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The VLS Mk 41 is a highly survivable system with missiles and associated hardware located below the armored deck. Redundant fire control and launcher interface links also enhance system survivability in casualty situations. The VLS Mk 41 capability to simultaneously prepare two missiles in each 8-cell launcher module allows for fast reaction to multiple threats with concentrated, continuous firepower. Multimode operation allows simultaneous interface and missile preparation for discrete anti-aircraft, anti-submarine warfare, strike, naval surface fire support and ballistic missile defense missions. The VLS Mk 41 is highly adaptable to accommodate the latest weapon types to meet new mission requirements.
One of the lessons of the Six-Day War of 1967 was that the long runways needed by contemporary fighters were vulnerable targets and could be destroyed, pinning surviving aircraft to a base they could not operate from nor escape. With this in mind, Hawker-Siddeley began research into a vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) aircraft, the P.1127 Kestrel, which would use a revolutionary new engine—the Rolls-Royce Pegasus, which used vectored thrust, in which nozzles were turned for regular flight or hovering. The Kestrel was proven in a series of tests, and the British Royal Air Force accepted a modified Kestrel as the Harrier GR.1.
Involved in the test process of the Kestrel and the Harrier had been the US Marine Corps, who saw potential in the idea: in cases where the Marines had to land on beaches, often airfields were hard to get to or were so badly damaged by fighting as to be useless for a time. The Harrier would allow the Marines to have air support over the beach, as Harriers could operate from small ships or from shore. The Marines would subsequently adopt the Harrier as the AV-8A. This concept of small-ship operation also led to the development of the Sea Harrier for the British Fleet Air Arm, as the United Kingdom wanted to retire its large carriers in favor of smaller “through-deck cruisers”—light carriers with Harriers aboard.
While the Harrier’s V/STOL capability was impressive and touted by some British aviation enthusiasts as the wave of the future, the early AV-8As and Harrier GR.1/3s were limited by their size and engine power: despite being the same size as the A-4 Skyhawk, the latter could carry more bombs faster and further than the AV-8A. The Harrier was notoriously unforgiving and difficult to fly; the FAA learned that the best Sea Harrier pilots were actually those who had been helicopter pilots. It was also a maintenance nightmare: to change the engine, the wings had to be removed. In an attempt to cure or mitigate these problems, British Aerospace and McDonnell Douglas embarked on a joint project to improve the Harrier, mainly with a new, larger wing and uprated engine. Defense cuts in the UK led to British Aerospace withdrawing from the project, but despite pressure from the US Navy to cancel the “Advanced Harrier” project, McDonnell Douglas persisted, converting two Harriers to YAV-8B standard, with new wings and redesigned nozzles and intakes. While performance was still not up to par, it still had increased range and more bombload.
New administrations—Margaret Thatcher’s in England and Ronald Reagan in the US—led to the British rejoining the project and more momentum, and finally, in 1981, the first AV-8B Harrier II flew. This had all of the improvements of the YAV-8B, with a new forward fuselage with a raised cockpit for better visibility, an uprated engine, heavy use of composites to lighten the weight, and leading-edge extensions of the wings. These solved the Harrier’s range and speed problems, and the AV-8B went into full production in January 1984 in the US, quickly followed by the Harrier GR.4 in the UK. Almost immediately, according to Marine requirements, work began on a dedicated night attack Harrier with FLIR infrared guidance and provision for night-vision goggles. These aircraft—unofficially referred to as “Night Attack” Harriers but retaining the basic AV-8B designation—became the baseline version, with earlier “Day Fighter” AV-8Bs converted to this standard.
Though the Sea Harrier had blooded the type in the 1982 Falklands War with phenomenal success, the first war fought by Marine AV-8Bs was the First Gulf War of 1991. Marine Harriers, operating from offshore amphibious assault ships, regular airfields, and forward operating locations, were instrumental in the Marines’ liberation of Kuwait, sustaining a 90 percent operational rate; five Harriers were shot down during the war. One complaint was that the AV-8B lacked a radar and had no long-range capability: should a Harrier get into a dogfight, it would have to rely on short-range AIM-9 Sidewinders. Subsequently, McDonnell Douglas began a long modification and update program, the so-called AV-8B+, which redesigned the nose to accept the same radar as the F-18 Hornet. This allowed the Harrier to fire the AIM-120 AMRAAM and the AGM-84 Harpoon attack missile. These updated Harriers began entering service in 1993.
