[Milsurplus] TACAN and LS-85

[Ray Fantini]

Been reading a lot about TACAN site Lima 85 and its sorted history in the Vietnam war. Have a couple general questions about aircraft navigation during the conflict, remember there was no GPS back then so going to assume that all navigation was by TACAN or Loran with TACAN being the primary method for in country operation and Loran for long range and over water opps.
Is this a correct assumption? Was more done with dead reckoning? Or where their other older systems in use like NDB and the like?
On the Air Navigation charts in in use did they show the location of LS-85? What about other locations? Would assume that any larger airfield had a AN/TRN-17 TACAN station but were they also extended out to things like fire bases or other non-aviation assets?
LS-85 was located in Laos with security provided by the Hmong under CIA advisors and operated by the USAF employing airmen who were "sheep dipped" as to appear as civilian contractors.
In addition to the TACAN they also had a AN/MSQ-77 Radar center along with a AN/TSQ-81Bomb Directing Center that provided ground directed bombing of North Vietnam in support of Rolling Thunder and other operations.
Located on top of a mountain in Houaphanh Province the site remained in operation until being overrun on March 10, 1968 That operation although classified at the time it resulted in the one of the signal days highest loss of life for the Air Force.
There are several accounts of the attacks by the NVA including the air strike by AN-2 Biplanes and the final assaults on the mountain by NVA commandos to scale what was thought to be an impossible to climb cliff at the back of the site to make the assault.
The day after being overrun the survivors of the outpost were evacuated and the site later was leveled by an airstrike.
In the last twenty years excavations at the site including help from a couple of the commandos who took part have provided additional information on some of the 11 MIA that are still not accounted for. They did find TSgt Patrick Shannon remains in 2005
It's incredible to see the sacrifices involved in operations that we only learn of decades later.
If anyone is interested can maybe put something together about TACAN and its use during the conflict, maybe we can get some of the Navy people to do something on Loran?

Ray F/KA3EKH
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