The Republic F-105 Thunderchief was a supersonic fighter-bomber developed for the United States Air Force. Primarily designed to deliver nuclear weapons at high speed and low altitude. Entering service in the late 1950s. The F-105 became best known for its extensive use during the Vietnam War. Where it flew the majority of strike missions early in the conflict. Nicknamed the "Thunderchief" Also nicknamed "Thud," it featured a powerful Pratt & Whitney J75 engine, enabling speeds over Mach 2, and carried a heavy conventional bomb load internally and externally. Despite its size and speed, the F-105 suffered high losses in combat due to dense enemy air defenses, but it proved crucial in pioneering tactics like “Wild Weasel” suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD) missions in its later variants.
