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Grumman A-6 Intruder
Photo Gallery
All-weather attack aircraft, entered service in 1963. The A-6 is an ugly
mid-wing aircraft, with side-by-side seating in a blunt nose. The subsonic A-6
is a true all-wheater attack aircraft; it has good range and carries a heavier
load than any previous USN attack aircraft. It is still in service, but near the
end of its career. Over 660 were built. 51 were converted to KA-6D trainers. The
A-attack aircraft was the basis for two electronic warfare versions, the
two-seat EA-6A and the four-seat EA-6B Prowler. The EA-6B carries up to five
AN/ALQ-99 pods, each with two jamming transmitters.
Aircraft Description
Powerplant:
Two Pratt & Whitney J52-P8B/C, nonafterburning, axial-flow turbojet engines;
each rated approximately 9,300 lb. thrust. The C version is a reliability and
maintainability improvement to the combustion chamber, fuel nozzles and seals in
the oil tank. The engine, used in other internationally operated aircraft is
supported by several corporations.
Accommodations:
Crew of two: pilot and bombardier/navigator.
Performance:
Maximum speed 568 knots at sea level, max range greater than 2,800 miles.
Armament:
Provision for carrying up to 18,000 lbs. of ordnance on 5 external weapon
stations.
Aircraft Mission and Capabilities
The A-6E is the U.S. Navy's heavy payload attack aircraft that provides
all-weather, day or night, long-range strike capability. It has recently been
modified with a composite wing to extend the plane's operational fatigue life
another 20 years and is equipped with an all-weather multiple-mode radar, DRS
(Detecting and Range Set), and a self-contained carrier airborne inertial
navigation system. The APQ-156 integrated radar provides the capabilities of
search, target tracking, airborne moving target identification, and beacon
interrogation. The high resolution, real beam ground mapping radar, complemented
by the Tactical Altitude Director (TAD) system, also provides terrain clearance
and avoidance for low-level navigation. The DRS contains a FLIR, laser
range-finder designator, and forward air control (FAC) receiver located beneath
the nose in a sensor turret for precision attacks against tactical targets at
night and in adverse weather. The A-6E can deliver the Navy's entire arsenal of
available air-to-ground weapons from general purpose bombs to ground attack
missiles, and the AIM-9L/M air-to-air missile. The SWIP (Systems Weapons
Improvement Program) is the latest upgrade that enables the Intruder, through a
MIL-STD-1553 avionics multiplex databus to employ multiple advanced precision
guided missiles against land- and sea-based targets and emitters. Most A-6Es
have been further modified to night multi-place attacks. The integrated attack
navigation weapon system coupled with a two man, side-by-side crew,
significantly enhances crew coordination, situational awareness, and safety of
flight by reducing data saturation associated with the real world tactical
environment.
Program Summary
The A-6E was removed from U.S. Naval Air Forces in February 1997. One hundred
(100) aircraft are stored in War Reserve and the additional excess aircraft are
stored for potential Foreign Military Sales (FMS) all of the SWIP composite wing
configuration. The A-6F, the next generation Intruder, started development in
1984 incorporating General Electric F404 engines, an inverse synthetic aperture
radar with air-to-air mode, and improved structural changes. This program was
cancelled in 1989 with 5 prototypes built.
The A-6 has played an essential part in the changes that have reshaped the
world: Vietnam War - 1963-1971, Lebanon/Libya/Grenada - 1971-1986, and Operation
Desert Storm in 1991. A total of 693 production A-6s were built, including 488
A-6As, 95 A-6Es, 71 A-6E TRAM, 34 A-6E SWIP and 5 A-6Fs. Over its 33 year
history, the A-6 has been in active service in 17 U.S. Navy and 7 U.S. Marine
Corps squadrons.
Presently the attack version and/or the Tanking Version (KA-6E) are being
offered by the U.S. Navy for FMS.
GRUMMAN A-6E INTRUDER
Dimensions
Wing span 53 ft / 16.15 m
Wing span (folded) 25 ft 2 in / 7.67 m
Overall length 54 ft 7 in / 16.64 m
Height 16 ft 2 in / 4.93 m
General Data
Crew 2
Power Plant
Number 2
Manufacturer Pratt & Whitney
Type J52-P-B/C Turbojet
Rating 9,300 lb / 41.1 kN
Performance
Maximum speed 560 kt / 1,037 km/hr
Average cruise speed 412 kt / 763 km/hr
Approach speed 122 kt / 226 km/hr
Min. T.O. distance 4,820 ft / 1,469 m
Min. landing distance 2,700 ft / 823 m
Service ceiling 41,000 ft./12,496 m
Ferry range 2,380 naut mi / 4,408 km
Weight
Weight empty 27,892 lb / 12,649 kg
Internal fuel 15,939 lb / 7,230 kg
External fuel (5 300 gal drop tanks) 10,025 lb / 4,546 kg
External stores maximum capacity 18,000 lb / 8,165 kg |