English Electric Canberra

The two aircraft, serial numbers 54-691 and 54-698, were first designated NC-123K in 1968 and then redesignated AC-123K in 1969.

These NC/AC-123Ks were first deployed operationally at [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] in South Korea between August and October 1968, and flying in support of operations against [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] infiltrators approaching by boat.

The operations in Korea met with a certain level of success and as a result the NC/AC-123Ks were transferred to South Vietnam in November 1968.

Once in South Vietnam the aircraft were engaged in missions against the transport of materiel along [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] and in the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] Region.

The aircraft operated there until January 1969, when they were redeployed to [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

Two missions a night were flown from Ubon with two A-1 escorts from [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] (often referred to simply as NKP) flying cover and providing additional fire power. Initial escort had been provided by F-4s, but the difference in speed and capabilities had made protecting the lower and slower flying NC/AC-123Ks difficult.

The area of responsibility for the first six months was approximately 100 nm east southeast from NKP.

After that, the area of coverage was a river in southern Laos.

The two aircraft were returned to the United States, to [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] in May 1969, where a second round of training occurred.

Four crews attended a ground school in Greenville, Texas and returned to Hurlburt where they flew the aircraft for the first time.

In October 1969 two crews flew the aircraft to a second deployment at Ubon.

The other two crews arrived in early November. After attending [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] at [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] in the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]
missions over Laos commenced.

The final phases of the program are slightly unclear.

Some sources have missions terminating in early July, 1970 and the aircraft flying to the "[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]" at Davis-Monthan
AFB where they were returned to C-123K standard, then returned to South Vietnam still wearing their camouflage and black undersides for transport duty.

The description of the designation in the official documentation supports this, by saying that the NC-123K is "Similar to C-123K but partially demodified from AC-123K (modified to an attack configuration) to permit general cargo handling and troop movement.

However, the official history states that combat operations ceased 11 May 1969, with no mention of the second deployment.

The second deployment is mentioned in associated documentation, but only as to when the aircraft were scheduled to arrive in Thailand, not when they departed.

Also, the official aircraft records show both aircraft as transferred to [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], where they were still listed as an NC-123K as of December 1972.

The purpose of this transfer is unclear.

That the official history notes an "munitions accident" on 19 March 1969 in the chronology, but without any details as to the fate of aircraft or which aircraft was affected, adds additional confusion.

It is also suggested that the Black Spot aircraft were never intended to be used in combat.

However, as of 1966 20 production aircraft were planned, for a total cost of $64.7 million.

There was even a recommendation that the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] be added to the program and used instead.

These projected aircraft were referred to as a Black Spot II.

After the Operation Trial and Evaluation, it was found that the aircraft were not suitably protected and survivable for protracted use in combat zones. No C-130 aircraft are known to have been converted to a Black Spot II standard.

[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] from I now live in Arlington, VA (Outside
Washington DC), USA

[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir cette image]

Tropic Moon III

Shed Light’s Second phase eventually turned out to be based on the B-57.

B-57 aircraft had already been deployed to southeast Asia and had been the subject of initial sensor evaluations under Tropic Moon II.

Tropic Moon III was envisioned as an SCNA that made up for the gross shortcomings of Tropic Moon I and II.

Tropic Moon III involved a completely new set of systems, up to date, and infinitely more capable than those previously installed.

An entire new aircraft sub-variant, the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], was developed for the purpose with a redefined nose to house the new sensor package.

Development of the aircraft experienced major delays during which it was equipped with a laser target designated to be used with the then new first generation [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] laser guided bombs.

B 57 G place avant

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[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir cette image]

In the end the Tropic Moon III proved to be a capable system, both with conventional ordnance and laser guided weapons, day and night.

However, the advent of the side-firing gunship threatened the system.

The B-57G conducted its first combat missions in October 1970 during [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

B 57 G "rear"

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The kill rates per sortie between the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] and the B-57G made it clear which system was dominant in the role of "truck hunter," in reference to the primary targets of the campaign.

During the course of the operation the B-57G's claimed over 2,000 trucks destroyed, mostly as a result of using precision guided weaponry.

In the same period AC-130s were credited with destroying six times this number of trucks.

While B-57G operations continued, this led to an attempt to modify the system to incorporate gunship elements.

One B-57G was modified to house a special bomb bay installation of one [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] TAT-161 turret with a single [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] as a gunship under Project Pave Gat.

This system proved to still be inferior to the capabilities of the AC-130.

In addition to their laser guided ordnance, Tropic Moon III B-57Gs also used a variety of conventional ordnance, including M36 incendiaries, cluster dispensers, and iron bombs.

These other systems were used in light of a shortage of precision guided munitions available.

The B-57G was removed from the theatre in May 1972 coinciding with the withdrawal of the bulk of US Air Elements.

Plans remained for the continuation of the B-57G program and there were proposals for multiple wings of aircraft to operate in concert with AC-130s and similar aircraft.

Post-conflict spending cuts ended this.

Other associated programs


Other programs were also associated with Shed Light, either coming under its wide-reaching charter, or otherwise being observed.

Similar mission requirements meant other services were working on developing their own equipment, and the Shed Light Task Force was under orders from the start to survey all other development (see the original 1966 charter).

The [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] had been managing a piece of equipment referred to as S-202, which combined four IR cameras, a
display, and operator chains, an artificial illumination component (described as “covert – UV,” using [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]
light to provide illumination), and a freeze display function.

Under Project Night Life, the S-202 it was to be tested on a [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] helicopter by early 1967.

The project itself was being funded by the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

he Army was also working on Project Dancing Dolls, which was attempting to develop a “foliage penetration radar.” [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] jungle in Laos meant that being able to see at night might not be enough to acquire a target.

The system was being tested on OV-1 aircraft then in use by the Army, but the USAF envisioned the radar as a component on the planned SCNA F-111s.

This program and continued investigations into hunter-killer combinations led to the OV-1B (using SLAR) and OV-1C (using FLIR) aircraft being deployed themselves as hunters, teaming up with gunship aircraft during Operation Commando Hunt.

Summary

No report on the effectiveness of Operation Shed Light as a whole exists.

It is known that there was some discontent among some of its major participants.

General John D. Ryan, Commander in Chief of the Pacific Air Forces, complained following the poor showings from the
Tropic Moon II program that he was “tired of buying everything they send us.”

He then requested that his staff draft a message that would allow him to send “this thing [the Tropic Moon II B-57B] to CONUS [Continental United States].”

Even in regards to the development of the Tropic Moon III aircraft, the Aeronautical Systems Division was forced to admit that the myriad of delays in that program had been caused by "reduced quality control" springing from the "crash" nature of the program.

Shed Light was a crash development project, and was largely unguided.

It was tasked with research and development of almost any piece of equipment that might help with the mission outlined in its charter.

As a result few of the programs came to fruition and fewer still left a definitive mark on the conflict.

The developments under Shed Light were quickly eclipsed by new aircraft produced under Project Gunship
(notably under [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] and [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]).

They were fitted with many of the sensors developed under Shed Light, but took on a life all their own.

Shed Light’s most visible programs, Black Spot and Tropic Moon, have largely fallen into obscurity.