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A-6E Intruder

First Flight

April 19, 1960

Location

Vietnam Hangar

Dimensions & Capacity

Crew: 2 – Pilot & Bombardier/Navigator (BN)
Length: 54 ft 9 in (16.69 m)
Wingspan: 53 ft 0 in (16.15 m)
Height: 16 ft 2 in (4.93 m)
Empty Weight: 26,660 lb (12,093 kg)
Max Take Off Weight: 60,400 lb (27,397 kg) (shore-based operations)

Performance

Speed: 560 kn (640 mph, 1,040 km/h) at sea level
Service Ceiling: 42,400 ft (12,900 m)
Range: 878 nmi (1,010 mi, 1,626 km) (with max payload)

Airworthiness

Static Aircraft

Armament

Hardpoints: 5 (4 wing, 1 fuselage), 3,600 lb each, 18,000 lb total. Can carry:

Rockets: Various (e.g., 12x LAU-10 Zuni, LAU-68 7-round FFAR, LAU-61/68 19-round FFAR)
Missiles: Various (e.g., AGM-45 Shrike, AGM-65 Maverick, AGM-84 Harpoon/SLAM, AIM-9 Sidewinder)
Bombs: Various (e.g., 28x Mk 82, 13x Mk 83, 5x Mk 84, GBU-12/16/10, CBU-72, up to 3x B43/B57/B61 nukes)
Other: Mk 60 Captor Mine, up to 5x 300 US gal drop tanks, practice stores, chaff launchers, baggage pods, flares

Loan Status

This aircraft on loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum on behalf of the Navy History and Heritage Command

“The Mighty Alpha Six”

The Grumman A-6 Intruder is an American twinjet all-weather attack aircraft developed and manufactured by American aircraft company Grumman Aerospace that was operated by the U.S. Navy. The A-6 was developed during the late 1950s and early 1960s in response to a requirement issued by the United States Navy for an all-weather jet-powered carrier-based attack aircraft. It was designed as a successor for multiple existing medium-sized attack aircraft, such as the piston-engined Douglas A-1 Skyraider. Unlike its predecessors and even some contemporaries, the A-6 made extensive use of interconnected avionics. Operated by a crew of two in a side-by-side seating configuration, the workload was divided between the pilot and the weapons officer. In addition to conventional munitions, the type was also compatible with the Navy’s air-based nuclear weapons, which were deployable via a toss bombing techniques. On 19 April 1960, the prototype performed the type’s maiden flight. The A-6 was in service with the United States Navy and Marine Corps between 1963 and 1997, multiple variants of the type being introduced during this time. From the A-6, a specialized electronic warfare derivative, the EA-6B Prowler, was developed. It was deployed during various overseas conflicts, including the Vietnam War and the Gulf War. The A-6 was intended to be superseded by the McDonnell Douglas A-12 Avenger II, but this program was ultimately canceled due to cost overruns. Thus, when the A-6E was scheduled for retirement, its precision strike mission was initially taken over by the Grumman F-14 Tomcat equipped with a LANTIRN pod.

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