Editing Grumman A-6 Intruder (section)

==Operational history==
{{More citations needed section|date=August 2011}}

===Entering service and Vietnam War===
[[File:Grumman A-6E Intruder of VA-65 on flight on 1 August 1983 (6392725).jpg|thumb|An A-6E Intruder aircraft assigned to {{USS|Dwight D. Eisenhower|CVN-69|6}}.]]
[[File:Several A-6 aircraft parked with EA-6 and S-3 aboard CV-67.jpg|thumb|[[Lockheed S-3 Viking|S-3A Viking]], A-6E Intruder, and an [[EA-6B Prowler]] aircraft are parked on the flight deck of aircraft carrier {{USS|John F. Kennedy|CV-67|6}} during a storm.]]

The Intruder received a new standardized [[United States Department of Defense|US DoD]] designation of ''A-6A'' in the Autumn of 1962, and entered squadron service in February 1963. The A-6 became both the U.S. Navy's and U.S. Marine Corps's principal medium and all-weather/night attack aircraft from the mid-1960s through the 1990s and as an aerial tanker either in the dedicated KA-6D version or by use of a [[buddy store]] (D-704). Whereas the A-6 fulfilled the USN and USMC all-weather ground-attack/strike mission role, this mission in the USAF was served by the [[Republic F-105 Thunderchief]] and later the [[General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark|F-111]], the latter which also saw its earlier F-111A variants converted to a radar jammer as the [[General Dynamics–Grumman EF-111A Raven|EF-111 Raven]], analogous to the USN and USMC EA-6B Prowler.

A-6 Intruders first saw action during the [[Vietnam War]], where the craft were used extensively against targets in [[Vietnam]]. The aircraft's long range and heavy payload ({{convert|18000|lb|kg|disp=or}}) coupled with its ability to fly in all weather made it invaluable during the war. However, its typical mission profile of flying low to deliver its payload made it especially vulnerable to anti-aircraft fire, and in the eight years the Intruder was used during the Vietnam War, the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps lost a total of 84 A-6 aircraft of various series. The first loss occurred on 14 July 1965 when an Intruder from [[Second VA-75 (U.S. Navy)|VA-75]] operating from {{USS|Independence|CV-62|6}}, flown by LT Donald Boecker and LT Donald Eaton, commenced a dive on a target near Laos. An explosion under the starboard wing damaged the starboard engine, causing the aircraft to catch fire and the hydraulics to fail. Seconds later the port engine failed, the controls froze, and the two crewmen ejected. Both crewmen survived.

[[File:Marine A-6 Intruder destroyed at Danang Airfield 1968.jpg|thumb|left|A U.S. Marine Corps A-6 Intruder destroyed by a rocket and mortar bombardment on [[Da Nang Air Base]] in 1968 during the [[Vietnam War]]]]
Of the 84 Intruders lost to all causes during the war, ten were shot down by [[surface-to-air missiles]] (SAMs), two were shot down by MiGs, 16 were lost to operational causes, and 56 were lost to conventional ground fire and [[anti-aircraft artillery|AAA]]. The last Intruder to be lost during the war was from [[Second VA-35 (U.S. Navy)|VA-35]], flown by LT C. M. Graf and LT S. H. Hatfield, operating from {{USS|America|CV-66|6}}; they were shot down by ground fire on 24 January 1973 while providing close air support. The airmen ejected and were rescued by a Navy helicopter. Twenty U.S. Navy aircraft carriers rotated through the waters of Southeast Asia, providing air strikes, from the early 1960s through the early 1970s. Nine of those carriers lost A-6 Intruders: {{USS|Constellation|CV-64|6}} lost 11, {{USS|Ranger|CV-61|6}} lost eight, {{USS|Coral Sea|CV-43|6}} lost six, {{USS|Midway|CV-41|6}} lost two, USS ''Independence'' lost four, {{USS|Kitty Hawk|CV-63|6}} lost 14, {{USS|Saratoga|CV-60|6}} lost three, {{USS|Enterprise|CVN-65|6}} lost eight, and USS ''America'' lost two.<ref>Hobson 2001, pp. 269–270.</ref> Although capable of embarking aboard aircraft carriers, most U.S. Marine Corps A-6 Intruders were shore based in [[South Vietnam]] at [[Chu Lai Air Base|Chu Lai]] and [[Da Nang Air Base|Da Nang]] and in [[Royal Thai Air Base Nam Phong|Nam Phong]], [[Thailand]].

