A-6 Intruder




The A-6 Intruder is the aircraft carrier's heavy bomber, capable of lifting off with nine tons of weapons. The A-6 Intruder served well in Vietnam, where it was responsible for "Killing sams." The Intruders regularily flew night missions deep into North Vietnam, where they often used "Shrike" anti-radar missiles, snakeyes and iron bombs. The A-6 has no air-to-air defense system, so it relied heavily on F-4 Phantom fighters to cover it in battle. The A-6 is still in service with the US forces, and is due to recieve an upgrade to the General Electric F-404 engines, the same engines used in the F/A-18 Hornet, as opposed to it's Pratt and Whittney J52-8A Turbojets. The A-6 also has an electronic warfare variant, the EA-6B Prowler. The job of the Prowler is to accompany the main strike package of A-6's and jam enemy radar, protecting the A-6's from enemy Surface to air missiles.

The A-6E variant is an all-weather, two seat, subsonic, carrier-based attack aircraft. It was equipped with a microminiaturized digital computer, a solid state weapons release system, and a single, integrated track and search radar. The target recognition/attack multi-sensor (TRAM) version of the A-6E was introduced to the fleet in 1979. It was equipped with a chin turret containing a forward-looking infra-red (FLIR) system and a laser designator and receiver.

The A-6E proved once again that it was the best all-weather precision bomber in the world in the joint strike on Libyan terrorist-related targets in 1986. With Air Force FB-111s, A-6E Intruders penetrated the sophisticated Libyan air defense systems, which had been alerted by the high level of diplomatic tension and by rumors of impending attacks. Evading over 100 guided missiles, the strike force flew at low levels in complete darkness, and accurately delivered laser-guided and other ordnance on target. Composite wing replacement and systems/weapons improvement programs maintained full A-6E combat systems capability, with initial operational capability realized in FY 88 with VA-75 deployment onboard USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67).

The 19 December 1996 launch of an A-6E Intruder from the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) marked the last Intruder squadron to fly from the deck of an aircraft carrier. The Intruder Attack Squadron 75 of Carrier Air Wing 7, known as the Sunday Punchers, was decommissioned in early 1997.

Type: Two-seat, all-weather atttack aircraft

Manufacturer: Grumman

Powerplant: Two 9,300-lb-thrust Pratt & Whitney J52-P-8B turbojets

Max speed: 642 m.p.h.

Ceiling: 42,400 ft

Range: 1,010 mi with max load

Weapons: Up to 17,963 lb of bombs and/or missiles, including AGM-65 Maverick, AGM-84 Harpoon/SLAM and AGM-88 HARM

Weights: Empty 27,555lb; max takeoff 58,476 lb (carrier launch) or 60,933 lb (land takeoff)

Wing Span: 53 ft

Length: 54 ft

Height: 16 ft

Wing Area: 529 sq ft

First Flight: 1960


Sources

The info for this plane was taken from the following sources on the internet and all credit should go to them. If you want to know more about this aircraft, I suggest checking out these great sites.
The Military Plane Place
Military Analysis Network
Fighter Planes





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