Grumman A-6E Intruder
The A-6 Intruder was designed to serve two roles: one, to replace the aging A-1 Skyraider and supplement the A-4 Skyhawk in the carrier-based strike role, and two, to give the US Navy a genuine all-weather strike aircraft. The requirement was issued in 1957, and Grumman’s A2F-1 design selected, with the first flight in 1960. In 1962, just before fleet entry in 1963, the Intruder was redesignated A-6A.
The A-6 was designed to hit targets with pinpoint accuracy in adverse weather, day or night, similar to what the USAF would later require for the F-111 Aardvark. For this reason, it was built around the Digital Integrated Attack/Navigation Equipment (DIANE), which used three radar systems to constantly update the INS and provide attack data to the bombardier/navigator sitting in the right seat. The system proved very complicated and it would be some years before it was perfected. Since the weather and night would be the Intruder’s primary defense, no internal armament equipped the aircraft, though it could carry an impressive 18,000 pound warload.
The Intruder was committed early to the Vietnam War, which showed up the flaws in the DIANE system and a more lethal one in the bomb delivery system, which had a tendency to set off the bombs prematurely, destroying the aircraft. Gradually improvements were made, and despite the loss of 84 Intruders over Vietnam, it proved to be extremely effective: until the bugs were ironed out of the F-111A in 1971, the A-6 remained the only American aircraft that could attack during the monsoon season.
Specialized A-6Bs were also produced specifically for Iron Hand defense suppression missions, and A-6Cs for anti-truck operations on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. All three variants were replaced by the A-6E beginning in 1971: this replaced DIANE with a more advanced solid-state computer and the three radars with a single AN/APQ-148 multimode radar. In 1979, the A-6E was further modified with the installation of Target Recognition Attack Multisensor (TRAM), consisting of a turret in the nose containing FLIR linked to the radar and a new bomb computer. Besides making the already accurate A-6 even more deadly, it also allowed the Intruder to drop laser-guided bombs, hit moving targets with bombs, and also use passive radar to attack a target.
A-6s would find themselves once more heavily employed during the First Gulf War, flying 4700 sorties for the loss of four aircraft; its final roles would find it supporting Marines in Somalia in 1991 and UN forces in Bosnia in 1995. By that time, surviving A-6Es had been partially upgraded to allow them to fire all newer guided weapons in the inventory (namely the AGM-84 Harpoon, AGM-65 Maverick, and AGM-88 HARM), while most of the fleet also received composite wings.
Grumman further proposed an updated version designated A-6F, with new avionics and engines, but the US Navy rejected this in favor of replacing the Intruder with first the cancelled stealthy A-12A Avenger II, then the F/A-18C/D Hornet. The last A-6E left US Navy service by Feburary 1997; the US Marine Corps had retired theirs in 1993. Older, non-modified aircraft were sunk as an artificial reef off Florida; others remain at AMARC for scrapping.
This Intruder, Bureau Number 151782, was originally built as an A-6A, and joined the Fleet in 1965, starting with VA-65 ("Black Panthers") aboard the USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63); it would see combat over Vietnam with VA-65. In 1969, it was transferred to VA-145 ("Swordsmen") aboard the USS Enterprise (CVN-65), then to VA-115 ("Arabs") aboard the USS Midway (CV-41). During this time period, 151782 was upgraded to an A-6E. After a short stint with VA-95 ("Green Lizards") aboard the USS Coral Sea (CV-43), it was back to VA-115 and the Midway--though by this time VA-115 had become the more politically-correct "Eagles." 151782 was retired in 1980.
But that was not the end for 151782. In 1990, it was returned to duty as an attrition replacement, then went to VA-34 ("Blue Blasters") aboard the USS Dwight Eisenhower (CVN-69). 151782's second lease on life didn't last long, and it was back in storage in 1995 at AMARG in Arizona. In 2004, however, it was saved from being scrapped by being donated to the USS Midway Museum, where 151782 had spent more time than any other point in its career.
Like many of the aircraft aboard the Midway, 151782 carries different squadron markings on either side of the aircraft. On the left side, it carries the markings of VMA(AW)-224 ("Bengals") from its service aboard the USS Coral Sea (CV-43), while on the right it carries VA-115's colors from its time aboard the Midway. It is displayed on the starboard bow catapult, loaded with no less than 30 Mk 81 500-pound Snakeye bombs.
Just on the other side of this aircraft is a mannequin of a catapult officer on one knee, giving the "shoot" signal to launch aircraft. You can bet I made sure to get a picture of myself right with him!
