DESOTO patrol
Encyclopedia
DESOTO patrols
were patrols conducted by U.S. Navy destroyer
s equipped with a mobile "van" of signals intelligence equipment used for intelligence collection in hostile waters.
These types of patrols had previously been conducted off the coasts of the Soviet Union
, China
, and North Korea
, but are widely recognized for their role in the Vietnam War
. The purpose of the patrols in Vietnam was to intercept North Vietnamese Army intelligence and relay it to South Vietnamese Army forces. With the intercepted communications, the South Vietnamese were able to more effectively coordinate their raids. The destroyers taking part in the DESOTO patrols in Vietnam were accompanied by air support provided by the aircraft carrier
.
The DESOTO patrols were part of a larger scheme known as Operation 34A
. Run by the Department of Defense at the time, Operation 34A, or "OPLAN 34Alpha" was a top secret program consisting primarily of covert actions against the North Vietnamese.
DESOTO patrol ships were the vessels engaged by North Vietnamese naval vessels in the Gulf of Tonkin incident
.
were patrols conducted by U.S. Navy destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s equipped with a mobile "van" of signals intelligence equipment used for intelligence collection in hostile waters.
These types of patrols had previously been conducted off the coasts of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, and North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
, but are widely recognized for their role in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. The purpose of the patrols in Vietnam was to intercept North Vietnamese Army intelligence and relay it to South Vietnamese Army forces. With the intercepted communications, the South Vietnamese were able to more effectively coordinate their raids. The destroyers taking part in the DESOTO patrols in Vietnam were accompanied by air support provided by the aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
.
The DESOTO patrols were part of a larger scheme known as Operation 34A
Operation 34A
Operation 34A was a highly-classified U.S. program of covert actions against the Democratic Republic of Vietnam , consisting of agent team insertions, aerial reconnaissance missions and naval sabotage operations...
. Run by the Department of Defense at the time, Operation 34A, or "OPLAN 34Alpha" was a top secret program consisting primarily of covert actions against the North Vietnamese.
DESOTO patrol ships were the vessels engaged by North Vietnamese naval vessels in the Gulf of Tonkin incident
Gulf of Tonkin Incident
The Gulf of Tonkin Incident, or the USS Maddox Incident, are the names given to two incidents, one fabricated, involving North Vietnam and the United States in the waters of the Gulf of Tonkin...
.