was on board.[5]

Orders were placed totaling 142 PO-2W Constellations based on the Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation, with deliveries beginning in 1953. The PO-2W was redesignated WV-2 in 1954. In 1962, with standardization of aircraft designations within the Department of Defense, the WV-2 then became the EC-121K. In total, 13 of these were converted to WV-2Q electronic intelligence (ELINT) aircraft (becoming EC-121M in 1962). Nine were converted to WV-3 weather reconnaissance aircraft (WC-121N in 1962).[6] The EC-121K was also operated by Training Squadron 86 (VT-86) at NAS Glynco, Georgia, for training of student naval flight officers destined to fly both the EC-121 and the Grumman E-2 Hawkeye. At NAS Glynco's closure, VT-86 transferred to NAS Pensacola, Florida, in 1973, the squadron's last EC-121 was also flown to NAS Pensacola, being stored in the collection of the National Museum of Naval Aviation, where it still remains.[7] A single aircraft became an NC-121K, the electronic warfare variant assigned to Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 33 (VAQ-33) at NAS Key West, Florida. The aircraft was the last EC-121 in operational service, flying until 25 June 1982.[8]

The USAF received 10 RC-121C and 74 EC-121D Warning Stars also based on the L-1049, beginning with diversions from the Navy contracts in October 1953.[9] The 10 RC-121Cs became trainers, designated TC-121C. Between 1966 and 1969, 30 retired USN EC-121s were transferred to USAF and converted in EC-121Rs as sensor-monitoring aircraft. Of the 74 EC-121s, 42 were converted to the EC-121H upgrade beginning in 1962, and in 1969, 15 of the remaining EC-121Ds and seven of the EC-121Hs were further upgraded into the final operational variant, the EC-121T, serving as an AWACS prototype in Southeast Asia in 1972.[6] Five EC-121Ds were modified to be broadcasting aircraft for psychological warfare operations, the predecessors of the EC-130 Commando Solo.[10]

Operational service edit

USN edit

 
BARLANT WV-2 of VW-15 overflies USS Sellstrom off Newfoundland in 1957
 
Last "Connie" in the USN on its last flight to Davis-Monthan AFB for retirement in April 1982, VAQ-33 (GD 12) NC-121K (BuNo 141292)

WV-2s, redesignated EC-121s in 1962, served from 1954 to 1965 in two "barrier" forces, one off each coast of the North American continent. The barrier forces consisted of five surface picket stations each manned by radar destroyer escorts and an air wing of WV-2s/EC-121s that patrolled the picket lines at 1,000–4,000 m (3,000–12,000 ft) altitude in 6- to 20-hour missions. Their objective was to extend early warning coverage against surprise Soviet bomber and missile attacks as an extension of the DEW Line.[11]

In April 1954, the first Lockheed Super Constellation (Model 1049C), WV-2 BuNo. 128323, was received at NAS Barbers Point by Airborne Early Warning Squadron One (VW-1).

The Atlantic Barrier (BARLANT) consisted of two rotating squadron detachments sourced from AEW Squadron Thirteen (VW-13) and AEW Squadron Fifteen (VW-15) from NAS Patuxent River, Maryland and one squadron, AEW Squadron Eleven (VW-11), permanently based at Naval Station Argentia, Newfoundland. Their mission was to fly orbits to the Azores and back. An additional AEW training unit was based at NAS Patuxent River for training flight crews and maintenance personnel.

BARLANT became operational on 1 July 1956, and flew continuous coverage until early 1965. The barrier was shifted to cover the approaches between Greenland, Iceland, and the United Kingdom (GIUK) barrier in June 1961. Aircraft from Argentia were staged through NAS Keflavik, Iceland, to extend coverage times.[11]

The Pacific Barrier (BARPAC) received the first operational AEW squadron, Airborne Early Warning Squadron One (VW-1) and the first EC-121K aircraft. AEW Squadron Three followed with AEW Squadrons Twelve, Fourteen, and Sixteen. In January 1958 VW-1 and VW-3 relocated to NAS Agana, Guam, M.I. where VW-1 continued its AEW commitments and VW-3 operational commitment was divided between AEW and weather. BARPAC became operational with AEW Squadron Twelve (VW-12) based at NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii, operating from a deployment base at NAS Midway on 1 July 1958 and later expanded to include AEW Squadrons Fourteen (VW-14) and Sixteen (VW-16). Their orbits overlapped the radar picket stations of the ships of Escort Squadron Seven, from roughly Adak Island to Midway. Normally, five WV-2s/EC-121s were required at any single time to provide coverage over the entire line.

The Hawaiian barrier force operations were discontinued by September 1965, and their EC-121K aircraft were placed in storage. However, VW-1 continued operating until 1972, flying weather ops and supplying AEW to naval forces in the Gulf of Tonkin. USN C-121, EC-121, WC-12,1 and NC-121 operations continued until 1975 in seven other squadrons and until 1982 in an eighth. Some EC-121s were used in Vietnam, mirroring USAF EC-121 missions, but orbiting the Gulf of Tonkin, as that was the USN's assigned area.

Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron One (VQ-1) and Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron Two (VQ-2) operated EC-121M ELINT gathering aircraft at NAF Atsugi, Japan, and Naval Station Rota, Spain, respectively, until they transitioned to the EP-3B Orion and EP-3E Aries aircraft.

Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Four (VW-4) operated WV-3-cum-WC-121s between 1954 and 1975 as Hurricane Hunters, with its primary base at NAS Jacksonville, Florida, and a forward base at Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico. Its Pacific counterpart, Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Three (VW-3) Typhoon Trackers was the operational weather squadron in the Pacific, flying from NAS Agana, Guam, tracking typhoons from 1955 to 1960.[11] On June 30, 1960 Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Three, VW-3, disbanded and many of its aircraft (8 - BuNo. 145 series) and crews were absorbed by VW-1, which retained AEW designation and took on the weather commitments and the Title of "Typhoon Trackers" of VW-3. VW-4 later transitioned to WP-3A Orion.

Also operating C-121 and EC-121 aircraft was Oceanographic Development Squadron Eight (VXN-8) at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, which employed the aircraft for specific projects (e.g., Project BIRDSEYE, MAGNET, ASWEPS etc.) for the Office of Naval Research until they were replaced by RP-3A and RP-3D Orion aircraft. VXN-8 also operated four additional NC-121 aircraft called the "Blue Eagles". These specially modified aircraft were equipped with complete radio and television transmitting equipment and studios for simultaneous broadcast of American and Vietnamese television and radio programs prior to the installation of ground stations during the Vietnam War. The aircraft flew nightly 7 days per week broadcasting such American TV programs as Combat, Have Gun-Will Travel, and Gunsmoke, along with other popular programs of the time in addition to Vietnamese programs recorded prior to each flight . Nightly American news broadcasts were transmitted live using an onboard TV studio and an Air Force newscaster bringing the latest news from home and the world. The "Blue Eagles" operated out of Saigon and Danang Air Bases for around 5 years commencing in 1965.

Air Development Squadron Six (VX-6, based at NAS Quonset Point, Rhode Island, also operated R7V aircraft, redesignated C-121J, in support of United States Antarctic Program operations until replaced by LC-130F Hercules aircraft.

The EC-121 was also operated by Training Squadron 86 (VT-86) at NAS Glynco, Georgia, for training student naval flight officers destined for the E-2 Hawkeye and by Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 33 (VAQ-33) for the Fleet Electronic Warfare Systems Group (FEWSG) at NAS Norfolk, Virginia, and later, following a squadron homeport change, at NAS Key West, Florida. At the time of its retirement on June 25, 1982, VAQ-33's NC-121K aircraft, Buno 141292 was the last NC-121K and the last of its type operated by the USN.

USAF edit

The USAF operated EC-121s between 1954 and 1978, with three wings at maximum employment and three independent squadrons as operations wound down. Until the Vietnam War, their primary mission was to provide complementary early warning radar coverage to the Pacific and Atlantic barriers by flying orbits 300 miles (480 km) offshore from the continental United States in what were termed "contiguous barriers". The coverage orbits overlapped those of land-based early warning radars.

 
552nd AEWCW EC-121D at McClellan AFB

Initial deployment of EC-121Cs began with 551st Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing, based at Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts. Operational on 21 December 1954, 551st AEWCW subsequently upgraded to EC-121D and later EC-121H Warning Stars.

Its Pacific counterpart was 552d Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing (AEWCW), based at McClellan Air Force Base, California, becoming operational on 1 July 1955. After the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, 552nd AEWCW also had administrative control of the 966th AEWCS, based at McCoy Air Force Base, Florida. The 966th had a dual mission - monitoring activity in Cuban airspace and flying Gold Digger missions (continuous tracks of U-2 surveillance missions).[12]

The third air wing to operate EC-121s was 553rd Reconnaissance Wing, a Vietnam war organization activated in 1967 and based in Thailand until inactivation in 1970 (See BatCat below). In 1966, Lockheed modified 30 ex-USN Super Constellations (two EC-121P/WV-3 and 28 EC-121K/WV-2) aircraft to EC-121Rs for the specialized reconnaissance mission flown by the 553rd. Aircraft were delivered during the course of 1967. The 553rd RW flew over land and off the coast of Vietnam, over Laos and Cambodia, monitoring and retransmitting low-power signals. Usually, they orbited the Ho Chi Minh Trail in 8-hour shifts. As it was expensive to operate and it exposed a large crew to enemy fire, it was replaced in December 1970 by the much smaller (and eventually unmanned drone) QU-22 Pave Eagle sensor monitor.[13]

The 551st AEWCW inactivated in 1969, while the 552d was reduced by a squadron in 1971. In July 1974, USAF redesignated 552d Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing as 552d Airborne Warning and Control Group when it was downsized to a single squadron. It inactivated in April 1976.

As the USAF prepared for deploying the E-3 Sentry in the later 1970s, it phased out EC-121 operations by the end of 1975. All remaining EC-121s transferred to Air Force Reserve, which formed the 79th AEWCS at Homestead Air Force Base, Florida, in early 1976. The active duty force continued providing personnel to operate the EC-121s on a 24-hour basis, assigning Detachment 1, 20th Air Defence Squadron to Homestead AFB as associate active duty crews to fly the AFRES-owned aircraft. Besides monitoring Cuban waters, these last Warning Stars also operated from NAS Keflavik. Final EC-121 ops ended in September 1978. Detachment 1 dissolved and 79th AEWCS was redesignated a fighter squadron on 1 October 1978.

