An alternative to the large, slow moving transport planes were the smaller, agile helicopters. While the helicopters were not very fast, they could evade enemy fire better than the cargo planes, and if used in larger numbers, they could carry a significant amount of supplies.

One defect that the helicopters had, was their minimal armor. They could easily be shot down by NVA troops which sprayed thousands of machine-gun rounds into the air. In this way they could manage to hit the helicopters and bring them down, preventing the base from ever receiving supplies.

The final solution consisted of multiple parts which all had to work together in perfect timing. Fast, agile fighter/bombers, namely the F-105 Thunderchief and the F-100 Super Sabre, were used to strike the NVA forces surrounding the base. Following close behind the fighters were helicopters which dropped supplies to the US troops. The fighters were then used to clear a path out of the base, and back to safe airspace. This entire procedure took only five minutes, and was very successful. Through this method of re-supplying the US troops, they were able to fight off the NVA siege, and return to standard rationing.

On March22, 1968, after a month of relative silence, Khe Sanh is hit by a massive assault by the NVA. With approximately 100 rounds hitting the base each hour, the new barracks were put to the test. In addition to the new barracks, a new electronic sensor system surrounding the base was tested.

The sensors indicated the location of NVA maneuvers around the bases outskirts, and in the surrounding jungle. With the additional intelligence, US air support was able to heavily bomb the NVA troops.

With the majority of the NVA siege forces destroyed, the US military initiates Operation Pegasus. This operation retook Route 9, ending the NVA’s siege on Khe Sanh. With the end of the siege, so came the end of the longest battle so far in the war. Lasting 77 days, US forces were able to destroy two NVA divisions. The official casualties felt by the NVA is just over 1,600, though thousands more were probably killed by the US air support bombings.