Starting their service by taking part in the Vietnam War of the 1960s, the A-6 Intruders also took part in other conflicts during the 1970s and 80s as well as in the Gulf and Balkan Wars of the 1990s. In general, A-6 Intruders took part in many conflicts over their 30-year service career. Although only around 70 were built anew, most older A-6E airframes were converted to this standard. Apart from featuring improved electronics, it also incorporated the TRAM (Target Recognition Attack Multi-Sensor) pod under its nose, allowing the installation of more advanced suspended weaponry. Among the later variants was the A-6E TRAM, introduced in 1978. As a result, a multitude of variants were subsequently developed throughout its service life. The first prototype of the aircraft, designated YA2F-1, took to the skies in 1960 with the first production aircraft entering service in 1963 under the official designation A-6 Intruder.Īlthough the A-6 Intruder was among the most advanced aircraft at its time due to its sophisticated avionics, it was also subject to frequent upgrades. Among the submissions, Grumman’s proposal for a twin-engine turbojet aircraft was selected as the winner of the competition in 1958. As a result, the Navy issued a set of requirements for a new all-weather strike aircraft in 1955 to which eight aircraft manufacturers submitted a total of 11 design proposals by 1957. In the aftermath of the Korean War, the United States Navy concluded that its air support availability heavily depended on fair weather conditions as the primary strike aircraft at the time was the piston-powered A-1 Skyraider.
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