In 1967, five EC-121s became operational with the 193rd Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, responsible for psychological operations missions under project Coronet Solo. From July 1970 to January 1971, they rotated on 30- to 90-day temporary-duty deployments to Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, under the name Commando Buzz.[10]

Vietnam War edit

EC-121s were used extensively in Southeast Asia between 16 April 1965, and 1 June 1974, particularly in support of Operation Rolling Thunder and Operation Linebacker/Linebacker II, providing radar early warning and limited airborne control of USAF fighter forces engaging MiG interceptors.[4][14] Flying orbits over the Gulf of Tonkin and later over Laos, they were the forerunners of AWACS aircraft. The USN used a variant, the NC-121, in their Blue Eagle unit from 1965–1972. Blue Eagles were television- and radio-broadcasting airplanes. The Blue Eagles were based at NAS Patuxent River and were part of oceanographic squadron VXN-8.

Big Eye edit

 
 
Operators in a USAF EC-121D/T

At the onset of Rolling Thunder, the North Vietnamese had an advantage in that their radar coverage could detect most US strike aircraft flying at or above 5,000 feet (1,500 m) virtually anywhere in the country, using a system that was difficult to jam. US forces countered with radar ships (Crown) in the Gulf of Tonkin and a ground site at Nakhon Phanom RTAFB, Thailand, but both systems were line-of-sight and suffered coverage gaps.

To increase coverage, the Seventh Air Force (7 AF) requested airborne radar support and the Air Defense Command (redesignated Aerospace Defense Command in 1968) was directed to set up the Big Eye Task Force. Five EC-121Ds and 100 support personnel of the 552nd AEWCW at McClellan AFB were deployed to Tainan Air Station, Taiwan, with four of the EC-121s sent on to a forward operating location at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, near Saigon, South Vietnam.[15]

The EC-121s were designed for detection of aircraft flying over water, so ground clutter (spurious signal returns off of terrain features such as mountains) caused interference with their radar pictures. The crews, however, were experienced in tracking Soviet aircraft over Cuba and had developed a technique whereby an EC-121 flying at 50 feet (15 m) to 300 feet (91 m) above water could bounce a signal from its bottom-mounted APS-95 Search radar off the surface of the water and detect aircraft at medium altitudes out to 150 miles (240 km). Operating in pairs, one Big Eye EC-121 flew a 50 miles (80 km) race track pattern approximately 30 miles (48 km) offshore (Alpha orbit), with the orbit's center at 19°25′N 107°25′E / 19.417°N 107.417°E / 19.417; 107.417. The second one flew a track at 10,000 feet (3,000 m) (Bravo orbit) farther from the coast, acting as a spare for the Alpha EC-121.[4]

This provided a practical detection range of 100 miles (160 km), enough to cover the Hanoi urban area and the main MiG base at Phúc Yên. A major disadvantage of this arrangement, however, was that most MiG contacts were beyond the 70 miles (110 km) range of the Big Eye's APS-45 Height Finder radar, so that they were unable to provide this data to USAF strike forces. Furthermore, technical shortcomings in the EC-121D's systems precluded either controlling a fighter intercept or identifying a specific flight under attack.[16]

The missions from Tan Son Nhut AB began 21 April 1965, using callsigns Ethan Alpha and Ethan Bravo, which became standard. After refueling at Danang Air Base, Ethan Alpha made a wave-top approach to its orbit station, where it remained for five hours. Because of the threat of MiG interception, EC-121s were protected by a Lockheed F-104 Starfighter MiGCAP. If, for any reason, the MiGCAP could not rendezvous, the EC-121s cancelled their mission. Air-conditioning systems aboard the EC-121 were virtually useless in this profile, and the heat produced by the electronics, combined with the threat of being shot down, made Alpha orbit missions in particular very stressful.[17] On 10 July 1965, in its first airborne-controlled interception, an EC-121 provided warning to a pair of USAF F-4C fighters, resulting in the shooting down of two MiG-17s.[4]

The Big Eye Task Force remained at Tan Son Nhut until February 1967, when the threat of Viet Cong ground attacks prompted a move to Thailand.

College Eye edit

In March 1967, Big Eye was renamed College Eye Task Force (CETF) and relocated at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base. Because of the complexity of the aircraft and its systems along with the large support group it required, CETF could not be supported at the relatively small Thai bases. It moved to Udon RTAFB in July and to its final station at Korat RTAFB in October 1967.[18] Seven of 26 EC-121s deployed from Otis AFB and arrived at Korat, on the 19th.[19]

From April 1965 to early 1966 and beginning again in late 1967, the EC-121Ds also controlled a flight of MiGCAP fighters for unarmed support aircraft operating over the Tonkin Gulf. The EC-121Ds also served as an airborne communications relay center for strike aircraft to transmit mission results and position reports to Danang Air Control Center; directed operations of fighter escorts, MiGCAPs, Lockheed C-130 Hercules flare ships and A-26 strike aircraft along the North Vietnamese-Laotian border; provided radar and navigational assistance for combat search and rescue missions; and assisted fighters in finding tankers for emergency refueling.

 
College Eye EC-121D taking off from Korat RTAFB

In May 1966, the government of China formally protested an incursion by a Republic F-105 Thunderchief pursuing a North Vietnamese MiG it subsequently shot down 25 miles (40 km) inside Chinese territory. A US board of inquiry recommended that College Eye also had to monitor the "no-fly zone" inside the North Vietnamese border with China, to provide alerts to US aircraft nearing the buffer zone and to report border crossing violations by US aircraft.[4] This could not be done from the gulf, so a third orbit, Ethan Charlie, was created in Laos. After tests in June and August, regular missions began 24 August. Not enough EC-121s or crews were available to support three orbits twice daily, so the Laotian orbit was only flown every third day, with Ethan Bravo missions cancelled on those days. After 13 October 1966, the Charlie orbit was flown every day and the Bravo orbit suspended altogether. In April 1967, four more EC-121s were deployed, to Thailand on 29 May, making for a total strength of three College Eyes in Taiwan and six in Thailand.[4]

In April 1967, USAF began fitting its entire EC-121 fleet with QRC-248 IFF transponder interrogators. QRC-248 had been developed to follow Soviet-export aircraft flown by the Cuban Air Force. The SRO-2 transponders installed in Soviet export MiGs enabled Cuban ground-controlled interception (GCI) radars to identify and control their fighters. A testbed EC-121 called Quick Look had flown with College Eye in January 1967 to test QRC-248 and found that North Vietnamese MiGs used the same transponder. QRC-248 accurately discriminated MiG radar returns from the myriad returns picked up during a mission and extended the range of low-altitude detection to more than 175 miles (282 km), covering virtually all important North Vietnamese target areas.[20]

By May, all College Eyes had been fitted with QRC-248. Ethan Bravo's mission was changed from that of a backup for Ethan Alpha to being the primary QRC-248 listener, but College Eye was prohibited by the Joint Chiefs of Staff from actively "interrogating" MiG transponders, following a National Security Agency security policy protecting its "intelligence sources" (of which the QRC-248 was one), thus was restricted to waiting for North Vietnamese GCI to interrogate its aircraft. QRC-248 began regular use in July 1967, but by then North Vietnam's MiG force, which had suffered serious losses in May, had suspended its combat operations.[20]

In the last week of August, however, after a period of intensive training and revision of tactics, the MiGs began engaging US strike forces again, scoring a number of kills. Then, Seventh Air Force finally obtained permission for the new Ethan Bravo mission EC-121 to actively interrogate with QRC-248 on 6 October. By 4 December, its success outweighed any value in flying the Ethan Alpha orbit, which was discontinued until July 1972.[4][21]

On 1 March 1968, College Eye callsigns changed to Ethan 01, 02, 03 and 04. Ethan 03 (Laotian orbit) began "positive control" (airborne direction) of C-130 flareship flights and A-26 Invader night interdiction missions along the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos on 19 April 1968.[4]

The task force was scaled back in July 1968, to four EC-121Ds and the Rivet Top testbed aircraft to allow for the basing of another College Eye detachment at Itazuke AB, Japan.[4] The name of the task force was discontinued in October 1968, when it was redesignated a final time as Detachment 1 (Rotational), 552nd AEWCW. EC-121 deployments to Southeast Asia were discontinued in June 1970 in the expectation that they would no longer be used.[22]

Rivet Top edit

 
EC-121K "Rivet Top" (AF Ser. No. 57-143184) at Korat RTAFB, 1967–1968. This was a former USN EC-121K, BuNo 143184, transferred to USAF and modified.

In August 1967, while the College Eye Task Force was still based at Udon RTAFB, another prototype EC-121 variation began operations testing new equipment as Detachment 2 of the Tactical Air Warfare Center. Known as Rivet Top,[N 1] this modified EC-121K (later redesignated EC-121M) carried the QRC-248 newly installed in the College Eye aircraft and also had electronic interrogators capable of reading two additional Soviet transponders, the SRO-1 and SOD-57. Its electronics were custom built rather than off-the-shelf.[23] Its most important upgrade was the top-secret Rivet Gym installation. This consisted of the addition to the crew of Vietnamese-speaking intelligence specialists manning four voice communications intercept stations able to monitor all communications between the MiGs and their GCI controllers.

Despite this advantage, Rivet Top experienced two problems, reducing its effectiveness. Its operators did not have radar scopes to correlate intercepted conversations with specific flights of MiGs, thus could not determine which US aircraft might be under attack. Secondly, like QRC-248, Rivet Gym was an NSA SIGINT asset and subject to even more stringent rules protecting knowledge of its existence. Even when real-time warnings to US aircraft were finally permitted in mid-1972, fighter crews were not made aware of the source of the warnings and because EC-121 radio communications were poor, mandating the use of a radio relay aircraft that often failed, they tended to disregard the credibility of the source.[24]

The Rivet Top prototype moved to Korat RTAFB along with the College Eye Task Force in October 1967. Originally scheduled to return to the USA in February 1968, because of its value, it remained at Korat until 1969. Flying daily missions through its testing period, it began flying every-other-day missions over the Gulf of Tonkin after 31 March 1968, when Rolling Thunder operations were sharply scaled back. Rivet Gym installations were back-fitted to all College Eye EC-121s by the end of May 1968.

