History UsefulNotes / SouthVietnameseWithSkyraiders

* Walter J. Boyne and Steven L. Thomson's 1986 novel ''The Wild Blue'' (not to be confused with the Stephen Ambrose nonfiction book with the same main title) features several of the major characters working with the South Vietnamese military during the Southeast Asia War.

In general, expect the RVNMF [[CaptainObvious to appear in works about the Vietnam War]]. How sympathetically they are portrayed may vary depending on the author or director's sentiments on the conflict.

F-5A Freedom Fighter & F-5E Tiger II: Familiar to moviegoers as the "[=MiG-28=]" in ''TopGun'', the F-5 is a lightweight supersonic fighter originally designed to be supplied to U.S. allies whose infrastructure couldn't support more complicated aircraft like the F-4 Phantom II. The F-5 was the only jet fighter and the only supersonic aircraft operated by the VNAF, but was mostly used in the ground attack role. Like the A-37, surviving F-5s were kept in service with the VPAF after the Communists overran the South and saw combat in the Cambodian-Vietnamese War and the Sino-Vietnamese War.

A-37 Dragonfly: A twin-engine light attack jet derived from the T-37 "Tweety Bird" trainer, the A-37 was used extensively by the VNAF. After the fall of Saigon, over 90 surviving examples were kept in service with the [[UsefulNotes/VietnameseWithKalashnikovs Vietnam People's Air Force]], and saw combat against the Khmer Rouge and the [[ChineseWithChopperSupport Chinese]] in the late 70s.

Throughout its relatively brief existence the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) maintained a large military, trained and equipped largely with extensive support from [[YanksWithTanks the United States]]. Although often remembered today for being on the losing side of UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar, and for its widespread problems of corruption within its officer corps, the South Vietnamese military also had its share of capable officers and South Vietnamese frontline personnel often fought with great courage and tenacity. Despite the perception of the Vietnam War as primarily a conflict between the U.S. on the one side and North Vietnam and the Viet Cong on the other, the South Vietnamese military actually, numerically speaking, bore the brunt of the fighting on their side, at least as far as the ground war was concerned.

A-37 Dragonfly: A twin-engine light attack jet derived from the T-37 "Tweety Bird" trainer, the A-37 was used extensively by the VNAF. After the fall of Saigon, over 90 surviving examples were kept in service with the [[VietnameseWithKalashnikovs Vietnam People's Air Force]], and saw combat against the Khmer Rouge and the [[ChineseWithChopperSupport Chinese]] in the late 70s.

Throughout its relatively brief existence the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) maintained a large military, trained and equipped largely with extensive support from [[YanksWithTanks the United States]]. Although often remembered today for being on the losing side of the VietnamWar, and for its widespread problems of corruption within its officer corps, the South Vietnamese military also had its share of capable officers and South Vietnamese frontline personnel often fought with great courage and tenacity. Despite the perception of the Vietnam War as primarily a conflict between the U.S. on the one side and North Vietnam and the Viet Cong on the other, the South Vietnamese military actually, numerically speaking, bore the brunt of the fighting on their side, at least as far as the ground war was concerned.

F-5A Freedom Fighter & F-5E Tiger II: Familiar to moviegoers as the "[=MiG-28=]" in ''TopGun'', the F-5 is a lightweight supersonic fighter designed to be supplied to U.S. allies whose infrastructure couldn't support more complicated aircraft like the F-4 Phantom II. The F-5 was the only jet fighter and the only supersonic aircraft operated by the VNAF, but was mostly used in the ground attack role. Like the A-37, surviving F-5s were kept in service with the VPAF after the Communists overran the South and saw combat in the Cambodian-Vietnamese War and the Sino-Vietnamese War.

Throughout its relatively brief existence the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) maintained a large military, trained and equipped largely with extensive support from [[YanksWithTanks the United States]]. Although often remembered today for being on the losing side of the VietnamWar, and for its widespread problems with corruption within its officer corps, the South Vietnamese military also had its share of capable officers and South Vietnamese frontline personnel often fought with great courage and tenacity. Despite the perception of the Vietnam War as primarily a conflict between the U.S. on the one side and North Vietnam and the Viet Cong on the other, the South Vietnamese military actually, numerically speaking, bore the brunt of the fighting on their side, at least as far as the ground war was concerned.

* Walter J. Boyne and Steven L. Thomson's 1986 novel ''The Wild Blue'' (not to be confused with the Stephen Ambrose nonfiction book with the same main title) featured several of the major characters working with the South Vietnamese military during the Southeast Asia War.