Since then, AV-8Bs have served in American service in Kosovo, Afghanistan (where they were among the first aircraft in action there), and Iraq, where they were used heavily to cover the Marine assault into Baghdad. The design was also updated for British service as the Harrier GR.9, and also used in Kosovo and Afghanistan; budget cuts saw the premature retirement of the GR.9s, which have been subsequently taken up by the US Marines, though the GR.9 lacks the multimode radar of the AV-8B+. Spain and Italy have also adopted the AV-8B for use off of their light carriers—Spain’s Principe de Asturias and Italy’s Garibaldi-class; these aircraft are identical to the Marine AV-8B+. Two concerns of the original Harrier—its high accident rate and high maintenance requirements—still exist, and figured into the British retirement of their GR.9s. Nonetheless, the Harrier is scheduled to service for at least another decade, until it is replaced by the F-35C Lightning II. 323 were built and most remain in service.
AV-8B+ BuNo 164533's service history is a bit elusive. It is known that it served with VMA-211 ("Wake Island Avengers"), VMA-311 ("Tomcats"), and--weirdly enough--HMM-365 ("Blue Knights"), which was normally equipped with CH-46E Seaknights, but apparently had a small number of AV-8Bs assigned for a short time. When, exactly, it served with these units is not known. It more than likely was retired in 2016 when VMFA-211 reequipped with F-35B Lightnings, and went on display at the MCAS Yuma airpark in 2021, making it the newest addition there.
164553 carries the overall gunship gray color scheme used by Marine AV-8s at the end of their career; VMA-211's squadron badge is carried on the nose. The camouflage has been slightly marred by the birds targeting this aircraft in particular. It is displayed with two Mk 82 bombs and two LAU-10 rocket pods. For a picture taken through the fence, this turned out rather nice.
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Due to Sweden’s proximity to the Soviet Union, the Swedish Air Force had to assume that their fixed airfields would be destroyed in the opening hours of a war with the USSR. With that in mind, Saab was tasked with designing an aircraft that could operate away from airfields, yet still be able to reach Mach 2 at altitude and replace both the J32 Lansen in the ground attack role and the J35 Draken as an interceptor. It was a daunting task to say the least.
Because the aircraft would need high performance as well as short takeoff or landing (STOL) capability, Saab chose for what was, at the time, a radical design: the combination of a delta wing and high-mounted canards. This was to both provide better turning performance for a delta winged design, plus give lift for a short takeoff run and drag for landings. To further lower landing speed, Saab chose another ahead-of-its-time idea for the aircraft’s propulsion, using a license-built JT8D turbofan; the JT8D had to that point been an airliner engine, but it had a thrust reverser. By adding an afterburner, it would still retain the performance of contemporary fighters, although at a severe cost in range. This was not seen as a disadvantage, as the aircraft was meant to be fighting over Swedish territory in any case. Finally, Saab was to produce an aircraft that was robust in design and easy to maintain—an important consideration when it was operating away from airfields and being repaired by conscripts. Saab’s design fufilled all the requirements asked of it and was designated the AJ37 Viggen (Thunderbolt). The first AJ37 flew in December 1967 and entered service in 1972.
Though the first variant, the AJ37, was intended primarily for ground support and antishipping strikes, it was always intended for the Viggen to have growth potential. First was a two-seat conversion trainer, the SK37, which had originally not been planned, but there was more difference in flying characteristics between the “pure delta” J35 Draken and the Viggen than the Swedish Air Force had planned. The radar and one centerline fuel tank was eliminated in place of a second cockpit stepped above and apart from the first. Next was the SH37 dedicated antishipping variant, which differed from the AJ37 only in having a different radar and a long-range camera; the SF37 reconnaissance variant, with a longer “chisel” nose, no radar, and six cameras in the nose debuted in 1974.
Finally, as the J35 Draken interceptor fleet began to show its age, the JA37 interceptor came out in 1980, with a redesigned cockpit optimized for the fighter role, uprated engine, more advanced multimode radar, an internal cannon (the heavy Oerlikon KCA 30mm cannon, the heaviest installed in any European fighter), and capability to fire the Skyflash missile, a British-improved AIM-7 Sparrow. All five variants performed well and was well-liked by their pilots. JA37 pilots complained of poor vision to the rear, but the zoom climb characteristics and superb radar of the Viggen allowed them to even intercept and track USAF SR-71 Blackbirds coming out of Russian airspace. Saab attempted to market the Viggen internationally, building on the modest success of the Draken, but despite some interest from India and Japan, no buyers were found.
The Viggen was to be the primary aircraft operated by the Svenska Flygvapnet throughout the late 1970s through the 1980s and 1990s, replacing the Lansen and Draken as planned. It was continually updated throughout its lifetime, and delays to the Viggen’s replacement, the JAS39 Gripen, resulted in a comphrensive update in the mid-1990s. This was mainly an avionics update that allowed the Viggen to carry the AIM-120 AMRAAM, but also combined some of the aspects of the five variants into one airframe. These were redesignated AJSF37, and would serve until the dawn of the 21st Century. The Viggen was finally retired in 2007 in favor of the multirole fourth-generation Gripen, ending over 35 years of service in which it never fired a shot in anger.
