Beginning with USS Constellation in 1960, Tracers made roughly 56 deployments in support of Vietnam operations. Airborne early warning blended into strike coordination as the aircraft warned packages about incoming MiGs, supplied vectors, and controlled supporting aircraft in real time. The E-1 became an airborne command-and-control node for carrier aviation. The E-2 Hawkeye began replacing it in the mid-1960s, though the Tracer remained useful until 1977.
Notable Point · 33:55-36:31
Vietnam deployments turned Tracer into a strike coordinator
The Vietnam section shows the Tracer doing more than warning: it helped coordinate strikes, watch for MiGs, and extend carrier reach.