* ''Film/TheGreenBerets'' went out of its way to show the ARVN as having an active role in the war effort.

F-5A Freedom Fighter & F-5E Tiger II: A lightweight supersonic fighter designed to be supplied to U.S. allies whose infrastructure couldn't support more complicated aircraft like the F-4 Phantom II, the F-5 was the only jet fighter and the only supersonic aircraft operated by the VNAF. Like the A-37, surviving F-5s were kept in service with the VPAF after the Communists overran the South and saw combat in the Cambodian-Vietnamese War and the Sino-Vietnamese War.

A-1 Skyraider: A large piston-engine attack aircraft, the A-1 was one of the most recognizable aircraft of the VNAF. Designed and built for the U.S. Navy as a combination dive bomber and torpedo bomber in the closing phases of World War II, the Skyraider made its first flight in spring of 1945 but didn't enter service until after World War II. During the UsefulNotes/TheKoreanWar the AD (as it was originally known) built up a formidable reputation as a close support aircraft. Although looking out of date alongside the supersonic fighters of the 1960s with its huge radial engine and four-bladed propeller, the A-1's large weapon load, durability and slow-speed maneuverability made it ideally suited for operations in the Vietnam War with the VNAF as well as the US Air Force and Navy.

* ''TheGreenBerets'' went out of its way to show the ARVN as having an active role in the war effort.

Throughout its relatively brief existence the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) maintained a large military, trained and equipped largely with extensive support from [[YanksWithTanks the United States]]. Although often remembered today for being on the losing side of the VietnamWar, and for its widespread problems with corruption within its officer corps, the South Vietnamese military also had its share of capable officers and South Vietnamese frontline personnel often fought with great courage and tenacity. Despite the perception of the Vietnam War as primarily a conflict between the U.S. and North Vietnam and the Vietcong, the South Vietnamese military actually, numerically speaking, bore the brunt of the fighting on their side, at least as far as the ground war was concerned.

'''Republic of Vietnam Marine Division (RVNMD)'''

A-1 Skyraider: A large piston-engine attack aircraft, the A-1 was one of the most recognizable aircraft of the VNAF. Designed and built for the U.S. Navy as a combination dive bomber and torpedo bomber in the closing phases of World War II, the Skyraider made its first flight in spring of 1945 but didn't enter service until after World War II. During the UsefulNotes/TheKoreanWar the AD (as it was originally known) built up a formidable reputation as a close support aircraft. Although looking out of date alongside the supersonic fighters of the 1960s with its huge radial engine and four-bladed propeller, the A-1's huge weapon load, durability and slow-speed maneuverability made it ideally suited for operations in the Vietnam War with the VNAF as well as the US Air Force and Navy.

A-1 Skyraider: Designed and built for the U.S. Navy as a combination dive bomber and torpedo bomber in the closing phases of World War II, the Skyraider made its first flight in spring of 1945 but didn't enter service until after World War II. During the UsefulNotes/TheKoreanWar the AD (as it was originally known) built up a formidable as a close support aircraft. Although looking out of date alongside the supersonic fighters of the 1960s with its huge radial engine and four-bladed propeller, the A-1's huge weapon load, durability and slow-speed maneuverability made it ideally suited for operations in the Vietnam War by the VNAF as well as the US Air Force and Navy.

Throughout its relatively brief existence the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) maintained a large military, trained and equipped largely with extensive support from [[YanksWithTanks the United States]]. Although often remembered today for being on the losing side of the VietnamWar, and for its widespread problems with corruption within its officer corps, the South Vietnamese military also had its share of capable officers and South Vietnamese frontline personnel often fought with great courage and tenacity. Despite the perception of the Vietnam War as primarily a conflict between the U.S. and North Vietnam and the Vietcong, the South Vietnamese military actually, numerically speaking, bore the brunt of the fighting on their side, at least as far as the ground war was concerned.

Throughout its relatively brief existence the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) maintained a large military, trained and equipped largely with extensive support from [[YanksWithTanks the United States]]. Although often remembered today for being on the losing side of the VietnamWar, and for its widespread problems with corruption within its officer corps, the South Vietnamese military also had its share of capable officers and South Vietnamese frontline personnel often fought with great courage and tenacity.

Throughout its relatively brief existence the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) maintained a large military, trained and equipped largely with extensive support from [[YanksWithTanks the United States]]. Although often remembered today for being on the losing side of the VietnamWar, and for the widespread problems of corruption within its officer corps, the South Vietnamese armed forces also had its share of capable officers and South Vietnamese frontline personnel often fought with great courage and tenacity.