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.
Bureau Number 155644 was built as an A-6A, and started its career with VA-128 ("Golden Intruders"), serving as a trainer for new A-6 crews at NAS Whidbey Island, Washington. It went to the Fleet in 1969, flying with VA-165 ("Boomers") aboard the USS Independence (CV-62); 155644 saw combat over Vietnam during Operation Freedom Train and Linebacker I. After the end of American involvement in Vietnam, 155644 returned to VA-128, then was upgraded to an A-6E in 1977.
155644 would go on to serve with both Navy and Marine squadrons: VA-34 ("Blue Blasters") aboard the USS Dwight Eisenhower (CVN-69) from 1977-1981; VMA(AW)-242 ("Bats") and VMA(AW)-121 ("Green Knights") at MCAS El Toro, California from 1981-1991; and finally VA-115 ("Eagles"), back aboard the Independence. It was retired in 1994, and donated to the Yanks Air Museum a few years later. (Serving with so many squadrons is not unusual for Navy or Marine squadrons.)
One of two A-6s in Yanks' boneyard, 155644 is little more than a wreck: it is missing its wings, canopy, TRAM turret, and significant parts of the airframe. As a Vietnam veteran, it would be nice to see it restored, and it may be, or it may be used as a parts source for the other A-6, 160995. I saw it in May 2021.
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.
Bureau Number 155644 was built as an A-6A, and started its career with VA-128 ("Golden Intruders"), serving as a trainer for new A-6 crews at NAS Whidbey Island, Washington. It went to the Fleet in 1969, flying with VA-165 ("Boomers") aboard the USS Independence (CV-62); 155644 saw combat over Vietnam during Operation Freedom Train and Linebacker I. After the end of American involvement in Vietnam, 155644 returned to VA-128, then was upgraded to an A-6E in 1977.
155644 would go on to serve with both Navy and Marine squadrons: VA-34 ("Blue Blasters") aboard the USS Dwight Eisenhower (CVN-69) from 1977-1981; VMA(AW)-242 ("Bats") and VMA(AW)-121 ("Green Knights") at MCAS El Toro, California from 1981-1991; and finally VA-115 ("Eagles"), back aboard the Independence. It was retired in 1994, and donated to the Yanks Air Museum a few years later. (Serving with so many squadrons is not unusual for Navy or Marine squadrons.)
One of two A-6s in Yanks' boneyard, 155644 is little more than a wreck: it is missing its wings, canopy, TRAM turret, and significant parts of the airframe. As a Vietnam veteran, it would be nice to see it restored, and it may be, or it may be used as a parts source for the other A-6, 160995. I saw it in May 2021.