Grumman A-6E Intruder
The A-6 Intruder was designed to serve two roles: one, to replace the aging A-1 Skyraider and supplement the A-4 Skyhawk in the carrier-based strike role, and two, to give the US Navy a genuine all-weather strike aircraft. The requirement was issued in 1957, and Grumman’s A2F-1 design selected, with the first flight in 1960. In 1962, just before fleet entry in 1963, the Intruder was redesignated A-6A.
The A-6 was designed to hit targets with pinpoint accuracy in adverse weather, day or night, similar to what the USAF would later require for the F-111 Aardvark. For this reason, it was built around the Digital Integrated Attack/Navigation Equipment (DIANE), which used three radar systems to constantly update the INS and provide attack data to the bombardier/navigator sitting in the right seat. The system proved very complicated and it would be some years before it was perfected. Since the weather and night would be the Intruder’s primary defense, no internal armament equipped the aircraft, though it could carry an impressive 18,000 pound warload.
The Intruder was committed early to the Vietnam War, which showed up the flaws in the DIANE system and a more lethal one in the bomb delivery system, which had a tendency to set off the bombs prematurely, destroying the aircraft. Gradually improvements were made, and despite the loss of 84 Intruders over Vietnam, it proved to be extremely effective: until the bugs were ironed out of the F-111A in 1971, the A-6 remained the only American aircraft that could attack during the monsoon season.
Specialized A-6Bs were also produced specifically for Iron Hand defense suppression missions, and A-6Cs for anti-truck operations on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. All three variants were replaced by the A-6E beginning in 1971: this replaced DIANE with a more advanced solid-state computer and the three radars with a single AN/APQ-148 multimode radar. In 1979, the A-6E was further modified with the installation of Target Recognition Attack Multisensor (TRAM), consisting of a turret in the nose containing FLIR linked to the radar and a new bomb computer. Besides making the already accurate A-6 even more deadly, it also allowed the Intruder to drop laser-guided bombs, hit moving targets with bombs, and also use passive radar to attack a target.
A-6s would find themselves once more heavily employed during the First Gulf War, flying 4700 sorties for the loss of four aircraft; its final roles would find it supporting Marines in Somalia in 1991 and UN forces in Bosnia in 1995. By that time, surviving A-6Es had been partially upgraded to allow them to fire all newer guided weapons in the inventory (namely the AGM-84 Harpoon, AGM-65 Maverick, and AGM-88 HARM), while most of the fleet also received composite wings.
Grumman further proposed an updated version designated A-6F, with new avionics and engines, but the US Navy rejected this in favor of replacing the Intruder with first the cancelled stealthy A-12A Avenger II, then the F/A-18C/D Hornet. The last A-6E left US Navy service by Feburary 1997; the US Marine Corps had retired theirs in 1993. Older, non-modified aircraft were sunk as an artificial reef off Florida; others remain at AMARC for scrapping.
This Intruder, Bureau Number 151782, was originally built as an A-6A, and joined the Fleet in 1965, starting with VA-65 ("Black Panthers") aboard the USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63); it would see combat over Vietnam with VA-65. In 1969, it was transferred to VA-145 ("Swordsmen") aboard the USS Enterprise (CVN-65), then to VA-115 ("Arabs") aboard the USS Midway (CV-41). During this time period, 151782 was upgraded to an A-6E. After a short stint with VA-95 ("Green Lizards") aboard the USS Coral Sea (CV-43), it was back to VA-115 and the Midway--though by this time VA-115 had become the more politically-correct "Eagles." 151782 was retired in 1980.
But that was not the end for 151782. In 1990, it was returned to duty as an attrition replacement, then went to VA-34 ("Blue Blasters") aboard the USS Dwight Eisenhower (CVN-69). 151782's second lease on life didn't last long, and it was back in storage in 1995 at AMARG in Arizona. In 2004, however, it was saved from being scrapped by being donated to the USS Midway Museum, where 151782 had spent more time than any other point in its career.
Like many of the aircraft aboard the Midway, 151782 carries different squadron markings on either side of the aircraft. On the left side, it carries the markings of VMA(AW)-224 ("Bengals") from its service aboard the USS Coral Sea (CV-43), while on the right it carries VA-115's colors from its time aboard the Midway. It is displayed on the starboard bow catapult, loaded with no less than 30 Mk 81 500-pound Snakeye bombs.
Just on the other side of this aircraft is a mannequin of a catapult officer on one knee, giving the "shoot" signal to launch aircraft. You can bet I made sure to get a picture of myself right with him!