Operation Kingpin edit

Two EC-121Ds, newly modified with the Southeast Asia Operational Requirement 62 (SEAOR-62) electronics suite, but not yet operational as EC-121Ts, were ordered to Korat RTAFB in October 1970. Under the guise of being field tested, they were accompanied by a C-121G carrying additional crew members, the most experienced 552nd AEWCW technicians, and equipment necessary to maintain the new electronics. The SEAOR-62 package was supported by a digital data receiver ground terminal and by radio relay equipment transshipped by separate classified airlift. The EC-121Ts arrived in Thailand from McClellan AFB on 12 November.[25]

The purpose of the deployment was to provide an integrated tactical data display with real-time inputs (similar to the Navy Airborne Tactical Data System equipping E-1B Tracer platforms of Task Force 77) in support of Operation Kingpin, a mission to rescue US prisoners of war held at Son Tay prison.[26] Once at Korat, some equipment was tested for the first time because of emission restrictions in US airspace and the only available manuals and checklists were notes from early flight tests. Even so, both aircraft were operational by 17 November.[27]

On 20 November 1970, two Warning Stars, using the callsigns Frog 01 and 02, respectively, took off 10 minutes apart at 22:00 from Korat to take station at the low-altitude Alpha orbit over the Gulf of Tonkin, with Frog 02 as a backup. The 17-man crews were advised in the air of the nature of the rescue mission and their role, providing MiG warning and directing USAF F-4 Phantom CAP intercepts. As Frog 01 began its climb to the higher Bravo orbit, it experienced a ruptured oil line forcing shutdown of one engine. As planned, Frog 02 became the primary aircraft when Frog 01 made an emergency landing at Danang.[28]

The new equipment failed to function properly aboard Frog 02. The ground receivers at the command post in Danang failed to receive data and the APX-83 IFF processors would not display aboard the aircraft, despite repeated repairs. Their own radar monitors experienced excessive electronic noise and the jamming of North Vietnamese radars by nearby EKA-3B Skywarriors hindered efforts of the radar technicians to correct the problems. While unable to provide vectoring information to the F-4s escorting the mission, Frog 02 remained on station and relied on its Rivet Top voice intercept capability to provide supplementary data.[29]

Disco edit

 
EC-121D, AF Ser. No. 53-0555 at Korat RTAFB September 1970

In October 1971, North Vietnamese MiGs, operating from forward bases opened after the end of Rolling Thunder, began a campaign to intercept Boeing B-52 Stratofortress missions over southern Laos. On 20 November, a MiG-21 launched air-to-air missiles at a B-52 that evaded by dropping flares. As a result, Warning Stars of Det. 1 returned to Korat RTAFB to provide radar support by flying the Laotian orbit again, using callsign Disco.[22] Seven EC-121Ts, replacement aircraft for the earlier series, were based in Thailand and contained both QRC-248 and Rivet Top electronic suites.

When Operation Linebacker began on 10 May 1972, Disco was one of two principal GCI radars used by US forces,[N 2] although it continued to be handicapped by poor radio communications. In addition, its slow-turning radar limited its value as a controller of fighters during MiG engagements, while the size of USAF raids during Linebacker nearly saturated its capabilities.[31] Improvements made in the systems since 1968 enabled the operators to distinguish MiG types and a color code system for them entered the air operations vernacular: "Red Bandits" (Mig-17s); "White Bandits" (MiG-19s); "Blue Bandits" (MiG-21s), and "Black bandits" (MiGs low on fuel).[32]

On 6 July 1972, as the result of seven F-4 Phantoms shot down in a two-week period, a second Disco track was initiated. Flown near the former Alpha orbit over the Gulf of Tonkin, its purpose was to gain better low-altitude coverage in the Hanoi area. At the end of the month, Disco was also integrated into Teaball control center, a highly classified system established to collate all signal intelligence on North Vietnamese air activity gathered by all sources, including nonmilitary. Disco was used as a conduit through which warnings and control vectors were given, but the delay in Teaball acquiring the information and relaying it through Disco (often using an unreliable radio relay KC-135A Combat Lightning aircraft operating under callsign Luzon)[N 3] cancelled out its value for use in "real time", and the fact that its existence was kept from US aircrews damaged its credibility.[N 4] Teaball received direct communications capability, but experienced transmission failures with frustrating frequency. Disco remained the primary backup controller, but its usefulness remained limited because it directly controlled only MiGCAP missions and could only provide its information to strike, chaff, and escort forces via the "Guard" frequency.[34]

On 15 August 1973, Disco EC-121s flew their final combat mission and on 1 June 1974, Det.1 was permanently withdrawn from Southeast Asia. Between 1965 and 1973, the EC-121s flew 13,921 combat missions, more than 98,000 accident-free flying hours, assisted in the shoot-down of 25 MiGs, and supported the rescue of 80 downed flyers. No Big Eye, College Eye, or Disco aircraft were lost.[14]

Batcat edit

 
EC-121R Batcat

During the Vietnam War, some 40 EC-121s were modified from USN WV-2 and WV-3 early warning Constellations for use with ground sensors to detect enemy troop movements along the Ho Chi Minh Trail and 25 were deployed to Korat RTAFB as a part of Operation Igloo White.[13] The resulting EC-121R configuration was nicknamed the Batcat.[35] Two Batcats were lost during the war, with the loss of 22 crewmen, one in a takeoff accident during a thunderstorm in April 1969, the other in September 1969, in a landing accident which also killed four Thai civilians.

Batcat EC-121s were camouflaged in standard tree-color Southeast Asia scheme, while the College Eye/Disco early warning aircraft were not. BatCat missions were 18 hours in length, with 8 hours on station at one of 11 color-coded orbits used during their five-year history, three of which were over South Vietnam, six over Laos, one over Cambodia, and one over the Gulf of Tonkin.

EC-121Rs were operated by the 553d and 554th Reconnaissance Squadrons of the 553d Reconnaissance Wing, between October 1967 and December 1970, with about 20 Batcats on hand at any time. The wing activated in December 1970 and the 554th RS relocated to Nakhon Phanom RTAFB to fly QU-22 sensor monitors nicknamed "Baby Bats". Initially with 11 aircraft, the 553rd RS continued operations for another year, gradually returning aircraft and crews to the USA. The final Batcat mission was in December 1971. The last remaining administrative and support personnel returned to Otis AFB in January 1972.

Variants edit

Main article: Lockheed Constellation variants
 
VAQ-33 NC-121K in 1973, flanked by F-4B Phantom and EA-4F Skyhawk
 
WV-2E experimental aircraft with a rotodome

USN variants edit

  • WV-1. 2 prototypes, L-749A Constellation, designated PO-1W before 1952
  • EC-121K (WV-2). Main USN variant, designated PO-2W before 1952; 244 ordered, 142 produced (the rest to USAF).
  • JC-121K. One modified EC-121K used as a US Army avionics testbed
  • NC-121K. Unknown number modified as special mission aircraft
  • YEC-121K. One modified avionics testbed
  • EC-121L (WV-2E). One modified WV-2, testbed for rotating radar dome with an AN/APS-70 radar
  • EC-121M (WV-2Q). ELINT collection variant, 13 modified WV-2
  • WC-121N (WV-3. Weather reconnaissance variant, 8 modified WV-2
  • EC-121P. Unknown number modified from EC-121K as anti-submarine variant
  • JEC-121P. 3 EC-121P used by the USAF

USAF variants edit

 
The first USAF RC-121C, 1955.
 
USAF RC-121D 53-0128 with F-104 Starfighters.
 
A former EC-121R Batcat at AMARC, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona.
  • RC-121C: 10 produced, initial USAF variant
  • JC-121C: 2 converted from C-121C and 1 TC-121C as avionics testbeds
  • TC-121C: 9 RC-121C modified before 1962 as crew trainers
  • EC-121D: 73 produced 1953–55 as main USAF variant and 1 converted from C-121C, originally designated RC-121D
  • EC-121D Quick Look: 1 testbed for QRC-248 IFF transponder interrogator
  • EC-121H: 42 USAF upgrades in 1962, 35x EC-121D and 7x WV-2s transferred from the Navy
  • EC-121J: 2 USAF EC-121D modified with upgraded electronics
  • EC-121M Rivet Top: 1 EC-121D testbed for Rivet Gym cryptologic linguist electronics suite, originally designated EC-121K
  • EC-121Q: 4 EC-121D modified with upgraded electronics for USAF Gold Digger missions
  • EC-121R: 30 EC-121K / EC-121P transferred to USAF in 1966–1967 and converted to Batcat sensor signal processor
  • EC-121S: 5 converted for Pennsylvania Air National Guard from USAF C-121 transports
  • EC-121T: Final USAF variant. A total of 22 T's were converted from 15x EC-121D and 7x EC-121H.
  • XW2V-1: Proposed naval development with new features such as 4 Allison T56-A8 turboprop engines, L-1649A Starliner wings and Bomarc missiles for defense. None built; was designated L-084 due to the large differences from its predecessors.[36]

Operators edit

  United States

USAF edit

Active duty edit

AFRES edit

ANG edit

USN edit

 
WC-121N of VW-4 Hurricane Hunters 1967
  • AEW Wing Atlantic – NAS Patuxent River, Maryland
    • VXN-8 – NAS Patuxent River, Maryland
    • VW-2 (BarLant) -NAS Patuxent River, Maryland
    • VW-4 ("Hurricane Hunters") – NAS Jacksonville, Florida
    • VW-11 (BarLant) – NS Argentia, Newfoundland / NAS Patuxent River, Maryland
    • VW-13 (BarLant) – NAS Patuxent River, Maryland / NS Argentia, Newfoundland
    • VW-15 (BarLant) – NAS Argentia, Newfoundland / NAS Patuxent River, Maryland
    • AEWTULANT – NAS Patuxent River, Maryland
    • Naval CIC Officers School, later Training Squadron EIGHTY SIX (VT-86) – NAS Glynco, Georgia
  • AEW Wing Pacific – NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii
    • VW-1 ("Typhoon Trackers") – NAS Agana, Guam
    • VW-3 ("Typhoon Chasers") – NAS Agana, Guam
    • VW-12 (BarPac) – NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii
    • VW-14 (BarPac) – NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii
    • VW-16 (BarPac) – NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii
    • AewBarsRon 2 (Service/Support) – NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii
    • MatRon 1 (Support) – NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii
    • AewBarRonPac (amalgamation of VW-12, VW-14, and AEWBarRon 2) – NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii
  • VQ-1 – NAF Atsugi, Japan
  • VQ-2 – NS Rota, Spain
  • VAQ-33 – NAS Norfolk, Virginia / NAS Key West, Florida
  • VX-6 – NAS Quonset Point, Rhode Island

Accidents and incidents edit

A total of 20 Navy EC-121s were destroyed in accidents, with 113 aircrew deaths:[37]

  • 15x WV-2/EC-121K; 3x WV-2Q/EC-121M and 2x WV-3/WC-121N

Another unarmed EC-121M was destroyed in one-sided combat. In April 1969, North Korean Air Force MiG-21 fighter-interceptors shot down an EC-121 in international airspace off the country's east coast, killing all of the crew of 31 on board.[5]

The USAF had a total of 11 Warning Stars destroyed in accidents, killing 66 aircrew:[37]

  • 2x RC-121C/TC-121C; 2x RC-121D; 3x EC-121H; 3x EC-121R and 1x EC-121T

3 EC-121Hs from the 551st AEWCW were lost on 11 July 1965, 11 November 1966 and 25 April 1967, respectively, resulting in 50 deaths, including the wing commander of the 551st AEWCW, Col James P. Lyle. The 2 Batcat EC-121R crashes resulted in 22 killed.[37]

Surviving aircraft edit

EC-121T
On Display
 
N4257U (AF Ser No. 52-3418) on display Combat Air Museum Topeka, KS
  • AF Ser. No. 52-3418 – on display at the Combat Air Museum at Forbes Field (former Forbes AFB) in Topeka, Kansas. The aircraft was delivered to USAF in October 1954 as an RC-121D and redesignated an EC-121D in 1962. It was converted to an EC-121T, but the upper radome has been removed.
 
