Are there any a 6 Intruders still flying?

One of a Kind Indeed Nearly 37 years and 693 Intruders later, on February 28th 1997, Medium Attack Squadron 34 (VA-34), the Blue Blasters, retired the Navy’s last operational A-6E Intruders. Those 37 years were remarkable in many ways.

Was the a6 Intruder a good plane?

The A-6 was an all-weather, low-level, day/night, medium attack plane. Basically, a bad-ass bomber that could fly at treetop level through the enemy’s backyard and drop tons of ordnance. To accomplish that mission we had an amazing terrain following radar—again that big ugly thing on the nose.

What plane replaced the a6 Intruder?

F/A-18 Hornet
It is configured for both Harm and Harpoon missiles and with its radar and FLIR/laser systems, can detect, classify and attack a full range of targets. The A-6E Intruder is being replaced by the F/A-18 Hornet and will be phased out of service within the next year or two.

How fast was the A 6 Intruder?

1,036 km/h
Grumman A-6 Intruder/Top speed

Why was the Tomcat retired?

Ultimately, the F-14 Tomcat was retired in favor of the F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet, which may not possess the same dogfighting tenacity of the F-14, but are far better suited for the sorts of air-to-ground operations that have dominated America’s combat operations for decades.

When was the a6 Intruder retired?

1997
Grumman A-6 Intruder/Retired

When was the a6 Intruder built?

1963
Grumman A-6 Intruder/Dates introduced

Who built the A-6 Intruder?

Grumman
Grumman A-6 Intruder/Manufacturers

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.

Does the Navy still use prowlers?

The Northrop Grumman (formerly Grumman) EA-6B Prowler is a twin-engine, four-seat, mid-wing electronic-warfare aircraft derived from the A-6 Intruder airframe. Following its last deployment in late 2014, the EA-6B was withdrawn from U.S. Navy service in June 2015, followed by the USMC in March 2019.

Did the a6 Intruder have a gun?

The Intruder was the first Navy aircraft with an integrated airframe and weapons system. In addition to conventional munitions, it could also carry nuclear weapons, which would be delivered using toss bombing techniques. On 19 April 1960, the first prototype made its maiden flight.

Is the Grumman A-6 Intruder a movie star?

It may not be as well known as its maker’s point-nosed, swing-wing counterpart, the F-14 Tomcat, but Grumman’s A-6 Intruder was also a movie star and served as the backbone of the carrier air wing’s all weather, deep strike capability for decades.

What kind of plane was the A-6 Intruder?

The A-6 was an all-weather, low-level, day/night, medium attack plane. Basically, a bad-ass bomber that could fly at treetop level through the enemy’s backyard and drop tons of ordnance. To accomplish that mission we had an amazing terrain following radar—again that big ugly thing on the nose.

What was the difference between the intruder and the BN?

The Intruder was unlike any other plane I flew in that it was built with the other crew in mind—the BN. The A-6 was an all-weather, low-level, day/night, medium attack plane. Basically, a bad-ass bomber that could fly at treetop level through the enemy’s backyard and drop tons of ordnance.

What’s the difference between a Ta 4 and an intruder?

Whereas the TA-4 was sleek and spindly on its tall landing gear, the Intruder was beefy and serious. The TA-4 looked nimble, the Tomcat was movie-pretty, the Intruder looked like what it was—a war club. The cockpit of the Intruder was radically different as well.