The A-6 was the U.S. Navy's all-weather long-range attack aircraft with the ability to operate day or night. It was a subsonic, two seat aircraft fitted with the ability to carry up to 15,000 lb or numerous types of munitions. Later A-6E's were fitted with the Target Recognition and Attack Multisensor (TRAM), which included Forward Looking Infra-Red (FLIR) for precision-guided munitions. Over 660 A-6 aircraft were built.
In December 1957, the Grumman corporation was selected by the US Navy to fulfill the new long-range low-level tactical strike aircraft requirement with their A-6 Intruder. The A-6A's first flight occurred on April 19, 1960, and the first of 482 production aircraft were delivered in February 1963. The A-6A introduced the new Digital Integrated Attack Navigation Equipment (DIANE), which proved to be excellent in all weather conditions. In all, 19 A-6B's were converted from A-6A standard for SAM suppression, and 12 A-6C's were converted with FLIR and LLLTV equipment for improved night-attack capabilities. The upgraded A-6E first flew on February 27, 1970 and introduced a multi-mode navigation/attack radar system. The A-6 was later replaced by the F/A-18 Hornet.
The A-6E is an all-weather, two-seat, subsonic, carrier-based attack aircraft. In spite of its weight, it has excellent slow-flying capabilities with full span slats and flaps. The crew, sitting side by side, can see in all directions through a broad canopy. The aircraft is equipped with a micro-miniaturized digital computer, a solid state weapons release system, and a single integrated track and search radar. The Intruder is armed with laser-guided weapons and equipped with a chin turret containing a forward-looking infra-red (FLIR) system and laser designator and receiver.
The A-6 worked around the clock in Vietnam, conducting attacks on the targets with a pinpoint accuracy unavailable through any other aircraft at that time.The A-6E proved once again that it is the best all-weather precision bomber in the world in the joint strike on Libyan terrorist-related targets in 1986. Navy A-6E Intruders and Air Force FB-111s 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 more than 100 guided missiles, the strike force flew at low levels in complete darkness and hit its target. A-6 aircraft were used extensively during Operation Desert Storm, providing precision bombing on a wide range of targets. The night and all-weather attack capabilities enabled the A-6 to neutralize anti-aircraft batteries and attack well-protected tactical targets with minimum casualties. The precision munitions used by the A-6 provided exact targeting of targets in a complex environment.
Primary Function: All-weather medium attack aircraft
Contractor: Grumman Aerospace Corporation
Unit Cost: $22 million
Propulsion: Two Pratt & Whitney J52-P8B engines
Wingspan: 53 feet (16.1 meters)
Length: 54 feet 7 inches (16.1 meters)
Height: 16 feet 3 inches (4.95 meters)
Weight: Take-off maximum gross, 60,626 pounds (27, 524 kg); take-off maximum gross (carrier), 58,600 pounds (26,370 kg); empty, 25,630 pounds (11,636 kg)
Speed: 563 knots (648 miles, 1036 km, per hour)
Ceiling: 44,600 feet
Range: With full combat load, 1,077 miles (1,733 km); with external fuel tanks, 3,100 miles (4,991 km)
Armament: Five stores locations each rated at 3,600 pounds (1,634 kg) carrying any combination of Mk 80 series GP bombs, Guided Bomb Units (GBUs), AGM-65 Maverick missiles, AGM-88 Harm missile, AGM-84D Harpoon/SLAM missiles, AIM-9 Sidewinder missile, and the AGM-62 Walleye.