EC-121T AF Serial No. 52-3425 on display Peterson AFB Colorado
 
College Eye EC-121D (AF Ser. No. 53-0555) National Museum of the United States Air Force
EC-121K
On Display

Specifications (WV-2/EC-121D) edit

 
3-view line drawing of the Lockheed RC-121C Warning Star

Data from [44]

General characteristics

  • Crew: typically six flight crew, 11–25 radar crew
  • Length: 116 ft 2 in (35.40 m)
  • Wingspan: 126 ft 2 in (38.45 m)
  • Height: 24 ft 9 in (7.54 m)
  • Wing area: 1,650 sq ft (153.27 m2)
  • Empty weight: 69,210 lb (31,387 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight: 143,000 lb (65,000 kg)
  • Powerplant: 4 × Wright R-3350-34 turbo compound 18-cylinder supercharged radial engines, 3,400 hp (2,536 kW) each

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 299 mph (481 km/h, 260 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 255 mph (410 km/h, 222 kn)
  • Range: 4,250 mi (6,843 km, 3,700 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 25,000 ft (7,620 m)
  • Rate of climb: 960 ft/min (4.87 m/s)

See also edit

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ Programs developed under the auspices of the Big Safari "rapid procurement" office have two-word identifiers beginning with the word "Rivet."
  2. ^ The other and preferred system was Red Crown, a USN ship in the Gulf of Tonkin.[30]
  3. ^ Luzon was likely being jammed by friendly ECM systems.[33]
  4. ^ Teaball, like Rivet Top, was an NSA asset whose existence was carefully compartmentalized to prevent compromising its usefulness in the manned bomber nuclear deterrent mission.

Citations edit

  1. ^ Swanborough and Bowers 1990, p. 299.
  2. ^ Boys, Dean. "Birth of the Lockheed Warning Star." dean-boys.com. Retrieved: 13 March 2009.
  3. ^ "EC-121 Warning Star." AEWA. Retrieved: 19 September 2009.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Boys. Dean. "College Eye Extract from the CHeco Report." dean-boys.com. Retrieved: 13 March 2009.
  5. ^ a b "N Korea in 'US spy plane' warning." BBC News, 11 June 2006.
  6. ^ a b Boys, Dean. "Lockheed EC-121 Constellation." dean-boys.com. Retrieved: 13 March 2009.
  7. ^ "EC-121." 2011-07-27 at the Wayback Machine National Museum of Naval Aviation. Retrieved: 23 December 2010.
  8. ^ "The Connie." 2011-09-06 at the Wayback Machine VAQ-33 Firebirds. Retrieved: 22 May 2007.
  9. ^ Higham 2005, p. 318.
  10. ^ a b "193rd Special Operations Group." 2007-06-30 at the Wayback Machine Pennsylvania ANG. Retrieved: 23 May 2007.
  11. ^ a b c Bouchard, Capt. Joseph F. (USN). "Guarding the Cold War Ramparts." dean-boys.com. Retrieved: 13 March 2009.
  12. ^ Merryman, George. "966th AEW&C Gold Digger Missions." dean-boys.com. Retrieved: 13 March 2009.
  13. ^ a b Corell, John T. Air Force Magazine, Vol. 87, No. 11, November 2004 via web.archive.org. Retrieved: 23 December 2010.
  14. ^ a b "Big Eye College Eye Twelve Year Combat Era Ends." Dean Boys. Retrieved: 13 March 2009.
  15. ^ Michel 1997 p. 46.
  16. ^ Michel 1997, pp. 47, 49.
  17. ^ Michel 1997, p. 48.
  18. ^ Michel 1997, p. 51.
  19. ^ USAFHRA Document 00470754
  20. ^ a b Michel 1997, p. 100.
  21. ^ Michel 1997, p. 132.
  22. ^ a b Michel 1997, p. 193.
  23. ^ Michel 1997, p. 114.
  24. ^ Michel 1997, pp. 115, 252, 284.
  25. ^ Gargus 2007, pp. 87–89.
  26. ^ Gargus 2007, pp. 87, 90.
  27. ^ Gargus, pp. 124–125.
  28. ^ Gargus 2007, p. 161.
  29. ^ Gargus 2007, pp. 181–182.
  30. ^ Michel 1997, p. 284.
  31. ^ Michel 1997, p. 225.
  32. ^ Michel 1997, p. 227.
  33. ^ Michel 1997, p. 252.
  34. ^ Michel 1997, p, 253.
  35. ^ "Batcat history." 2004-08-22 at the Wayback Machine tdstelme.net. Retrieved: 23 December 2010.
  36. ^ Breffort 2006, p. 174.
  37. ^ a b c Boys, Dean. "Connie losses (total)." dean-boys.com, 22 May 2007.
  38. ^ "EC-121T." 2010-11-28 at the Wayback Machine Peterson Air & Space Museum Foundation. Retrieved: 23 December 2010.
  39. ^ Lockheed EC-121 Super Constellation Departing Camarillo 1/14/12 on YouTube
  40. ^ "Lockheed EC-121D Constellation." National Museum of the US Air Force. Retrieved: 5 September 2015.
  41. ^ "EC-12K." 2007-08-11 at the Wayback MachineMuseum of Aviation. Retrieved: 23 December 2010.
  42. ^ "USN Bureau Number Search (141311)". Retrieved 2018-02-14.
  43. ^ . Archived from the original on 2018-03-23. Retrieved 2018-02-28.
  44. ^ "Willy Victor Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star." 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine willyvictor.com. Retrieved: 26 April 2007.

Bibliography edit

  • Boyne, Walter J. Beyond the Horizons: The Lockheed Story. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1998. ISBN 0-312-24438-X.
  • Breffort, Dominique. Lockheed Constellation: From Excalibur to Starliner, Civilian and Military Variants. Paris: Histoire and Collections, 2006. ISBN 2-915239-62-2.
  • Cacutt, Len, ed. “Lockheed Constellation.” Great Aircraft of the World. London: Marshall Cavendish, 1989. ISBN 1-85435-250-4.
  • Gargus, John. The Son Tay Raid: American POWs in Vietnam Were Not Forgotten. College Station, Texas: Texas A&M Press, 2007. ISBN 1-58544-622-X.
  • Germain, Scott E. Lockheed Constellation and Super Constellation. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press, 1998. ISBN 1-58007-000-0.
  • Higham, Robin, ed. Flying American Combat Aircraft: The Cold War. Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Press, 2005. ISBN 0-8117-3238-X.
  • Marson, Peter J. The Lockheed Constellation Series. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians), 1982. ISBN 0-85130-100-2.
  • Michel, Marshall L. Clashes: Air Combat Over North Vietnam 1965–1972. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1997. ISBN 1-55750-585-3.
  • Stringfellow, Curtis K. and Peter M. Bowers. Lockheed Constellation: A Pictorial History. St. Paul, Minnesota: Motorbooks, 1992. ISBN 0-87938-379-8.
  • Swanborough, Gordon and Peter M. Bowers. US Navy Aircraft Since 1911. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1990. ISBN 978-0-87021-792-0.
  • Taylor, Michael J.H., ed. “Lockheed Constellation and Super Constellation.” Jane’s Encyclopedia of Aviation. New York: Crescent, 1993. ISBN 0-517-10316-8.
  • Yenne, Bill, Lockheed. Greenwich, Connecticut: Bison Books, 1987. ISBN 0-517-60471-X.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star.

