[Milsurplus] Government "planning" vis a vis WW2 A/C radios

[aGEnuine ham]

Group:

I have been following the discussion of aircraft compliment of specific
radios in war 2 with some interest and amusement.  Much of the argument
seems to be based on the idea that government planners knew what they
were doing.  Do we have any evidence, anywhere, to the effect that was
ever the case?

As I was about 10 years too late to be a informed observer in WW2, I
offer a 60s and 70s scenario for an example.  First, remember that the US
was blown into WW2 from a pervasive stand of isolationism.  Nothing war
related, radios included, was receiving the forward planning deserved. 
Maybe a couple of isolated guys in the Signal Corps were trying to push
ahead, but the great massive bureaucracy was unmoving.  1941:
Hallicrafters was designing ham rigs.  National worked on better
receivers.  Millen developed several unique ham accessories.  Etc.  So we
got through WW2, and Korea, and well into the Cold War, lessons about
planning learned, right?  Now, the government was into planning
everything associated with battlefield communications, leaving nothing to
chance, right?  No area uncovered, everything planned, no surprises. 
Most of you can guess where this is going, I'll bet.

1963: Vietnam.  Whoops, unexpectedly(?), VHF tactical radios don't
penetrate the jungle very well.  Need backup.  HF radio?  Government
developed with millions of dollars spent?  Ha ha.  Ham rigs, Collins
S-lines, B & W and Hy Gain antennas.  Just like the BC-610 in WW2.  Take
some design developed with commercial money for the ham market, make a
couple of mods, slap a mil nameplate on it and go.  Government planning
by forward looking deep thinkers which covered all the eventualities? 
Hmmmm.  I rest my case.

Postscript.  The simple fact that the radio implementation was so
different in the different theaters reflected the need to use whatever
worked (not worked best, but usually, what worked at all) for the
application.  This decision was rarely made in Washington, at least not
initially.  It was probably made in theater command, and requirements
sent back for the appropriate equipment.  The reports of the removable
radio suite used for ferrying because the battle suite was continually
changing seems to support this contention.

George W5VPQ

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