Why were loudspeakers used during the Vietnam War?

Question

I was watching a movie that took place in Vietnam War and saw that they put large loudspeakers on tanks, boats and even on helicopters. On another TV Series, Generation Kill that took place in Iraq War, they don’t have such things. Soldiers usually sing by themselves.

I’m wondering:

* what was the purpose of loudspeakers?
* why they don’t use it anymore?

In: 219

Answer 1

The military has spent a rather significant amount of money in Psychological Warfare (PsyOps). The idea behind all of it is that you can gain a tactical advantage by causing unease in the enemy.

In the case of Vietnam, there was a theory that helicopters and loud American music would be frightening to the enemy and project an image of a massive juggernaut to intimidate the local forces. There was a prevailing belief that most of the North Vietnamese Army were poorly educated and unfamiliar with technology and American culture. Those in charge of the program believed that by playing American music (and propaganda) they would be able to make them want to surrender or weaken their morale and resolve.

Why hasn’t it continued? It didn’t work. PsyOps and propaganda are still a huge part of war but have changed forms and tactics as the programs have evolved. Vietnam marked the beginning of “unconventional war” and a lot of lessons were learned. Iraq was another evolution of unconventional warfare and new tactics were tried. Instead of pissing off everybody within earshot, they tried instead to befriend and gain the trust of the locals. They learned in Vietnam that the average civilian in guerilla warfare can be a great asset to the forces that they support.

There are still situations where similar tactics are still used (disrupting enemy camps to try to induce sleep deprivation) but the changing face of warfare with a focus on ranged weaponry has negated a lot of the benefits.

This isn’t a new tactic, however. Scottish bagpipers have been an integral part of their armies for a long time. Leading the forces with loud music to both intimidate the enemy and boost their own army.