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U.S. Air Force

Electronic Combat

The squadrons that fight in the electromagnetic spectrum. From Wild Weasel SAM suppression to EA-18G Growler operations, Electronic Combat units destroy and jam enemy air defenses so strike packages can survive.

Electronic Combat
Explore Electronic Combat Units
SEAD / Wild Weasel / EW Squadrons
YGBSM - You Gotta Be Kidding Me Est. 1965
ELECTRONIC COMBAT
FIRST IN, LAST OUT
Electronic Combat
SEAD / EW / Wild Weasel Heritage
SEAD
Suppress Enemy AD
Wild Weasel
SAM Hunters
F-16CJ
HARM Shooters
EW
ELECTRONIC WARFARE
Electronic Combat squadrons suppress and destroy enemy air defenses so that strike aircraft can reach their targets alive. The Wild Weasel mission was born in Vietnam when Air Force pilots volunteered to fly directly at SAM sites, using themselves as bait to locate and destroy the radars. When briefed on the mission, the first backseater reportedly said YGBSM. You Gotta Be S***ing Me. The acronym stuck. Wild Weasels go in first and come out last. Read more
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Vietnam SAMs to Integrated Air Defense 1965 - Present
WILD WEASEL
YGBSM
Wild Weasel - Vietnam
Hunting SAMs Over Hanoi
F-100F
First Weasel
F-105G
Thud Weasel
SA-2
Target SAM System
Shrike
ANTI-RAD MISSILE
The first Wild Weasels flew F-100F Super Sabres into North Vietnamese SAM belts in 1965. They evolved to the F-105G Thunderchief, flying into the densest air defenses in history around Hanoi and Haiphong. Wild Weasel crews used the AGM-45 Shrike anti-radiation missile to home in on SAM radar emissions. The mission was suicidal by design. You fly toward the thing that is trying to kill everyone else. Many did not come back. Read more
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MODERN
HARM / AARGM
Modern SEAD/DEAD
F-16CJ and Beyond
F-16CJ
SEAD/DEAD Platform
HARM
AGM-88 Missile
AARGM
Next Gen Anti-Rad
EW
PODS AND JAMMING
The F-16CJ/DJ carried the SEAD mission through Desert Storm, Allied Force over Serbia, and the GWOT. Armed with AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missiles, these jets suppressed enemy air defenses for every major air campaign. The mission is transitioning to the F-35A with the AARGM-ER. Fifth-generation stealth and advanced electronic warfare suites give the SEAD force capabilities the Wild Weasels of Vietnam could not have imagined. But the courage required is the same. Read more
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SEAD
SAM Suppression
Weasel
Wild Weasel Heritage
HARM
Anti-Radiation Missile
YGBSM
You Gotta Be...