January 01, 1970
lockheed, warning, star, american, airborne, early, warning, control, radar, surveillance, aircraft, operational, 1950s, both, united, states, navy, united, states, force, usaf, warning, star, 121t, warning, star, role, airborne, early, warning, control, natio. The Lockheed EC 121 Warning Star was an American airborne early warning and control radar surveillance aircraft operational in the 1950s in both the United States Navy USN and United States Air Force USAF EC 121 Warning Star EC 121T Warning Star Role Airborne early warning and control National origin United States Manufacturer Lockheed Corporation First flight 9 June 1949 Introduction 1954 Retired 1978 USAF 1982 USN Primary user United States Navy United States Air Force Produced 1953 1958 Number built 232 Developed from L 749 Constellation L 1049 Super Constellation C 121 Constellation Second PO 1W prototype at NAS Barbers Point 1952 Third production WV 2 in flight 1954 The military version of the Lockheed L 1049 Super Constellation was used to serve as an airborne early warning system to supplement the Distant Early Warning Line using two large radomes a vertical dome above and a horizontal one below the fuselage It replaced the TBM 3W used by the USN Some EC 121s were also used for signal intelligence gathering The EC 121 was introduced in 1954 and phased out in 1978 although a single specially modified EW aircraft remained in USN service until 1982 The USN versions when initially procured were designated WV 1 PO 1W WV 2 and WV 3 The USAF Warning Stars served during the Vietnam War both as electronic sensor monitors and as a forerunner to the Boeing E 3 Sentry AWACS USAF aircrews adopted its civil nickname Connie diminutive of Constellation as reference USN aircrews used the nickname Willie Victor Contents 1 Development 2 Operational service 2 1 USN 2 2 USAF 3 Vietnam War 3 1 Big Eye 3 2 College Eye 3 3 Rivet Top 3 4 Operation Kingpin 3 5 Disco 3 6 Batcat 4 Variants 4 1 USN variants 4 2 USAF variants 5 Operators 5 1 USAF 5 1 1 Active duty 5 1 2 AFRES 5 1 3 ANG 5 2 USN 6 Accidents and incidents 7 Surviving aircraft 8 Specifications WV 2 EC 121D 9 See also 10 References 10 1 Notes 10 2 Citations 10 3 Bibliography 11 External linksDevelopment editSince 1943 the Lockheed Constellation had been in USAAF service as the C 69 The use of the Constellation by the USN for patrol and airborne early warning duties was first investigated in 1949 when the USN acquired two Lockheed L 749 Constellations First flown on 9 June 1949 the PO 1W carried large long range radars in massive radomes above and below the fuselage As the radomes possessed considerably more side area the vertical stabilizers of the PO 1W had to be enlarged After the PO 1W redesignated WV 1 in 1952 had proved that operating large radars on aircraft was possible the USN ordered the WV 2 based on the L 1049 Super Constellation The WV 1s were transferred to the Federal Aviation Agency in 1958 1959 1 2 The WV 2 EC 121D was initially fitted with a dorsal AN APS 45 height finder and a ventral AN APS 20 search radar These were later upgraded to AN APS 103 and AN APS 95 radars although not simultaneously 3 The crew commonly numbered 18 six officers two pilots two navigators and two weapons controllers and 12 enlisted two flight engineers one radio operator two crew chiefs five radar operators and two radar technicians 4 However when North Korea shot down a Navy EC 121 in 1969 a crew of 31 was on board 5 Orders were placed totaling 142 PO 2W Constellations based on the Lockheed L 1049 Super Constellation with deliveries beginning in 1953 The PO 2W was redesignated WV 2 in 1954 In 1962 with standardization of aircraft designations within the Department of Defense the WV 2 then became the EC 121K In total 13 of these were converted to WV 2Q electronic intelligence ELINT aircraft becoming EC 121M in 1962 Nine were converted to WV 3 weather reconnaissance aircraft WC 121N in 1962 6 The EC 121K was also operated by Training Squadron 86 VT 86 at NAS Glynco Georgia for training of student naval flight officers destined to fly both the EC 121 and the Grumman E 2 Hawkeye At NAS Glynco s closure VT 86 transferred to NAS Pensacola Florida in 1973 the squadron s last EC 121 was also flown to NAS Pensacola being stored in the collection of the National Museum of Naval Aviation where it still remains 7 A single aircraft became an NC 121K the electronic warfare variant assigned to Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 33 VAQ 33 at NAS Key West Florida The aircraft was the last EC 121 in operational service flying until 25 June 1982 8 The USAF received 10 RC 121C and 74 EC 121D Warning Stars also based on the L 1049 beginning with diversions from the Navy contracts in October 1953 9 The 10 RC 121Cs became trainers designated TC 121C Between 1966 and 1969 30 retired USN EC 121s were transferred to USAF and converted in EC 121Rs as sensor monitoring aircraft Of the 74 EC 121s 42 were converted to the EC 121H upgrade beginning in 1962 and in 1969 15 of the remaining EC 121Ds and seven of the EC 121Hs were further upgraded into the final operational variant the EC 121T serving as an AWACS prototype in Southeast Asia in 1972 6 Five EC 121Ds were modified to be broadcasting aircraft for psychological warfare operations the predecessors of the EC 130 Commando Solo 10 Operational service editUSN edit nbsp BARLANT WV 2 of VW 15 overflies USS Sellstrom off Newfoundland in 1957 nbsp Last Connie in the USN on its last flight to Davis Monthan AFB for retirement in April 1982 VAQ 33 GD 12 NC 121K BuNo 141292 WV 2s redesignated EC 121s in 1962 served from 1954 to 1965 in two barrier forces one off each coast of the North American continent The barrier forces consisted of five surface picket stations each manned by radar destroyer escorts and an air wing of WV 2s EC 121s that patrolled the picket lines at 1 000 4 000 m 3 000 12 000 ft altitude in 6 to 20 hour missions Their objective was to extend early warning coverage against surprise Soviet bomber and missile attacks as an extension of the DEW Line 11 In April 1954 the first Lockheed Super Constellation Model 1049C WV 2 BuNo 128323 was received at NAS Barbers Point by Airborne Early Warning Squadron One VW 1 The Atlantic Barrier BARLANT consisted of two rotating squadron detachments sourced from AEW Squadron Thirteen VW 13 and AEW Squadron Fifteen VW 15 from NAS Patuxent River Maryland and one squadron AEW Squadron Eleven VW 11 permanently based at Naval Station Argentia Newfoundland Their mission was to fly orbits to the Azores and back An additional AEW training unit was based at NAS Patuxent River for training flight crews and maintenance personnel BARLANT became operational on 1 July 1956 and flew continuous coverage until early 1965 The barrier was shifted to cover the approaches between Greenland Iceland and the United Kingdom GIUK barrier in June 1961 Aircraft from Argentia were staged through NAS Keflavik Iceland to extend coverage times 11 The Pacific Barrier BARPAC received the first operational AEW squadron Airborne Early Warning Squadron One VW 1 and the first EC 121K aircraft AEW Squadron Three followed with AEW Squadrons Twelve Fourteen and Sixteen In January 1958 VW 1 and VW 3 relocated to NAS Agana Guam M I where VW 1 continued its AEW commitments and VW 3 operational commitment was divided between AEW and weather BARPAC became operational with AEW Squadron Twelve VW 12 based at NAS Barbers Point Hawaii operating from a deployment base at NAS Midway on 1 July 1958 and later expanded to include AEW Squadrons Fourteen VW 14 and Sixteen VW 16 Their orbits overlapped the radar picket stations of the ships of Escort Squadron Seven from roughly Adak Island to Midway Normally five WV 2s EC 121s were required at any single time to provide coverage over the entire line The Hawaiian barrier force operations were discontinued by September 1965 and their EC 121K aircraft were placed in storage However VW 1 continued operating until 1972 flying weather ops and supplying AEW to naval forces in the Gulf of Tonkin USN C 121 EC 121 WC 12 1 and NC 121 operations continued until 1975 in seven other squadrons and until 1982 in an eighth Some EC 121s were used in Vietnam mirroring USAF EC 121 missions but orbiting the Gulf of Tonkin as that was the USN s assigned area Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron One VQ 1 and Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron Two VQ 2 operated EC 121M ELINT gathering aircraft at NAF Atsugi Japan and Naval Station Rota Spain respectively until they transitioned to the EP 3B Orion and EP 3E Aries aircraft Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Four VW 4 operated WV 3 cum WC 121s between 1954 and 1975 as Hurricane Hunters with its primary base at NAS Jacksonville Florida and a forward base at Naval Station Roosevelt Roads Puerto Rico Its Pacific counterpart Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Three VW 3 Typhoon Trackers was the operational weather squadron in the Pacific flying from NAS Agana Guam tracking typhoons from 1955 to 1960 11 On June 30 1960 Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Three VW 3 disbanded and many of its aircraft 8 BuNo 145 series and crews were absorbed by VW 1 which retained AEW designation and took on the weather commitments and the Title of Typhoon Trackers of VW 3 VW 4 later transitioned to WP 3A Orion Also operating C 121 and EC 121 aircraft was Oceanographic Development Squadron Eight VXN 8 at NAS Patuxent River Maryland which employed the aircraft for specific projects e g Project BIRDSEYE MAGNET ASWEPS etc for the Office of Naval Research until they were replaced by RP 3A and RP 3D Orion aircraft VXN 8 also operated four additional NC 121 aircraft called the Blue Eagles These specially modified aircraft were equipped with complete radio and television transmitting equipment and studios for simultaneous broadcast of American and Vietnamese television and radio programs prior to the installation of ground stations during the Vietnam War The aircraft flew nightly 7 days per week broadcasting such American TV programs as Combat Have Gun Will Travel and Gunsmoke along with other popular programs of the time in addition to Vietnamese programs recorded prior to each flight Nightly American news broadcasts were transmitted live using an onboard TV studio and an Air Force newscaster bringing the latest news from home and the world The Blue Eagles operated out of Saigon and Danang Air Bases for around 5 years commencing in 1965 Air Development Squadron Six VX 6 based at NAS Quonset Point Rhode Island also operated R7V aircraft redesignated C 121J in support of United States Antarctic Program operations until replaced by LC 130F Hercules aircraft The EC 121 was also operated by Training Squadron 86 VT 86 at NAS Glynco Georgia for training student naval flight officers destined for the E 2 Hawkeye and by Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 33 VAQ 33 for the Fleet Electronic Warfare Systems Group FEWSG at NAS Norfolk Virginia and later following a squadron homeport change at NAS Key West Florida At the time of its retirement on June 25 1982 VAQ 33 s NC 121K aircraft Buno 141292 was the last NC 121K and the last of its type operated by the USN USAF edit The USAF operated EC 121s between 1954 and 1978 with three wings at maximum employment and three independent squadrons as operations wound down Until the Vietnam War their primary mission was to provide complementary early warning radar coverage to the Pacific and Atlantic barriers by flying orbits 300 miles 480 km offshore from the continental United States in what were termed contiguous barriers The coverage orbits overlapped those of land based early warning radars nbsp 552nd AEWCW EC 121D at McClellan AFB Initial deployment of EC 121Cs began with 551st Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing based