Combat Tree | The system that made the F 4 the deadliest fighter

Описание: In the skies over Vietnam, the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II faced off against nimble MiG fighters in some of the most contested airspace of the Cold War. But in 1971, a top-secret system known as Combat Tree gave select Phantoms a decisive edge—unlocking the ability to detect, identify, and engage enemy aircraft from beyond visual range, without relying on ground-based radar or AWACS.

This episode explores the clandestine development and combat use of the APX-81 Combat Tree system, a game-changing IFF interrogator that made the F-4 the most lethal fighter of its time.

Covered in this video:
• How Soviet radar coverage over North Vietnam outpaced U.S. capabilities
• The APX-81’s ability to detect enemy IFF transponders, even with the radar on silent
• Use of data overlays on the radar scope and beyond-visual-range (BVR) target acquisition
• Technical ambiguity between APX-81 and APX-80 cockpit designations for operational security
• Historical connection to earlier systems like QRC-248 on EC-121 Warning Stars
• Tactical impact of identifying MiGs without visual contact, and firing AIM-7s before merging
• Deployment history: F-4Ds and E models of the 432nd Tactical Recon Wing at Udorn RTAFB
• Combat effectiveness demonstrated in missions flown by aces like Steve Ritchie and Charles DeBellevue
• Countermeasures adopted by North Vietnamese pilots and resulting operational shifts
• Final legacy: how Combat Tree influenced IFF and BVR tactics in later fighters like the F-14 and F-15

Though little known outside the community of Phantom crews and Cold War veterans, Combat Tree proved to be a rare technological leap—one that momentarily shifted the balance of air superiority in Southeast Asia.

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