Chapter 4

Equipment and Personnel Limitations

ARDF and its associated equipment are the elements in the TEWS effort, which make it a prototype operation at the end of a long supply line to CONUS. The TEWS have had a continuing supply problem with their non-standard equipment (Doppler, C-12 Compas, and Radar). The Doppler system was a completely new item in the Air Force inventory. At the outset, there were no maintenance personnel with experience in repairing the Doppler; there was no test equipment or technical data file, and few spare parts. Civilian field engineers plus a local "self-help" program have been the main rewource in meeting these limitations.

In any event, Aircraft Not Operationally Ready - Supply (NORS) rates for all types of equipment in the TEWS during FY 1968 have exceeded the Air Force standard of five percent for six months in the seperate cases of the 360th and 362nd TEWS. The 361st TEWS remained well within the Air Force standard, allegedly because Nha Trang is "geared to a C-47 operation". To meet their commitments as they have, each of the three TEWS has turned to cannibalization as a short-term answer. The 360th TEWS has effected as many as 72 cannibalization actions in one month (December 1967); the 361st TEWS had a high of 61 of these actions in Janurary 1968; the 362nd TEWS reached a total of 151 in April 1968. The SS units are exempt from NORS reporting, but they have had comparable difficulities with their equipment.

The AN/ALR-34 ARDF equipment has an inherent limitation, as it is extremely sensitive to steep turns. These turns cause erroes in transmitter bearings and distort signal strength as shown on the target acquisition console. Thus, the aircraft must be level before usable data can be obtained.

The Doppler, as already indicated, is limited in usefulness unless reset periodically. Also, Doppler "dropout" may occur, causing the computer function to receive information from the Doppler memory mode. These data would affect the accuracy of locating the position of the aircraft.

The general maturity and experience level of assigned personnel has been shown. However, the one year DEROS concept and other personnel actions lead to an almost complete turnover of TEWS personnel in the period of August to March of each year.