at Otis Air Force Base Massachusetts Operational on 21 December 1954 551st AEWCW subsequently upgraded to EC 121D and later EC 121H Warning Stars Its Pacific counterpart was 552d Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing AEWCW based at McClellan Air Force Base California becoming operational on 1 July 1955 After the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 552nd AEWCW also had administrative control of the 966th AEWCS based at McCoy Air Force Base Florida The 966th had a dual mission monitoring activity in Cuban airspace and flying Gold Digger missions continuous tracks of U 2 surveillance missions 12 The third air wing to operate EC 121s was 553rd Reconnaissance Wing a Vietnam war organization activated in 1967 and based in Thailand until inactivation in 1970 See BatCat below In 1966 Lockheed modified 30 ex USN Super Constellations two EC 121P WV 3 and 28 EC 121K WV 2 aircraft to EC 121Rs for the specialized reconnaissance mission flown by the 553rd Aircraft were delivered during the course of 1967 The 553rd RW flew over land and off the coast of Vietnam over Laos and Cambodia monitoring and retransmitting low power signals Usually they orbited the Ho Chi Minh Trail in 8 hour shifts As it was expensive to operate and it exposed a large crew to enemy fire it was replaced in December 1970 by the much smaller and eventually unmanned drone QU 22 Pave Eagle sensor monitor 13 The 551st AEWCW inactivated in 1969 while the 552d was reduced by a squadron in 1971 In July 1974 USAF redesignated 552d Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing as 552d Airborne Warning and Control Group when it was downsized to a single squadron It inactivated in April 1976 As the USAF prepared for deploying the E 3 Sentry in the later 1970s it phased out EC 121 operations by the end of 1975 All remaining EC 121s transferred to Air Force Reserve which formed the 79th AEWCS at Homestead Air Force Base Florida in early 1976 The active duty force continued providing personnel to operate the EC 121s on a 24 hour basis assigning Detachment 1 20th Air Defence Squadron to Homestead AFB as associate active duty crews to fly the AFRES owned aircraft Besides monitoring Cuban waters these last Warning Stars also operated from NAS Keflavik Final EC 121 ops ended in September 1978 Detachment 1 dissolved and 79th AEWCS was redesignated a fighter squadron on 1 October 1978 In 1967 five EC 121s became operational with the 193rd Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard responsible for psychological operations missions under project Coronet Solo From July 1970 to January 1971 they rotated on 30 to 90 day temporary duty deployments to Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base Thailand under the name Commando Buzz 10 Vietnam War editEC 121s were used extensively in Southeast Asia between 16 April 1965 and 1 June 1974 particularly in support of Operation Rolling Thunder and Operation Linebacker Linebacker II providing radar early warning and limited airborne control of USAF fighter forces engaging MiG interceptors 4 14 Flying orbits over the Gulf of Tonkin and later over Laos they were the forerunners of AWACS aircraft The USN used a variant the NC 121 in their Blue Eagle unit from 1965 1972 Blue Eagles were television and radio broadcasting airplanes The Blue Eagles were based at NAS Patuxent River and were part of oceanographic squadron VXN 8 Big Eye edit nbsp nbsp Operators in a USAF EC 121D T At the onset of Rolling Thunder the North Vietnamese had an advantage in that their radar coverage could detect most US strike aircraft flying at or above 5 000 feet 1 500 m virtually anywhere in the country using a system that was difficult to jam US forces countered with radar ships Crown in the Gulf of Tonkin and a ground site at Nakhon Phanom RTAFB Thailand but both systems were line of sight and suffered coverage gaps To increase coverage the Seventh Air Force 7 AF requested airborne radar support and the Air Defense Command redesignated Aerospace Defense Command in 1968 was directed to set up the Big Eye Task Force Five EC 121Ds and 100 support personnel of the 552nd AEWCW at McClellan AFB were deployed to Tainan Air Station Taiwan with four of the EC 121s sent on to a forward operating location at Tan Son Nhut Air Base near Saigon South Vietnam 15 The EC 121s were designed for detection of aircraft flying over water so ground clutter spurious signal returns off of terrain features such as mountains caused interference with their radar pictures The crews however were experienced in tracking Soviet aircraft over Cuba and had developed a technique whereby an EC 121 flying at 50 feet 15 m to 300 feet 91 m above water could bounce a signal from its bottom mounted APS 95 Search radar off the surface of the water and detect aircraft at medium altitudes out to 150 miles 240 km Operating in pairs one Big Eye EC 121 flew a 50 miles 80 km race track pattern approximately 30 miles 48 km offshore Alpha orbit with the orbit s center at 19 25 N 107 25 E 19 417 N 107 417 E 19 417 107 417 The second one flew a track at 10 000 feet 3 000 m Bravo orbit farther from the coast acting as a spare for the Alpha EC 121 4 This provided a practical detection range of 100 miles 160 km enough to cover the Hanoi urban area and the main MiG base at Phuc Yen A major disadvantage of this arrangement however was that most MiG contacts were beyond the 70 miles 110 km range of the Big Eye s APS 45 Height Finder radar so that they were unable to provide this data to USAF strike forces Furthermore technical shortcomings in the EC 121D s systems precluded either controlling a fighter intercept or identifying a specific flight under attack 16 The missions from Tan Son Nhut AB began 21 April 1965 using callsigns Ethan Alpha and Ethan Bravo which became standard After refueling at Danang Air Base Ethan Alpha made a wave top approach to its orbit station where it remained for five hours Because of the threat of MiG interception EC 121s were protected by a Lockheed F 104 Starfighter MiGCAP If for any reason the MiGCAP could not rendezvous the EC 121s cancelled their mission Air conditioning systems aboard the EC 121 were virtually useless in this profile and the heat produced by the electronics combined with the threat of being shot down made Alpha orbit missions in particular very stressful 17 On 10 July 1965 in its first airborne controlled interception an EC 121 provided warning to a pair of USAF F 4C fighters resulting in the shooting down of two MiG 17s 4 The Big Eye Task Force remained at Tan Son Nhut until February 1967 when the threat of Viet Cong ground attacks prompted a move to Thailand College Eye edit In March 1967 Big Eye was renamed College Eye Task Force CETF and relocated at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base Because of the complexity of the aircraft and its systems along with the large support group it required CETF could not be supported at the relatively small Thai bases It moved to Udon RTAFB in July and to its final station at Korat RTAFB in October 1967 18 Seven of 26 EC 121s deployed from Otis AFB and arrived at Korat on the 19th 19 From April 1965 to early 1966 and beginning again in late 1967 the EC 121Ds also controlled a flight of MiGCAP fighters for unarmed support aircraft operating over the Tonkin Gulf The EC 121Ds also served as an airborne communications relay center for strike aircraft to transmit mission results and position reports to Danang Air Control Center directed operations of fighter escorts MiGCAPs Lockheed C 130 Hercules flare ships and A 26 strike aircraft along the North Vietnamese Laotian border provided radar and navigational assistance for combat search and rescue missions and assisted fighters in finding tankers for emergency refueling nbsp College Eye EC 121D taking off from Korat RTAFB In May 1966 the government of China formally protested an incursion by a Republic F 105 Thunderchief pursuing a North Vietnamese MiG it subsequently shot down 25 miles 40 km inside Chinese territory A US board of inquiry recommended that College Eye also had to monitor the no fly zone inside the North Vietnamese border with China to provide alerts to US aircraft nearing the buffer zone and to report border crossing violations by US aircraft 4 This could not be done from the gulf so a third orbit Ethan Charlie was created in Laos After tests in June and August regular missions began 24 August Not enough EC 121s or crews were available to support three orbits twice daily so the Laotian orbit was only flown every third day with Ethan Bravo missions cancelled on those days After 13 October 1966 the Charlie orbit was flown every day and the Bravo orbit suspended altogether In April 1967 four more EC 121s were deployed to Thailand on 29 May making for a total strength of three College Eyes in Taiwan and six in Thailand 4 In April 1967 USAF began fitting its entire EC 121 fleet with QRC 248 IFF transponder interrogators QRC 248 had been developed to follow Soviet export aircraft flown by the Cuban Air Force The SRO 2 transponders installed in Soviet export MiGs enabled Cuban ground controlled interception GCI radars to identify and control their fighters A testbed EC 121 called Quick Look had flown with College Eye in January 1967 to test QRC 248 and found that North Vietnamese MiGs used the same transponder QRC 248 accurately discriminated MiG radar returns from the myriad returns picked up during a mission and extended the range of low altitude detection to more than 175 miles 282 km covering virtually all important North Vietnamese target areas 20 By May all College Eyes had been fitted with QRC 248 Ethan Bravo s mission was changed from that of a backup for Ethan Alpha to being the primary QRC 248 listener but College Eye was prohibited by the Joint Chiefs of Staff from actively interrogating MiG transponders following a National Security Agency security policy protecting its intelligence sources of which the QRC 248 was one thus was restricted to waiting for North Vietnamese GCI to interrogate its aircraft QRC 248 began regular use in July 1967 but by then North Vietnam s MiG force which had suffered serious losses in May had suspended its combat operations 20 In the last week of August however after a period of intensive training and revision of tactics the MiGs began engaging US strike forces again scoring a number of kills Then Seventh Air Force finally obtained permission for the new Ethan Bravo mission EC 121 to actively interrogate with QRC 248 on 6 October By 4 December its success outweighed any value in flying the Ethan Alpha orbit which was discontinued until July 1972 4 21 On 1 March 1968 College Eye callsigns changed to Ethan 01 02 03 and 04 Ethan 03 Laotian orbit began positive control airborne direction of C 130 flareship flights and A 26 Invader night interdiction missions along the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos on 19 April 1968 4 The task force was scaled back in July 1968 to four EC 121Ds and the Rivet Top testbed aircraft to allow for the basing of another College Eye detachment at Itazuke AB Japan 4 The name of the task force was discontinued in October 1968 when it was redesignated a final time as Detachment 1 Rotational 552nd AEWCW EC 121 deployments to Southeast Asia were discontinued in June 1970 in the expectation that they would no longer be used 22 Rivet Top edit nbsp EC 121K Rivet Top AF Ser No 57 143184 at Korat RTAFB 1967 1968 This was a former USN EC 121K BuNo 143184 transferred to USAF and modified In August 1967 while the College Eye Task Force was still based at Udon RTAFB another prototype EC 121 variation began operations testing new equipment as Detachment 2 of the Tactical Air Warfare Center Known as Rivet Top N 1 this modified EC 121K later redesignated EC 121M carried the QRC 248 newly installed in the College Eye aircraft and also had electronic interrogators