By April 1970, as the VNAF capability was expanded, the first USAF units were withdrawn. Inside South Vietnam, enemy activity was at a low during the year. Even then, the USAF flew more than 48,000 sorties, flying strike missions against North Vietnamese forces that had infiltrated into South Vietnam. Although the bombing halt continued throughout 1970, the USAF attacked antiaircraft and SAM sites whenever a USAF unarmed reconnaissance plane was fired upon.  Although Communist movements down the Ho Chi Minh Trail grew during the year, the U.S. war effort was reduced because authorities in Washington, believing the U.S. objectives in SEA were being achieved, imposed budget limits.

This reduced the number of combat missions the USAF Could fly. At the beginning of 1970, fresh troops from North Vietnam advanced through northern Laos. The USAF called in B-52s and on February 17th, they were used to bomb targets in northern Laos. The enemy advance was halted by Laotian reinforcements, and for the remainder of the year it was a "seesaw" military campaign. North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops had seized large areas of the country and the Cambodian Government called for assistance. In response, USAF and VNAF aircraft bombed enemy targets in Cambodia on April 24 and five days later, U.S. and South Vietnamese troops crossed the border and struck the enemy's sanctuaries. They withdrew into South Vietnam by the end of June. The enemy continued his offensive operations within Cambodia, and by year's end, had occupied about one-half of the country.