Developed from the A-5 nuclear bomber and used in a reconnaissance role, the RA-5C Vigilante was the largest and fastest aeroplane ever to operate from the deck of an aircraft carrier. During the Vietnam War (1955-1975) it sustained the highest loss ratio of any American aircraft in that conflict. This volume includes compelling accounts of combat missions over key communist targets, where crews dodged Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAMs) and anti-aircraft fire to secure all-important mission photographs. Written by a Vigilante combat veteran this book is crammed full of action-packed first-hand accounts.


Robert ’Boom’ Powell had a 20-year career as a naval aviator, flying both the Vigilante and A-4 Skyhawk in combat over Vietnam. Leaving the Navy to join Pan Am in the 1980s, he now flies B747-400 freighters across the globe. This is his first book for Osprey.