capable of reading two additional Soviet transponders the SRO 1 and SOD 57 Its electronics were custom built rather than off the shelf 23 Its most important upgrade was the top secret Rivet Gym installation This consisted of the addition to the crew of Vietnamese speaking intelligence specialists manning four voice communications intercept stations able to monitor all communications between the MiGs and their GCI controllers Despite this advantage Rivet Top experienced two problems reducing its effectiveness Its operators did not have radar scopes to correlate intercepted conversations with specific flights of MiGs thus could not determine which US aircraft might be under attack Secondly like QRC 248 Rivet Gym was an NSA SIGINT asset and subject to even more stringent rules protecting knowledge of its existence Even when real time warnings to US aircraft were finally permitted in mid 1972 fighter crews were not made aware of the source of the warnings and because EC 121 radio communications were poor mandating the use of a radio relay aircraft that often failed they tended to disregard the credibility of the source 24 The Rivet Top prototype moved to Korat RTAFB along with the College Eye Task Force in October 1967 Originally scheduled to return to the USA in February 1968 because of its value it remained at Korat until 1969 Flying daily missions through its testing period it began flying every other day missions over the Gulf of Tonkin after 31 March 1968 when Rolling Thunder operations were sharply scaled back Rivet Gym installations were back fitted to all College Eye EC 121s by the end of May 1968 Operation Kingpin edit Two EC 121Ds newly modified with the Southeast Asia Operational Requirement 62 SEAOR 62 electronics suite but not yet operational as EC 121Ts were ordered to Korat RTAFB in October 1970 Under the guise of being field tested they were accompanied by a C 121G carrying additional crew members the most experienced 552nd AEWCW technicians and equipment necessary to maintain the new electronics The SEAOR 62 package was supported by a digital data receiver ground terminal and by radio relay equipment transshipped by separate classified airlift The EC 121Ts arrived in Thailand from McClellan AFB on 12 November 25 The purpose of the deployment was to provide an integrated tactical data display with real time inputs similar to the Navy Airborne Tactical Data System equipping E 1B Tracer platforms of Task Force 77 in support of Operation Kingpin a mission to rescue US prisoners of war held at Son Tay prison 26 Once at Korat some equipment was tested for the first time because of emission restrictions in US airspace and the only available manuals and checklists were notes from early flight tests Even so both aircraft were operational by 17 November 27 On 20 November 1970 two Warning Stars using the callsigns Frog 01 and 02 respectively took off 10 minutes apart at 22 00 from Korat to take station at the low altitude Alpha orbit over the Gulf of Tonkin with Frog 02 as a backup The 17 man crews were advised in the air of the nature of the rescue mission and their role providing MiG warning and directing USAF F 4 Phantom CAP intercepts As Frog 01 began its climb to the higher Bravo orbit it experienced a ruptured oil line forcing shutdown of one engine As planned Frog 02 became the primary aircraft when Frog 01 made an emergency landing at Danang 28 The new equipment failed to function properly aboard Frog 02 The ground receivers at the command post in Danang failed to receive data and the APX 83 IFF processors would not display aboard the aircraft despite repeated repairs Their own radar monitors experienced excessive electronic noise and the jamming of North Vietnamese radars by nearby EKA 3B Skywarriors hindered efforts of the radar technicians to correct the problems While unable to provide vectoring information to the F 4s escorting the mission Frog 02 remained on station and relied on its Rivet Top voice intercept capability to provide supplementary data 29 Disco edit nbsp EC 121D AF Ser No 53 0555 at Korat RTAFB September 1970 In October 1971 North Vietnamese MiGs operating from forward bases opened after the end of Rolling Thunder began a campaign to intercept Boeing B 52 Stratofortress missions over southern Laos On 20 November a MiG 21 launched air to air missiles at a B 52 that evaded by dropping flares As a result Warning Stars of Det 1 returned to Korat RTAFB to provide radar support by flying the Laotian orbit again using callsign Disco 22 Seven EC 121Ts replacement aircraft for the earlier series were based in Thailand and contained both QRC 248 and Rivet Top electronic suites When Operation Linebacker began on 10 May 1972 Disco was one of two principal GCI radars used by US forces N 2 although it continued to be handicapped by poor radio communications In addition its slow turning radar limited its value as a controller of fighters during MiG engagements while the size of USAF raids during Linebacker nearly saturated its capabilities 31 Improvements made in the systems since 1968 enabled the operators to distinguish MiG types and a color code system for them entered the air operations vernacular Red Bandits Mig 17s White Bandits MiG 19s Blue Bandits MiG 21s and Black bandits MiGs low on fuel 32 On 6 July 1972 as the result of seven F 4 Phantoms shot down in a two week period a second Disco track was initiated Flown near the former Alpha orbit over the Gulf of Tonkin its purpose was to gain better low altitude coverage in the Hanoi area At the end of the month Disco was also integrated into Teaball control center a highly classified system established to collate all signal intelligence on North Vietnamese air activity gathered by all sources including nonmilitary Disco was used as a conduit through which warnings and control vectors were given but the delay in Teaball acquiring the information and relaying it through Disco often using an unreliable radio relay KC 135A Combat Lightning aircraft operating under callsign Luzon N 3 cancelled out its value for use in real time and the fact that its existence was kept from US aircrews damaged its credibility N 4 Teaball received direct communications capability but experienced transmission failures with frustrating frequency Disco remained the primary backup controller but its usefulness remained limited because it directly controlled only MiGCAP missions and could only provide its information to strike chaff and escort forces via the Guard frequency 34 On 15 August 1973 Disco EC 121s flew their final combat mission and on 1 June 1974 Det 1 was permanently withdrawn from Southeast Asia Between 1965 and 1973 the EC 121s flew 13 921 combat missions more than 98 000 accident free flying hours assisted in the shoot down of 25 MiGs and supported the rescue of 80 downed flyers No Big Eye College Eye or Disco aircraft were lost 14 Batcat edit nbsp EC 121R Batcat During the Vietnam War some 40 EC 121s were modified from USN WV 2 and WV 3 early warning Constellations for use with ground sensors to detect enemy troop movements along the Ho Chi Minh Trail and 25 were deployed to Korat RTAFB as a part of Operation Igloo White 13 The resulting EC 121R configuration was nicknamed the Batcat 35 Two Batcats were lost during the war with the loss of 22 crewmen one in a takeoff accident during a thunderstorm in April 1969 the other in September 1969 in a landing accident which also killed four Thai civilians Batcat EC 121s were camouflaged in standard tree color Southeast Asia scheme while the College Eye Disco early warning aircraft were not BatCat missions were 18 hours in length with 8 hours on station at one of 11 color coded orbits used during their five year history three of which were over South Vietnam six over Laos one over Cambodia and one over the Gulf of Tonkin EC 121Rs were operated by the 553d and 554th Reconnaissance Squadrons of the 553d Reconnaissance Wing between October 1967 and December 1970 with about 20 Batcats on hand at any time The wing activated in December 1970 and the 554th RS relocated to Nakhon Phanom RTAFB to fly QU 22 sensor monitors nicknamed Baby Bats Initially with 11 aircraft the 553rd RS continued operations for another year gradually returning aircraft and crews to the USA The final Batcat mission was in December 1971 The last remaining administrative and support personnel returned to Otis AFB in January 1972 Variants editMain article Lockheed Constellation variants nbsp VAQ 33 NC 121K in 1973 flanked by F 4B Phantom and EA 4F Skyhawk nbsp WV 2E experimental aircraft with a rotodome USN variants edit WV 1 2 prototypes L 749A Constellation designated PO 1W before 1952 EC 121K WV 2 Main USN variant designated PO 2W before 1952 244 ordered 142 produced the rest to USAF JC 121K One modified EC 121K used as a US Army avionics testbed NC 121K Unknown number modified as special mission aircraft YEC 121K One modified avionics testbed EC 121L WV 2E One modified WV 2 testbed for rotating radar dome with an AN APS 70 radar EC 121M WV 2Q ELINT collection variant 13 modified WV 2 WC 121N WV 3 Weather reconnaissance variant 8 modified WV 2 EC 121P Unknown number modified from EC 121K as anti submarine variant JEC 121P 3 EC 121P used by the USAF USAF variants edit nbsp The first USAF RC 121C 1955 nbsp USAF RC 121D 53 0128 with F 104 Starfighters nbsp A former EC 121R Batcat at AMARC Davis Monthan AFB Arizona RC 121C 10 produced initial USAF variant JC 121C 2 converted from C 121C and 1 TC 121C as avionics testbeds TC 121C 9 RC 121C modified before 1962 as crew trainers EC 121D 73 produced 1953 55 as main USAF variant and 1 converted from C 121C originally designated RC 121D EC 121D Quick Look 1 testbed for QRC 248 IFF transponder interrogator EC 121H 42 USAF upgrades in 1962 35x EC 121D and 7x WV 2s transferred from the Navy EC 121J 2 USAF EC 121D modified with upgraded electronics EC 121M Rivet Top 1 EC 121D testbed for Rivet Gym cryptologic linguist electronics suite originally designated EC 121K EC 121Q 4 EC 121D modified with upgraded electronics for USAF Gold Digger missions EC 121R 30 EC 121K EC 121P transferred to USAF in 1966 1967 and converted to Batcat sensor signal processor EC 121S 5 converted for Pennsylvania Air National Guard from USAF C 121 transports EC 121T Final USAF variant A total of 22 T s were converted from 15x EC 121D and 7x EC 121H XW2V 1 Proposed naval development with new features such as 4 Allison T56 A8 turboprop engines L 1649A Starliner wings and Bomarc missiles for defense None built was designated L 084 due to the large differences from its predecessors 36 Operators edit nbsp United States USAF edit Active duty edit 551st AEWCW Otis AFB Massachusetts 960th AEWCS 961st AEWCS 962d AEWCS 552d AEWCW McClellan AFB California 963d AEWCS 964th AEWCS 965th AEWCS 553d RW Korat RTAFB Thailand 553d RS 554th RS 966th AEWCS McCoy AFB Florida Det 1 20th ADS Homestead AFB Florida AFRES edit 79th AEWCS AFRES Homestead AFB Florida ANG edit 193d TEWS PA ANG Olmsted Air Force Base later renamed Harrisburg Air National Guard Base Pennsylvania USN edit nbsp WC 121N of VW 4 Hurricane Hunters 1967 AEW Wing Atlantic NAS Patuxent River Maryland VXN 8 NAS Patuxent River Maryland VW 2 BarLant NAS Patuxent River Maryland VW 4 Hurricane Hunters NAS Jacksonville Florida VW 11 BarLant NS Argentia Newfoundland NAS Patuxent River Maryland VW 13 BarLant NAS Patuxent River Maryland NS Argentia Newfoundland VW 15 BarLant NAS Argentia Newfoundland NAS Patuxent River Maryland AEWTULANT NAS Patuxent River Maryland Naval CIC Officers School later Training Squadron EIGHTY SIX VT 86 NAS Glynco Georgia AEW Wing Pacific NAS Barbers Point Hawaii VW 1 Typhoon Trackers NAS Agana Guam VW 3 Typhoon Chasers NAS Agana Guam VW 12 BarPac NAS Barbers Point Hawaii VW 14 BarPac NAS Barbers Point Hawaii VW 16 BarPac NAS Barbers Point Hawaii AewBarsRon 2 Service Support NAS Barbers Point Hawaii MatRon 1 Support