The Mohawk is a small, two-place, two Lycoming T53-L-3 turboprops engine aircraft capable of STOL operations from unimproved fields.   It was produced in three versions:

OV-1A   the basic visual/photographic version, equipped with the KS-61 Photographic System, supplemented by the KA-60 forward-looking panoramic camera.   The OV-1A had the capability, day and night, for taking vertical and side-oblique pictures, at any desired scale, from treetop height to 25,000 feet.

OV-1B   employed the AN/APS-94 Side-Looking Airborne Radar (SLAR) System, as well as the KS-61.   The SLAR system provided permanent radar imagery of ground targets on both sides of the aircraft's flight path.   Two separate films simultaneously recorded fixed and moving target information.

OV-1C   was equipped with the AN/AAS-14 Infrared Detection Set, in addition to the KS-61 photo system.   The IR sensor measured the temperature difference between a target and its surroundings and presented the results as a permanent thermal map on photographic film.

The Mohawk's bubbled canopy and side hatches, and the short, steep slope of its nose, permitted excellent downward visibility to the side, rear, and front.

A total of 246 LB (111.5kg) of armor protection surrounds the cockpit.   The armor consisted of a 1-in (2.54-cm) thick flack and bullet-resistant windshield, a 1-in (6.3-mm) dural floor, and steel mesh flak curtains fore and aft of the cockpit bulkheads On and a 297 US gal (1125 L) self-sealing fuel tank.   Additional personnel armor kits were also provided for the pilot and observer.   Martin-Baker Mk 5 ejection seats provided for escape from all altitudes within the Mohawk's range and at speeds from 70 mph (113 km/h) to 520 mph (837 km/h).

The Mohawk's primary role was to detect and monitor the movement of insurgent forces and materiel into South Vietnam, and to perform aerial surveillance and target acquisition within the country itself.   The enemy's elusiveness, coupled with the region's difficult terrain required the Mohawk to utilize its full range of sensors, and to operate in close coordination with U.S. and RVN forces.   Indeed, a number of specialized air-strike operations were developed in Vietnam to take advantage of the rather unique capabilities of the Mohawk Surveillance System.

Photographic surveillance was one of the primary means of daylight reconnaissance in Vietnam, and was performed for both U.S. and RVN tactical elements.   Photographic target surveillance missions were normally flown by the OV-1A on a preplanned, priority basis.   Typically, a team of two aircraft approached the target area, flying in loose formation to allow freedom for quick maneuvers and provide mutual support.   When defensive firepower was required during visual/photo missions, the planes deliver mutually supporting fire, in accordance with the rules of engagement.   (Those rules allowed the Mohawk pilot to fire only if fired upon.)

Photographic surveillance, using the KS-61 and KA-60 camera systems, was usually performed by means of the single-pass technique, at altitudes between 500 and 1500 feet.   Visual surveillance was normally accomplished using the multiple-random-pass technique.   The SLAR and IR Mohawks, being fully equipped for the visual/photographic surveillance mission, were used by the U.S. 1st Infantry and 1st Cavalry Divisions, where OV-1As weren't available.

Related Links

A History of the OV-1 Mohawk in Vietnam 1962 -1972

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