Grumman A-6 Intruder

Summary

Description

Succeeding the highly successful A-4 Skyhawk during the Korean War, the A-6 Intruder was designed to have the capability for precision bombing in all conditions.

With a significant range and the ability to carry heavier payloads than most other carrier-based aircraft, the Intruder became the first all-weather attack aircraft for the US Navy and US Marine Corps. While it did not exceed the speed of sound or display particularly impressive performance, its strength and reliability made it an excellent aircraft for its intended tasks. In addition, its subsonic speed capabilities gave it great effectiveness in ground attack missions. The Intruder was not equipped with any cannons or internal storage, but it could carry additional fuel tanks and a wide variety of armaments, including conventional and nuclear bombs, as well as various missiles and rockets, under its wings. In addition to AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles for close defense, the A-6 could carry air-to-ground missiles (including AGM-45 Shrike, AGM-65 Maverick, and AGM-84 Harpoon), unguided or laser-guided bombs, as well as nuclear or submunition bombs, for a total of 6,870 kg (up to 8,170 kg for the A-6E, the final variant designed for air-to-ground attacks), distributed among 5 hardpoints.

The A-6 could also serve as an aerial refueling tanker. Over 660 units were built, with the first A-6 aircraft entering service in the US Navy in 1963 and in the US Marine Corps in 1964, and the last ones being retired in 1996. Four attack variants have been identified (A-6A, A-6B, A-6C, A-6E), in addition to the A-6F and A-6G modernization projects. These evolutions allowed the Intruder to receive more advanced avionics and improved nighttime strike capabilities. The initial versions were equipped with two radars, an APQ-92 for search and an APQ-88 for tracking, along with a Litton computer. The A-6E, on the other hand, was equipped with a multi-mode APQ-148 radar, a new digital computer ASQ-133, and the TRAM system, which included an infrared detector and a radar rangefinder, to increase the accuracy of air-to-ground attacks. Furthermore, several specialized variants of the A-6 were developed based on the initial concept:

• EA-6A: electronic warfare platform, with 28 units serving within the Marine Corps
• EA-6B Prowler: four-seat electronic warfare and anti-radar aircraft, retired in 2008 in favor of the EA-16G Growler
• KA-6D: 90 A-6A and A-6E aircraft converted for aerial refueling

From the 1960s to the mid-1990s, the Intruder served as the tactical strike force for the US Navy, participating in numerous operations. During the Vietnam War, it dropped more bombs than the massive B-52 strategic bombers. In Iraq in 1991, they carried out nearly 5,000 combat missions, destroying numerous ground targets. They were also involved in operations in Lebanon (1983), Somalia, and Bosnia (1994). Engaged on multiple occasions, the Intruder crews paid a heavy toll in the war: 84 aircraft were lost in Vietnam, 3 in Iraq, and 1 in Lebanon.

Technical specifications

Current operating countries

No country is operating the A-6 Intruder in 2024.

All operators

United States

Armament

Missiles payload:

• Anti-Radiation AGM-45 Shrike
• Air-to-Surface AGM-65 Maverick
• Air-to-Surface AGM-84 Harpoon
• Anti-Radiation AGM-88 HARM
• Air-to-Air Short-Range Raytheon AIM-9 Sidewinder

Bombs payload:

• Thermonuclear B43 Mod 1
• Thermonuclear B61
• Cluster CBU-59/B Rockeye II
• Cluster CBU-89/B Gator
• Low-Drag M117A
• Incendiary Mk 77
• Low-Drag Mk 81
• Low-Drag Mk 82
• Low-Drag Mk 83
• Low-Drag Mk 84
• Laser-Guided Raytheon GBU-10 Paveway II
• Laser-Guided Raytheon GBU-12

Photo of A-6 Intruder

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