NAS Barbers Point Hawaii AewBarRonPac amalgamation of VW 12 VW 14 and AEWBarRon 2 NAS Barbers Point Hawaii VQ 1 NAF Atsugi Japan VQ 2 NS Rota Spain VAQ 33 NAS Norfolk Virginia NAS Key West Florida VX 6 NAS Quonset Point Rhode IslandAccidents and incidents editA total of 20 Navy EC 121s were destroyed in accidents with 113 aircrew deaths 37 15x WV 2 EC 121K 3x WV 2Q EC 121M and 2x WV 3 WC 121N Another unarmed EC 121M was destroyed in one sided combat In April 1969 North Korean Air Force MiG 21 fighter interceptors shot down an EC 121 in international airspace off the country s east coast killing all of the crew of 31 on board 5 The USAF had a total of 11 Warning Stars destroyed in accidents killing 66 aircrew 37 2x RC 121C TC 121C 2x RC 121D 3x EC 121H 3x EC 121R and 1x EC 121T 3 EC 121Hs from the 551st AEWCW were lost on 11 July 1965 11 November 1966 and 25 April 1967 respectively resulting in 50 deaths including the wing commander of the 551st AEWCW Col James P Lyle The 2 Batcat EC 121R crashes resulted in 22 killed 37 Surviving aircraft editEC 121T On Display nbsp N4257U AF Ser No 52 3418 on display Combat Air Museum Topeka KS AF Ser No 52 3418 on display at the Combat Air Museum at Forbes Field former Forbes AFB in Topeka Kansas The aircraft was delivered to USAF in October 1954 as an RC 121D and redesignated an EC 121D in 1962 It was converted to an EC 121T but the upper radome has been removed nbsp EC 121T AF Serial No 52 3425 on display Peterson AFB Colorado AF Ser No 52 3425 on display at the Peterson Air and Space Museum at Peterson AFB in Colorado Springs Colorado Previously assigned to the 966th AEWCS at McCoy AFB Florida and then the 79th AEWCS at Homestead AFB Florida It was delivered to Peterson AFB in October 1978 38 AF Ser No 53 0548 on display at the Yanks Air Museum in Chino California It was stored at Camarillo Airport former Oxnard AFB while the Yanks Air Museum was working to get it restored and to complete FAA paperwork for a ferry flight The final maintenance efforts by Yanks Air Museum Restoration Director Frank Wright included a rebuild of engine 4 in early January 2012 53 0548 departed Camarillo at 12 10PM on Saturday 14 January 2012 for the 90 minute flight to Chino where it will become a static display 39 AF Ser No 53 0552 on display at Tinker AFB Oklahoma AF Ser No 53 0554 on display at the Pima Air amp Space Museum adjacent to Davis Monthan AFB in Tucson Arizona nbsp College Eye EC 121D AF Ser No 53 0555 National Museum of the United States Air Force AF Ser No 53 0555 on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton Ohio The College Eye EC 121D is fully restored and on display indoors This aircraft was nicknamed Triple Nickel because of its serial number 53 555 On 24 October 1967 while operating over the Gulf of Tonkin it guided a U S fighter by radar into position to destroy a North Vietnamese Air Force enemy fighter aircraft a MiG 21 This was the first time a weapons controller aboard an airborne radar aircraft had ever directed a successful attack on an enemy aircraft Triple Nickel was retired to the USAF Museum in 1971 40 AF Ser No 52 3417 in storage at the University of Montana Helena College of Technology in Helena Montana The aircraft is the oldest surviving EC 121 and was delivered to the USAF as a RC 121D in September 1954 and upgraded to an EC 121T in 1970 It served with the Air Force Reserve at Homestead Air Force Base before being retired to Davis Monthan Air Force Base in March 1976 In the early 1980s the university purchased the aircraft from the Air Force for 10 000 and it was ferried to the university in July 1981 In spring 2009 it was declared surplus by the university and offered to any museum interested in preserving it The aircraft was eventually acquired by the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in McMinnville Oregon and prepped for a ferry flight to Oregon However after the museum s parent company Evergreen International Aviation went bankrupt the aircraft was acquired by the Castle Air Museum at the former Castle AFB in Atwater California for restoration After that many parts and materials were collected and now it is completely restored and preserved EC 121K On Display BuNo 137890 on display outside 552d Air Control Wing Headquarters the home of E 3 AWACS operations for the USAF at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City Oklahoma The aircraft is one of two Warning Stars displayed in the markings as AF Serial Number 53 0552 BuNo 141297 on display at the Museum of Aviation at Robins Air Force Base Georgia It was flown to the museum in 1987 for display 41 BuNo 141309 on display as AF Serial Number 53 0552 at the Aerospace Museum of California at the former McClellan AFB California This is one of two Warning Stars painted as 53 0552 BuNo 141311 awaiting restoration at the Yankee Air Museum Belleville MI Previously at Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum Rantoul Illinois 42 43 BuNo 143221 on display at the National Naval Aviation Museum at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Pensacola Florida The aircraft was acquired in flyable condition in 1973 from Training Squadron 86 VT 86 at NAS Glynco Georgia pending the closure of NAS Glynco and the squadron s relocation to NAS Pensacola It is currently on display at the Sherman Field flight line annex of the museum Specifications WV 2 EC 121D edit nbsp 3 view line drawing of the Lockheed RC 121C Warning Star Data from 44 General characteristicsCrew typically six flight crew 11 25 radar crew Length 116 ft 2 in 35 40 m Wingspan 126 ft 2 in 38 45 m Height 24 ft 9 in 7 54 m Wing area 1 650 sq ft 153 27 m2 Empty weight 69 210 lb 31 387 kg Max takeoff weight 143 000 lb 65 000 kg Powerplant 4 Wright R 3350 34 turbo compound 18 cylinder supercharged radial engines 3 400 hp 2 536 kW each Performance Maximum speed 299 mph 481 km h 260 kn Cruise speed 255 mph 410 km h 222 kn Range 4 250 mi 6 843 km 3 700 nmi Service ceiling 25 000 ft 7 620 m Rate of climb 960 ft min 4 87 m s See also editLockheed Constellation variants Related development Lockheed Constellation Family of US airliners with 4 piston engines 1943 L 049 Constellation US airliner with 4 piston engines 1943 C 69 Constellation Early military version of the Constellation L 649 Constellation US airliner with 4 piston engines 1946 L 749 Constellation First version of Constellation with the ability to cross the Atlantic non stop L 1049 Super Constellation US airliner with 4 piston engines 1951 C 121 R7V Constellation Military transport version of Constellation L 1649A Starliner US airliner with 4 piston engines 1956 Aircraft of comparable role configuration and era Boeing E 3 Sentry Airborne early warning and control aircraft based on Boeing 707 airframe Fairey Gannet AEW 3 British airborne early warning aircraft Tupolev Tu 126 Russian airborne early warning and control aircraft Related lists List of Lockheed aircraft List of Lockheed Constellation operatorsReferences editNotes edit Programs developed under the auspices of the Big Safari rapid procurement office have two word identifiers beginning with the word Rivet The other and preferred system was Red Crown a USN ship in the Gulf of Tonkin 30 Luzon was likely being jammed by friendly ECM systems 33 Teaball like Rivet Top was an NSA asset whose existence was carefully compartmentalized to prevent compromising its usefulness in the manned bomber nuclear deterrent mission Citations edit Swanborough and Bowers 1990 p 299 Boys Dean Birth of the Lockheed Warning Star dean boys com Retrieved 13 March 2009 EC 121 Warning Star AEWA Retrieved 19 September 2009 a b c d e f g h i Boys Dean College Eye Extract from the CHeco Report dean boys com Retrieved 13 March 2009 a b N Korea in US spy plane warning BBC News 11 June 2006 a b Boys Dean Lockheed EC 121 Constellation dean boys com Retrieved 13 March 2009 EC 121 Archived 2011 07 27 at the Wayback Machine National Museum of Naval Aviation Retrieved 23 December 2010 The Connie Archived 2011 09 06 at the Wayback Machine VAQ 33 Firebirds Retrieved 22 May 2007 Higham 2005 p 318 a b 193rd Special Operations Group Archived 2007 06 30 at the Wayback Machine Pennsylvania ANG Retrieved 23 May 2007 a b c Bouchard Capt Joseph F USN Guarding the Cold War Ramparts dean boys com Retrieved 13 March 2009 Merryman George 966th AEW amp C Gold Digger Missions dean boys com Retrieved 13 March 2009 a b Corell John T Igloo White Air Force Magazine Vol 87 No 11 November 2004 via web archive org Retrieved 23 December 2010 a b Big Eye College Eye Twelve Year Combat Era Ends Dean Boys Retrieved 13 March 2009 Michel 1997 p 46 Michel 1997 pp 47 49 Michel 1997 p 48 Michel 1997 p 51 USAFHRA Document 00470754 a b Michel 1997 p 100 Michel 1997 p 132 a b Michel 1997 p 193 Michel 1997 p 114 Michel 1997 pp 115 252 284 Gargus 2007 pp 87 89 Gargus 2007 pp 87 90 Gargus pp 124 125 Gargus 2007 p 161 Gargus 2007 pp 181 182 Michel 1997 p 284 Michel 1997 p 225 Michel 1997 p 227 Michel 1997 p 252 Michel 1997 p 253 Batcat history Archived 2004 08 22 at the Wayback Machine tdstelme net Retrieved 23 December 2010 Breffort 2006 p 174 a b c Boys Dean Connie losses total dean boys com 22 May 2007 EC 121T Archived 2010 11 28 at the Wayback Machine Peterson Air amp Space Museum Foundation Retrieved 23 December 2010 Lockheed EC 121 Super Constellation Departing Camarillo 1 14 12 on YouTube Lockheed EC 121D Constellation National Museum of the US Air Force Retrieved 5 September 2015 EC 12K Archived 2007 08 11 at the Wayback MachineMuseum of Aviation Retrieved 23 December 2010 USN Bureau Number Search 141311 Retrieved 2018 02 14 The Warning Star Rescue Project Archived from the original on 2018 03 23 Retrieved 2018 02 28 Willy Victor Lockheed EC 121 Warning Star Archived 2016 03 03 at the Wayback Machine willyvictor com Retrieved 26 April 2007 Bibliography edit Boyne Walter J Beyond the Horizons The Lockheed Story New York St Martin s Press 1998 ISBN 0 312 24438 X Breffort Dominique Lockheed Constellation From Excalibur to Starliner Civilian and Military Variants Paris Histoire and Collections 2006 ISBN 2 915239 62 2 Cacutt Len ed Lockheed Constellation Great Aircraft of the World London Marshall Cavendish 1989 ISBN 1 85435 250 4 Gargus John The Son Tay Raid American POWs in Vietnam Were Not Forgotten College Station Texas Texas A amp M Press 2007 ISBN 1 58544 622 X Germain Scott E Lockheed Constellation and Super Constellation North Branch Minnesota Specialty Press 1998 ISBN 1 58007 000 0 Higham Robin ed Flying American Combat Aircraft The Cold War Mechanicsburg Pennsylvania Stackpole Press 2005 ISBN 0 8117 3238 X Marson Peter J The Lockheed Constellation Series Tonbridge Kent UK Air Britain Historians 1982 ISBN 0 85130 100 2 Michel Marshall L Clashes Air Combat Over North Vietnam 1965 1972 Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press 1997 ISBN 1 55750 585 3 Stringfellow Curtis K and Peter M Bowers Lockheed Constellation A Pictorial History St Paul Minnesota Motorbooks 1992 ISBN 0 87938 379 8 Swanborough Gordon and Peter M Bowers US Navy Aircraft Since 1911 Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press 1990 ISBN 978 0 87021 792 0 Taylor Michael J H ed Lockheed Constellation and Super Constellation Jane s Encyclopedia of Aviation New York Crescent 1993 ISBN 0 517 10316 8 Yenne Bill Lockheed Greenwich Connecticut Bison Books 1987 ISBN 0 517 60471 X External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lockheed EC 121 Warning Star Lockheed EC 121D Constellation National Museum of the United States Air Force Airborne Early Warning Association website Larry Westin EC 121R Batcat site Willy Victor WV 2 Page Copy of Time Magazine article April 25 1969 on EC 121 shootdown Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lockheed EC 121 Warning Star amp oldid 1216720697, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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