Why didn't Khe Sanh turn into Dien Bien Phu, Round 2?

I know it's kind of an elementary question to be asking, but so is my knowledge of that part of the conflict. Just from a superficial standpoint, the two battles seem sort of analogous with a besieged and surrounded force being resupplied solely by air, though they obviously had different outcomes despite the North Vietnamese hoping to turn Khe Sanh into a repeat of their propaganda coup at Dien Bien Phu over a decade before. Why was that?
 
Superficialy they are similar but differ in detail. For one US had to fly far shorter supply flights, combined with greater transport capability allowed them to fly in more supplies. For two at Khe Sahn Viatnamese weren't able to shut down airfield (IIRC they were able to disrupt operations for short periods) so planes could land and take off, hence supplies didn't have to be dropped. For three US had more airpower on call, allowing them to hit Vietnamese much harder than French coul. For forth, and I think this is most important difference, Vietnamese weren't really trying to take Khe Sahn.
 
Oh, right, I'd forgotten about the airfield being kept in operation. I presume the ability to fly out their wounded greatly reduced the logistical strain on the Marines at Khe Sanh, whereas the French had to allocate a large chunk of their supply drops for medical kit, which more likely than not would've landed in no man's land anyway.
 
Oh, right, I'd forgotten about the airfield being kept in operation. I presume the ability to fly out their wounded greatly reduced the logistical strain on the Marines at Khe Sanh, whereas the French had to allocate a large chunk of their supply drops for medical kit, which more likely than not would've landed in no man's land anyway.

Plus if drop cargo you have it less per plane and you might miss the intended drop zone (same thing happened in later stage of stalingrad flights with loss of airfields)
 
Also, at Khe Sanh, the American forces had much better air support available. I'm not sure what the French had, but it was probably much less than -105s, Phantoms, and BUFFs.
 

RousseauX

Donor
Superior American airpower relative to the French.

The fact that Khe Sanh was meant to be a distraction for the Tet offensive as much as anything else.
 
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