Modern-Aviation

Aircraft And Military Development & Applications

87-Grumman A-6 Intruder

The Grumman A-6 Intruder was an American, twinjet, mid-wing all-weather attack aircraft built by Grumman Aerospace. In service with the United States Navy and Marine Corps between 1963 and 1997, the Intruder was designed as an all-weather medium attack aircraft to replace the piston-engined Douglas A-1 Skyraider. As the A-6E was slated for retirement, its precision strike mission was taken over by the Grumman F-14 Tomcat equipped with a LANTIRN pod. From the A-6, a specialized electronic warfare derivative, the EA-6, was developed.

Maximum speed: 1,043 km/h (647.90 mph) Length: 54.59 ft Wingspan: 52.99 ft Introduced: 1963 Retired: 1997 Passengers: 4

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.

The initial version of the Intruder was built around the complex and advanced DIANE (Digital Integrated Attack/Navigation Equipment), intended to provide a high degree of bombing accuracy even at night and in poor weather. DIANE consisted of multiple radar systems: the Norden Systems AN/APQ-92 search radar replacing the AN/APQ-88 on YA-6A, and a separate AN/APG-46 for tracking, AN/APN-141 radar altimeter, and AN/APN-122 Doppler navigational radar to provide position updates to the AN/ASN-31 inertial navigation system. An air-data computer and ballistics computer integrated the radar information for the bombardier/navigator (BN) in the right-hand seat. TACAN and ADF were also provided for navigational use. When it worked, DIANE was perhaps the most capable nav/attack system of its era, giving the Intruder the ability to fly and fight in even very poor conditions (particularly important over Vietnam and Thailand during the Vietnam War). It suffered numerous teething problems, though, and it was several years before its reliability was established.

Total A-6A production was 488, including six pre-production prototypes. Many of the surviving aircraft were converted to other variants.

General Characteristics
Crew: 2 (pilot, bombardier/navigator)
Length: 54 ft 9 in (16.69 m)
Wingspan: 53 ft 0 in (16.15 m)
Height: 16 ft 2 in (4.93 m)
Wing area: 528.9 sq ft (49.14 m2)
Aspect ratio: 5.31:1
Empty weight: 26,660 lb (12,093 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 60,400 lb (27,397 kg) (shore-based operations)
Fuel capacity: 2,385 US gal (1,986 imp gal; 9,030 L) (internal fuel)
Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.0144
Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney J52-P8B turbojets, 9,300 lbf (41 kN) thrust each

Role: Attack aircraft
National origin: United States
Manufacturer: Grumman
First flight: 19 April 1960
Introduction: 1963
Retired:28 April 1993 (USMC)
28 February 1997 (USN)
Status: Retired
Primary users: United States Navy
United States Marine Corps
Produced: 1962-1990
Number built: 693
Unit cost: US$43 million (1998)
Variants: Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler

Performance
Maximum speed: 560 kn (644 mph; 1,037 km/h) at sea level
Cruise speed: 412 kn (474 mph; 763 km/h)
Stall speed: 98 kn (113 mph; 181 km/h) (flaps down)
Never exceed speed: 700 kn (806 mph; 1,296 km/h)
Combat range: 2,818 nmi (3,243 mi; 5,219 km)
Ferry range: 2,375 nmi (2,733 mi; 4,398 km)
Service ceiling: 42,400 ft (12,900 m)
Rate of climb: 7,620 ft/min (38.7 m/s)
Lift-to-drag: 15.2
Take-off run to 50 ft (15 m): 4,530 ft (1,380 m)
Landing run from 50 ft (15 m): 2,540 ft (770 m)

Armaments
Hardpoints: 5 hardpoints with a capacity of 3,600 lb (1,600 kg) each (4 under wings, 1 under fuselage), 18,000 lb (8,200 kg) total,with provisions to carry combinations of:
Missiles:
AGM-78 Standard ARM anti-radar missile
AGM-62 Walleye TV-guided glide bomb
AGM-65 Maverick air-to-ground missile
AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile/AGM-84E Standoff Land Attack Missile
AGM-88 HARM anti-radar missile
AGM-123 Skipper air-to-ground missile
AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile
ADM-141 TALD decoy missiles
Bombs:
30× Mk 82 500 lb (227 kg) GP bombs
10× Mk 83 1,000 lb (454 kg) GP bombs
3× Mk 84 2,000 lb (907 kg) GP bombs
Laser-guided bombs
Mk 20 Rockeye II cluster bombs
B57 nuclear bomb
B61 nuclear bomb
Other:
Mk 4 Mod 0 20 mm gun pod
GPU-5/A 30 mm gun pod
Up to 4 300 US gal (250 imp gal; 1,100 L) drop tanks

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