A-6E Intruder

A-6E Intruder. .

General Characteristics , Manufacturer: Grumman Aerospace Corporation , Length: 54 ft., 9 in. , Height: 16 ft., 2 in. , Wing span: 53 ft. , Weights: empty: 26,746 pounds; gross, 60,400 pounds. , Power plant: two 9,300-pound static thrust Pratt and Whitney 352-P-8A or -8B turbojets , Performance: maximum speed, 644 mph at sea level , Service ceiling: 42,400 feet. , Range (with maximum bomb load): 1,110 miles , Armament: 18,000 pounds of ordnance, including laser-guided bombs, Harpoon anti-ship missile, high-speed anti-radiation missile (HARM), stand-off land attack missile (SLAM), and air-dropped mines. , Crew: pilot and bombardier-navigator

, A new era in naval aviation began with the introduction of the A-6 Intruder to the fleet in February 1963. The world's first all-weather attack aircraft, the aircraft provided the capability to launch low-level strikes against targets at extended ranges without regard to darkness or weather conditions., This A-6E Intruder was accepted by the U.S. Navy from Grumman Aerospace Corporation on August, 8, 1968, and delivered to Attack Squadron (VA) 165 at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington, remaining with the "Boomers" until May 1969. It was then delivered to VA-196, and served with "The Main Battery" for the next 10 years with only a short interlude with VA-45 and at the Grumman Aerospace Corporation plant in Bethpage, New York, for modification to the A-6E configuration in 1977. VA-196 deployed in the carrier Enterprise (CVAN 65), the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier., The aircraft subsequently served with VA-128, the fleet replacement squadron for the A-6 Intruder until joining VA-145, deploying with that squadron in the carrier Ranger (CV 61). This aricraft spent two years in the Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 5 at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California. It is currently painted in the markings of VA-196. It has been at Defense Supply Center Richmond since 1995., All told, 687 A-6s were delivered to the Navy, the last being retired from front-line service in 1997.