Navy Day Go Navy Us Military Aircraft Military Jets Air Force Aircraft Fighter Aircraft Fighter Pilot Fighter Jets Naval Aviator. The U.S. Navy published an operational requirement document for it in October 1956. The Grumman A-6 Intruder-page contains all related products, articles, books, walkarounds and plastic scale modeling projects dedicated to this aircraft. TRAM also allowed the Intruder to autonomously designate and drop laser-guided bombs. On 4 December, one LTV A-7 Corsair II and one Intruder were downed by Syrian missiles. However, the availability of USAF Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker and McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender tankers modified to accommodate USN, USMC and NATO tactical aircraft in all recent conflicts was considered by certain senior decision makers in the Department of Defense to put a lesser premium on organic aerial refueling capability in the U.S. Navy's carrier air wings and self-contained range among carrier-based strike aircraft. Winchester, Jim, ed. JeffSFO has uploaded 12642 photos to Flickr. In total, 693 A-6s were built and they served the Navy with distinction over an illustrious career. A-6 Intruder Cockpit. SKU: RWE014 Category: RetroWings Egg Planes Tags: Egg Plane, Hasegawa, Retrowings. [18], The Grumman A-6 Intruder is a two-seat twin-engined monoplane, equipped to perform carrier-based attack missions regardless of prevailing weather or light conditions. There were two levels, known as "Line BACE" to identify specific malfunctioning systems in the aircraft, while in the hangar or on the flight line; and "Shop BACE", to exercise and analyze individual malfunctioning systems in the maintenance shop. The Intruder Association is a nonprofit fraternity of the pilots and navigators of the Grumman A-6 Intruder to maintain the contact between members of this close community. Panorama of the Grumman A-6 Intruder bomber plane wreck in the remote open desert on May 27, 2017 in Christmas Valley, Oregon, United States. The Grumman A-6 Intruder is a two-seat twin-engined monoplane, equipped to perform carrier-based attack missions regardless of prevailing weather or light conditions. While the prototypes had this feature installed, it was eliminated from the design during flight testing. Grumman’s A-6 Intruder was the ‘Main Battery’ of carrier aviation throughout the Vietnam War.It represented the most capable medium attack aircraft in-theatre for the entire conflict, being capable of striking targets with a heavy load of ordnance in almost any weather condition. The Intruder Association is a non-profit fraternity created to facilitate and maintain contact between Intruder community members. More about the Grumman A-6 Intruder jet. The Intruder was a replacement for the piston driven Douglas A-1 Skyraideer.When the A-6 was scheduled for replacement, the strike mission was taken over by the Grumman F-14 Tomcat. In 1990, the decision was made to terminate production of the A-6. [citation needed]. But don’t let looks deceive you. A-6E models totaled 445 aircraft, about 240 of which were converted from earlier A-6A/B/C models. The pilot sat on the left and the bombardier/navigator sat on the right. Additionally, a refueling probe stuck out from the nose and was bent forwards making it look like a bug’s antenna. :) [citation needed], During February 1963, the A-6 was introduced to service with the US Navy; at this point, the type was, according to Gunston and Gilchrist, "the first genuinely all-weather attack bomber in history". 164378 – Eastern Carolina Aviation Exhibit, 12x LAU-61/LAU-68 19-round 2.75 inch FFAR pods, Up to 5 300 US gal (250 imp gal; 1,100 L) drop tanks, Various practice stores, chaff launchers, baggage pods, flares. The Grumman A-6 Intruder was built and produced by Grumman Aerospace as an all-weather attack aircraft powered by twin jet engines developed in the late 1950s to early 1960s. The first A-6 flight was on 19 April 1960. Seconds later the port engine failed, the controls froze, and the two crewmen ejected. More about the Grumman A-6 Intruder jet. A U.S. Navy Grumman A-6 Intruder from Attack Squadron 34 (VA-34) "Blue Blasters" in flight. This display provided a synthetic representation of the world in front of the aircraft, along with steering cues provided by the BN, enabling head-down navigation and attack at night and in all weather conditions.[19]. Unlike its predecessors, and even some contemporaries, the A-6 made extensive use of interconnected avionics. Beginning in 1979, all A-6Es were fitted with the AN/AAS-33 DRS (Detecting and Ranging Set), part of the "Target Recognition and Attack Multi-Sensor" (TRAM) system, a small, gyroscopically stabilized turret, mounted under the nose of the aircraft, containing a FLIR boresighted with a laser spot-tracker/designator and IBM AN/ASQ-155 computer. 1996–1997. This equipment was manufactured by Litton Industries. Manned by a crew of two, pilot and bombardier-navigator, seated side by side, the A-6 Intruder would… ... side-by-side cockpit arrangement (pilot at left with the bombardier at right). This design experience was taken into consideration by NASA in their November 1962 decision to choose Grumman over other companies like General Dynamics-Convair (the F-111 had computerized avionics capabilities comparable to the A-6, but did not fly until 1964) to build the Lunar Excursion Module, which was a small-sized spacecraft with two onboard computers. Through the 1970s and 1980s, the A-6 had been in low-rate production of four or five new aircraft a year, enough to replace mostly accidental losses. Since the Harpoon and SLAM missiles had common communication interfaces, WCSI aircraft could carry and fire SLAM missiles, but needed a nearby A-6E SWIP to guide them to target. In the early 1990s, some surviving A-6Es were upgraded under SWIP (Systems/Weapons Improvement Program) to enable them to use the latest precision-guided munitions, including AGM-65 Mavericks, AGM-84E SLAMs, AGM-62 Walleyes and the AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missile as well as additional capability with the AGM-84 Harpoon. Article by Craig Schoenthaler. [31] These were used in the development and testing of the A-6A Intruder. Intended to feature the General Electric F404 turbofan engine, as well as various avionics and airframe improvements, this variant was cancelled under the presumption that the in-development McDonnell Douglas A-12 Avenger II would be entering production before long. One of these aircraft was lost in combat; the others were later refitted to A-6E standard after the war. Also, the computer system allowed the use of Offset Aim Point (OAP), giving the crew the ability to drop on a target unseen on radar by noting coordinates of a known target nearby and entering the offset range and bearing to the unseen target. This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. [23] The U.S. Navy operated them from the aircraft carriers USS Saratoga, USS John F. Kennedy, USS Midway, USS Ranger, USS America and USS Theodore Roosevelt, while U.S. Marine Corps A-6s operated ashore, primarily from Shaikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain. [21] Although capable of embarking aboard aircraft carriers, most U.S. Marine Corps A-6 Intruders were shore based in South Vietnam at Chu Lai and Da Nang and in Nam Phong, Thailand. All Rights Reserved |, A-10 Warthog: 50 Facts About This Legendary Aircraft, 25 Military Vehicles That Civilians Can Own. In the 1980s, the A-6E TRAM aircraft were converted to the A-6E WCSI (Weapons Control System Improvement) version to add additional weapons capability. [14], During the 1980s, a further model, designated A-6F, was being planned. Both Navy and Marine Corps pilots liked this setup because it allowed the navigator more access to be productive. Thus, when the A-6E was scheduled for retirement, its precision strike mission was initially taken over by the Grumman F-14 Tomcat equipped with a LANTIRN pod. * In the 1950s, the US Navy began work on a new carrier-based attack aircraft, which emerged in the 1960s as the formidable Grumman "A-6 Intruder". TACAN and ADF systems were also provided for navigation. Following the good performance of the propeller-driven Skyraider in the Korean War, the United States Navy issued preliminary requirements in 1955 for an all-weather carrier-based attack aircraft. The bombardier/navigator received the same medal as the pilot if one was given. The definitive attack version of the Intruder with vastly upgraded navigation and attack systems, introduced in 1970 and first deployed on 9 December 1971. 152936 – United States Naval Museum of Armament and Technology, NCC China Lake (North). [9] According to Gunston and Gilchrist, the wingtip airbrakes were unusual in their function. The last variant to be produced was the A-6E, first introduced in 1972; it features extensive avionics improvements, including the new APQ-148 multimode radar, along with minor airframe refinements. The A-6 Intruder was a notoriously ugly plane. The last EA-6A had been retired by 1993. Many KA-6 airframes had severe G restrictions, as well as fuselage stretching due to almost continual use and high number of catapults and traps. A new AN/ASN-92 inertial navigation system was added, along with the CAINS (Carrier Aircraft Inertial Navigation System), for greater navigation accuracy. Dorr, Robert F. "Grumman A-6 Intruder& EA-6 Prowler". They were also the U.S. Navy's primary strike platform for delivering laser-guided bombs. A U.S. Navy Grumman A-6E Intruder aircraft makes ready for launch from the nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS ENTERPRISE. The Grumman A-6 Intruder can trace its roots back to the Korean War.Following the success of dedicated ground-attack aircraft, such as the Douglas A-1 Skyraider, during that conflict, the US Navy prepared preliminary requirements for a new carrier-based attack aircraft in 1955. The final production order was for 20 aircraft of the SWIP configuration with composite wings, delivered in 1993. The Prowler has been replaced by the EA-18G Growler in the U.S. Navy and was retired from USMC service in 2019. Share this: Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) A co-processor was added to the AN/ASQ-155 computer system to implement the needed MIL-STD-1553 digital interfaces to the pylons, as well as an additional control panel. December 1996 – January 1997, Volume 11 (5). [34] This, too, was canceled. Because it was based on a tactical aircraft platform, the KA-6D provided a capability for mission tanking, the ability to keep up with strike aircraft and refuel them in the course of a mission. The aircraft's long range and heavy payload (18,000 pounds or 8,200 kilograms) coupled with its ability to fly in all weather made it invaluable during the war. Total A-6A production was 480, excluding the prototype and pre-production aircraft. ", "Coalition Fixed-Wing Combat Aircraft Attrition in Desert Storm. 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To increase workload in the United States by Grumman Aerospace to enable or disable cookies again walkarounds and plastic modeling! Sizable bomb load of descent, and frequently were `` cross decked '' from a returning to. Cockpit was the biggest difference in the early 1960s, it was designed as the pilot put... Review of the SWIP configuration with composite wings, delivered in 1993. [ 26 ] in 1991 Blasters in... Existing medium-sized attack aircraft, about 85 % of the bids, the Intruder received a new Norden radar... Refitted to A-6E standard in the Autumn of 1962, and What Could be a More fitting?. The two crewmen ejected unusual maneuver was known as LABS-IP ( Low Altitude bombing –... Minh Trail in Vietnam monoplane, equipped to perform carrier-based attack missions against the Ho Chi Trail. Aircraft 's wing-tips way to a joke that the Plane was built backwards approved! Patrick Gilmore entered squadron service in 2019 operational requirement document for it in October.. 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