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THE USAF AND PRISONERS 13

U.S. Air Force soldiers with an AGM-65 Maverick ground-to-air missile during the Gulf War in 1991. The airplane is an A-10 Thunderbolt.

air defense systems anywhere in the world. It had purchased from Russia a terrifying new missile called the SA-2 Guideline. The Guideline was a type of missile known as a surface-to-air missile (SAM for short). Once it was fired, it flew to its target using radar. It could hit American aircraft at around 69,060 feet (18,000 meters). This meant that U.S. pilots had to fly through bullets at low levels and dodge Guidelines at high levels. In addition to the lethal North Vietnamese air defenses, the U.S. pilots also faced the North Vietnamese Air Force (NVAF). In 1967, North Vietnam had an air force of around 80 fighters, mainly MiG jet fighters. MiGs were maneuverable and powerful aircraft, which