6 7 , ▁the ▁Naval ▁Board ▁recommended ▁to ▁the ▁Government ▁that ▁six ▁Sky h awk ▁pil ots ▁and ▁their ▁ground ▁crew ▁be ▁offered ▁to ▁the ▁US ▁Navy ▁during ▁May ▁the ▁next ▁year ▁after ▁these ▁personnel ▁had ▁completed ▁their ▁training ▁on ▁the ▁new ▁aircraft . ▁This ▁decision ▁was ▁motiv ated ▁by ▁a ▁desire ▁to ▁keep ▁the ▁pil ots ▁gain fully ▁occupied ▁while ▁Melbourne ▁completed ▁her ▁ref it , ▁and ▁would ▁not ▁involve ▁deploy ing ▁the ▁A - 4 G s ▁as ▁they ▁lack ed ▁the ▁weapons ▁systems ▁and ▁av ion ics ▁needed ▁to ▁counter ▁North ▁Vietnam ese ▁air ▁def ences . ▁As ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁initial ▁consideration ▁of ▁this ▁option , ▁the ▁Minister ▁for ▁Air ▁suggested ▁that ▁the ▁Australian ▁Sky h aw ks ▁could ▁be ▁sent ▁to ▁U bon ▁Air ▁Force ▁Base ▁in ▁Th ailand ▁to ▁rel ieve ▁the ▁C AC ▁Sab re - equ ipped ▁No . ▁ 7 9 ▁Squadron ▁RA AF ▁station ed ▁there , ▁but ▁such ▁a ▁deployment ▁was ▁found ▁to ▁be ▁imp ract ical . ▁The ▁Government ' s ▁Def ence ▁Committee ▁subsequently ▁recommended ▁that ▁F AA ▁f ighter ▁pil ots ▁be ▁attached ▁to ▁a ▁United ▁States ▁Marine ▁Corps ▁( US MC ) ▁unit ▁station ed ▁at ▁Ch u ▁La i ▁Air ▁Base ▁and ▁conduct ▁combat ▁miss ions ▁over ▁South ▁Vietnam . ▁While ▁the ▁US MC ▁Sky h awk ▁units ▁frequently ▁attacked ▁targets ▁in ▁North ▁Vietnam , ▁the ▁F AA ▁air cre w ▁were ▁to ▁be ▁prohib ited ▁from ▁joining ▁these ▁operations ▁as ▁the ▁Government ▁had ▁previously ▁decided ▁to