This aircraft belongs to the 7th Fighter Wing at Satenas, Sweden, and is painted in an experimental white over light blue camouflage; this scheme was not kept, and JA37s usually carried a complicated three shades of green over gray splinter scheme.
Supposed to be a breakthrough when it was introduced years ago. According to mir.com.my: "When the Nikon FA was introduced in 1983, (along with the Nikon FE2 and FM2n) it raised the corporate image as it was truly a revolutionary camera. It will be most remembered for it's innovative metering system - an early testbed for the current and much copied 'Matrix Metering' system commonly found in many Nikon AF cameras as well as those of competitors. It was also the first Nikon camera body that had shutter priority and program automation exposure control.
This was in addition to the traditional favoured aperture priority AE and fully manual exposure control. Furthermore, TTL OTF flash metering enhanced the FA's flash capability and made the FA the most sophisticated multimode manual focus Nikon ever. "
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.
A-6E Bureau Number 162915 started its Navy career as a testbed with VX-5 ("Vampires") at NAS Moffett Field, California from 1979 to 1987. It then finally joined the fleet with VA-75 ("Sunday Punchers"), and would fly combat during the First Gulf War (Desert Storm) aboard the USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67). It was retired in 1993 and donated to the San Diego Air and Space Museum.
The Gillespie Annex is the SDASM's restoration facility, so there's a reason 162915 doesn't look its best, with some heavy corrosion on the airframe. Plans are to fully restore the aircraft, so that appearance is only temporary. It is displayed with two rocket pods, a single CBU-59 Rockeye cluster bomb, and three Mk 82 general purpose bombs--a very light load for an A-6.
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Recent addition to my radio shack, The Yaesu FT-1000MP AC Version According to the serial number this was manufactured in 1996
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Recent addition to my radio shack, The Yaesu FT-1000MP AC Version According to the serial number this was manufactured in 1996
Please see the camera-wiki article on the Canon T70. This is another multi-mode camera; and like the Ricoh XR-P, it offers 3 different choices of autoexposure programs, for different lens types.
The plastic body shell also includes a power winder (like the Konica FT-1). The top LCD display and the pushbutton interface would prove to be a very influential trend in 1980s cameras. The integral winder of the T70 also adds motorized rewind.
- Scientific equipment seen over #10YearsAgo. This is the closeup of a probe holder for the classic MultiMode SPM/AFM microscope with a probe inserted.
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Please see the camera-wiki article on the Minolta XD series. This marks the launch of Minolta's "MD" series lenses, a modification of their bayonet mount to allow a camera body to set the aperture automatically (i.e. for shutter-priority autoexposure).
The XD-11 (XD-7 in other markets) is the manual-focus Minolta SLR which squeezes the maximum number of features into the minimum size, making it a sought-after model.
Popular Photography published a launch profile in this same magazine issue.
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 defensive armament was put on the aircraft, though it could carry an impressive 18,000 pound warload of air-to-ground weaponry.
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 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.
In addition to the attack versions of the Intruder, Grumman also built the dedicated KA-6D tanker version, which replaced the attack systems with an internal hose/reel refuelling system. These too were retired in 1997 and replaced by the S-3B Viking.
Bureau Number 154171 would be one of the highest-timed A-6s ever built: it would serve with no less than 12 squadrons during its three-war career! (For interest of brevity and sanity, this history will only list seven of those units, as 154171 was shuttled between squadrons seemingly once a year.) It was built as an A-6A, and was assigned to VA-65 ("Fighting Tigers") aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63) in 1968. It would remain with that squadron until 1970, when it was transferred to VA-115 ("Eagles") aboard USS Midway (CVA-41), where it saw combat during Operation Linebacker over North Vietnam.
After Vietnam, 154171 was sent to the Marines and VMA(AW)-242 ("Bats") at MCAS El Toro, California, serving there from 1972 to 1974, then back to the Navy with VA-176 ("Thunderbolts") aboard USS America (CV-66). It returned ashore in 1978, when it was upgraded to an A-6E and flew as a testbed aircraft at NAS China Lake until 1983. 154171 went back to the Marines as a training aircraft with VMAT(AW)-202 ("Double Eagles") until 1985, and would then serve off and on with VA-165 ("Boomers") from then until retirement in 1996. During that time, it flew during Operation Earnest Will, the escorting of tankers through the Persian Gulf during the Iran-Iraq War, and during Operation Southern Watch in the aftermath of the First Gulf War, mostly aboard the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and USS Constellation (CV-64). (Estrella claims that 154171 saw combat over Libya and in Desert Storm, which is possible, as the aircraft was detached to other squadrons during that time period.)
In 1996, 154171 was donated to the Estrella Warbirds Museum and flown there from NAS Whidbey Island, Washington. Surprisingly, it went on display with the engines still in the aircraft, and left in the markings of VA-165, its last squadron. It's looking a little worn, but still in good shape when we visited in June 2023.
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