Includes bibliographical references and index.

Vietnam, 1965: On July 24 a USAF F-4 Phantom jet was suddenly blown from the sky by a revolutionary weapon: a Soviet SA-2 surface-to-air missile (SAM), launched by Russian "advisors" to North Vietnam. Three days later, six F-105 Thunderchiefs were brought down trying to avenge the Phantoms. More tragic losses followed, dramatically turning the tables of; Cold War air superiority in favor of Soviet technology. Stunned and desperately searching for answers, the Pentagon ordered a top secret program called Wild Weasel I to find a solution to the SAM problem -fast. So it came to be that a small group of maverick fighter pilots and Electronic Warfare Officers volunteered to fly behind enemy lines and into the teeth of the deadliest anti-aircraft threat in history. To most it seemed a suicide mission-but they beat the door down to join. Those who survived the 50 percent casualty rate would revolutionize warfare forever. Book jacket.