Vol. 19, No. 4 Newsletter of the China Lake Museum Foundation Fall 2013 Page 1 The WALLEYE weapon was introduced to combat during the 1967 combat deployment of VA- 212. The first strikes were made on March 11, 1967 against targets in North Vietnam. VA-212 made these first few firings against lightly defended targets to gain experience in the combat use of the new weapon at a minimum risk. By attacking targets in lightly defended areas it was also possible to document the WALLEYE deliveries. This documentation was in the form of motion pictures and tape recordings of the weapon. Other WALLEYE equipped squadrons following VA-212 made their first firings against low risk targets for pilot "build-up" training. Though many discrepancies were encountered with both the aircraft and weapon system during the first few months of the deployment, as time passed things began to operate more smoothly. VA-212 used a team concept for WALLEYE maintenance and handling. Selected personnel from required rates worked together during checkout and loading. As familiarity and experience were gained, reduced repair time and increased reliability were realized. In time, the overall weapon system reliability was judged to be satisfactory. Generally, WALLEYE was delivered against prebriefed targets for which detailed launch conditions had been formulated. Target planning was detailed and extensive in order to gain full advantage of the weapon's potential accuracy. Planning considerations included the type of target, enemy defenses, video distractions, terrain features, and weather. The Navy's interest in proving WALLEYE Combat Introduction , OCR Text: Vol. 19, No. 4 Newsletter of the China Lake Museum Foundation Fall 2013 Page 1 The WALLEYE weapon was introduced to combat during the 1967 combat deployment of VA- 212. The first strikes were made on March 11, 1967 against targets in North Vietnam. VA-212 made these first few firings against lightly defended targets to gain experience in the combat use of the new weapon at a minimum risk. By attacking targets in lightly defended areas it was also possible to document the WALLEYE deliveries. This documentation was in the form of motion pictures and tape recordings of the weapon. Other WALLEYE equipped squadrons following VA-212 made their first firings against low risk targets for pilot "build-up" training. Though many discrepancies were encountered with both the aircraft and weapon system during the first few months of the deployment, as time passed things began to operate more smoothly. VA-212 used a team concept for WALLEYE maintenance and handling. Selected personnel from required rates worked together during checkout and loading. As familiarity and experience were gained, reduced repair time and increased reliability were realized. In time, the overall weapon system reliability was judged to be satisfactory. Generally, WALLEYE was delivered against prebriefed targets for which detailed launch conditions had been formulated. Target planning was detailed and extensive in order to gain full advantage of the weapon's potential accuracy. Planning considerations included the type of target, enemy defenses, video distractions, terrain features, and weather. The Navy's interest in proving WALLEYE Combat Introduction , China Lake Museum,China Laker - Newsletter,China Laker 2010s,China Laker 2013,Newsletter Fall 2013.pdf,Newsletter Fall 2013.pdf Page 1, Newsletter Fall 2013.pdf Page 1