Developed as a carrier based attack aircraft, Intruder gave the Navy and Marines a high degree of bombing accuracy at night and in poor weather. The A-6 served in Vietnam, engagements in Lebanon and Libya in the 1980's and the 1991 Gulf War. Placed into service in the early 1960's, the A-6 Intruder was retired in 1997.
Fiercely loyal, former crew-members of the A-6 refer to the Intruder as "the workhorse of naval aviation". The legendary range and load carrying abilities of the A-‐6 still stand as some of the finest performance characteristics in the history of naval aviation.
| Type | All Weather Ship-borne Attack Aircraft |
|---|---|
| Bureau Number | 152599 |
| NMNA ID | 1995.350.001 |
| Manufacturer | Grumman |
| Powerplant | Two 41.40-kN (9040-lb-thrust) Pratt & Whitney J52-‐P-‐8B non-afterburning turbojets |
| Maximum Speed | 1037 km/h (643 mph) clean at sea level |
| Maximum Climb Rate | 2323 m/min (7620 fpm) at sea level |
| Range | 1627 km (1008 miles) with maximum military load; ferry range 5222 km (3240 miles) |
| Service Ceiling | 12,925 m (42,400 ft) |
| Armament | Maximum of 8165 kg (17,963 lb) ordnance and external fuel |
| Weight | Empty 12,132 kg (26,690 lb) Maximum take-off for Catapult Launch 26,580 kg (58,478 lb) |
| Dimensions | Span: 16.15 m (53 ft) Length: 16.69 m (54 ft 9 in) Height: 4.93 m (16 ft 2 in) Wing area: 49.13 m2 (529 sq ft) |
