We can’t get enough of a great motto! The unofficial slogan of the US Air Force’s Wild Weasel crew, “YGBSM,” stands for “You’ve gotta be sh*****’ me!” Once you learn more about the Wild Weasels, you’ll agree—it couldn’t be more fitting!
Wild Weasel is the Air Force codename for any aircraft equipped with anti-radiation missiles, designed to destroy radar systems and surface-to-air missile (SAM) sites within enemy air defense networks. Wild Weasel missions rank among the most dangerous assignments faced by modern fighter pilots.
The development of Wild Weasel tactics and strategies began during the Vietnam War. The idea was first introduced in 1965 as a response to the growing threat posed by North Vietnamese defenses. “Project Wild Weasel” officially launched in the summer of 1965 and was implemented that August. Over the following two years, the Air Force and US Navy relied on volunteer crews to experiment with radar-seeking missile-equipped aircraft platforms.
The Wild Weasels in Vietnam employed a tactic known as the “Hunter Killer.” Using Republic F-105 Thunderchiefs, nicknamed “Thuds,” they sought out enemy air defense systems. The Wild Weasels worked in tandem with more conventional aircraft, such as the McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II, focusing on eliminating missile radar emitters to pave the way for the F-4Es to neutralize the rest of the site.
Another role filled by the Wild Weasels was serving as decoys to shield the strike force during routine missions. The F-105s aimed to provoke surface-to-air missile (SAM) launches, which, if successful, would produce visible smoke trails, helping the strikers pinpoint their targets. The Wild Weasels remained in the area, continuing to orbit and exposing additional threats such as enemy fighters, anti-aircraft artillery, and SAMs.
The unofficial motto of “YGBSM” came from Boeing B-52 Stratofortress Electronic Warfare Officer Jack Donovan. When Donavan was introduced to the tactics and mission details, he replied, “You want me to fly in the back of a little tiny fighter aircraft with a crazy fighter pilot who think he’s invincible, hone in on a SAM site in North Vietnam, and shoot it before it shoots me? You gotta be ******** me!”
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Donovan’s reaction encompasses the danger surrounding the Wild Weasels, so it’s no surprise it stuck around as the unofficial motto! Today, Wild Weasel missions are performed by specially-trained General Dynamics F-16J Fighting Falcon crews. They continue to carry on the dangerous tradition and motto established by the F-105s in combat over Northern Vietnam throughout the 1960s and ’70s.