Rifles:
- -The standard issue rifle given to American troops was the M-16 assault rifle. It was both lighter and more accurate than the Soviet AK-47, but it suffered from very common jamming problem called "failure to extract". This is when the bullet casing fails to eject from the rifle when fired, causing a jam.
Tanks:
- -The American forces also used tanks extensively in Vietnam, deploying over 600 units. They were mostly used for supporting infantry and did not go up against other tanks often, as the Soviets didn't use them very much. The most common U.S. tank was the M48A3 Patton Tank. It had a 90mm gun, and the M67A1 variant utilized a flamethrower.
Artillery:
- -The United States primarily used two different artillery guns. The smaller of the two was the 105mm M102 Howitzer, which was lightweight and could be quickly inserted into an area by helicopter. Its lightweight design allowed it to be deployed and used in more remote places on quick notice. The other gun that was used was the 175mm M107 self-propelled gun. Although it was considerably heavier than the M102, it had a much longer range, allowing Americans to hit targets sooner, and even before the Communist artillery was in range.
Aircraft:
- The American forces had superiority in every other stage in the war, besides on the ground where they were well matched. Despite losing a considerable number of aircraft to land-to-air missiles, American pilots were better trained, and had superior planes to anything the Communists could use. On the Ocean, the American Navy dominated the waters, using ships to combat enemy navies, as well as providing artillery support. Aircraft carriers provided a platform for tactical airstrikes from off the coast, and the planes were always able to reach most of the war zones.
Helicopters:
- -The Vietnam war was the first major war that had a wide use of helicopters for tactile use. They were used for transporting troops or small artillery, transporting supplies, recon, and air support. The common helicopter for the beginning of the war was the Bell UH-Iroquois, used for troop transport and as a gunship. Later on the UH-1 was replaced by the "Huey" helicopters, which were bigger and could have various machine guns or rockets attached for air support. Being so large, they were often used of MEDVAC vehicles transport injured or dead soldiers.