===Lebanon and later action===
A-6 Intruders were later used in support of other operations, such as the [[Multinational Force in Lebanon]] in 1983. On 4 December, one [[LTV A-7 Corsair II]] and one Intruder were downed by Syrian missiles. The Intruder's pilot, Lieutenant Mark Lange, and bombardier/navigator Lieutenant [[Bobby Goodman|Robert "Bobby" Goodman]] ejected immediately before the crash;<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.ejection-history.org.uk/PROJECT/YEAR_Pages/1983.htm#de |title= 4th December 1983 |author= <!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date= 23 June 2011 |website= The Year 1983 |publisher= Ejection History |access-date= 11 September 2013 |quote= A-6E TRAM BuNo 152915 coded AC, side number 556 VA-85 "Black Falcons" ... Near Kfar Salwan, 15 M E of Beirut, Lebanon, shot down by Syrian SAM-7 during bombing. Lt. Mark "Doppler" Lange ejected ... BN Robert O. "Bobby" Goodman ejected ... |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130921120145/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk/PROJECT/YEAR_Pages/1983.htm#de |archive-date= 21 September 2013 |url-status= dead }}</ref> Lange died of his injuries while Goodman was captured and taken by the Syrians to [[Damascus]] where he was released on 3 January 1984. Later in the 1980s, two [[United States Navy Reserve|Naval Reserve]] A-7 Corsair II light attack squadrons, [[VA-205 (U.S. Navy)|VA-205]] and [[VA-304 (U.S. Navy)|VA-304]], were reconstituted as medium attack squadrons with the A-6E at [[NAS Atlanta]], Georgia and [[NAS Alameda]], California, respectively.

Intruders also saw action in April 1986 operating from the aircraft carriers USS ''America'' and ''Coral Sea'' during the bombing of [[Libya]] ([[Operation El Dorado Canyon]]). The squadrons involved were [[VFA-34|VA-34]] "Blue Blasters" (from USS ''America'') and [[Second VA-55 (U.S. Navy)|VA-55]] "Warhorses" (from USS ''Coral Sea'').

[[File:A-6E Intruder preps for launch aboard CVN-65.jpg|thumb|An A-6E Intruder prepares for launch aboard {{USS|Enterprise|CVN-65|6}}]]
During the [[Gulf War]] in 1991, U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps A-6s flew more than 4,700 combat sorties, providing close air support, destroying enemy air defenses, attacking Iraqi naval units, and hitting strategic targets. They were also the U.S. Navy's primary strike platform for delivering [[laser-guided bomb]]s.<ref name="A-6E Intruder">[http://collections.naval.aviation.museum/emuwebdoncoms/pages/doncoms/Display.php?irn=16028626&QueryPage=%2FDtlQuery.php "A-6E Intruder."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722224741/http://collections.naval.aviation.museum/emuwebdoncoms/pages/doncoms/Display.php?irn=16028626&QueryPage=%2FDtlQuery.php |date=22 July 2011 }} ''National Museum of Naval Aviation.'' Retrieved: 16 December 2007.</ref> The U.S. Navy operated them from the aircraft carriers {{USS|Saratoga|CV-60|6}}, {{USS|John F. Kennedy|CV-67|6}}, USS ''Midway'', USS ''Ranger'', USS ''America'' and {{USS|Theodore Roosevelt|CVN-71|6}}, while U.S. Marine Corps A-6s operated ashore, primarily from [[Shaikh Isa Air Base]] in Bahrain. Three A-6s were shot down in combat by SAMs and AAA.<ref>Lee, Robin J. [http://www.rjlee.org/aaloss.html "Coalition Fixed-Wing Combat Aircraft Attrition in Desert Storm."] ''rjlee.org''. Retrieved: 8 July 2012.</ref>

The Intruder's large blunt nose and slender tail inspired a number of nicknames, including "Double Ugly", "The Mighty Alpha Six", "Iron Tadpole" and also "Drumstick".<ref name=Caldwell>Caldwell, Richard H. [http://www.coastcomp.com/av/fltline2/nickname.htm "US Military Aircraft Nicknames."] ''Flightline''. Retrieved: 11 April 2007.</ref>

Following the Gulf War, Intruders were used to patrol the no-fly zone in [[Iraq]] and provided air support for U.S. Marines during [[Operation Restore Hope]] in Somalia. The last A-6E Intruder left U.S. Marine Corps service on 28 April 1993.<ref name=USMCHistoryDiv>[http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/Home_Page.htm "Homepage image caption for 10 April 2007."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070408131859/http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/Home_Page.htm |date=8 April 2007 }} ''United States Marine Corps History Division home page''. Retrieved: 11 April 2007.</ref> Navy A-6s saw further duty over [[Bosnia and Herzegovina|Bosnia]] in 1994.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}}

On 4 June 1996, during [[Exercise RIMPAC|RIMPAC]] a US Navy A-6E performing the unusual target towing task to train Japanese Navy air defense crews was mistakenly engaged and shot down by the Japanese destroyer [[JS Yūgiri]] with its [[Phalanx CIWS]] gun. Both the pilot and BN ejected and were recovered.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-06-05-mn-11915-story.html |title = Japanese Ship Accidentally Downs U.S. Jet - Los Angeles Times |website = [[Los Angeles Times]] |first = Teresa |last = Watanabe |date = 5 June 1996}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/40937/the-last-time-a-japanese-warship-shot-down-a-u-s-navy-plane-was-actually-not-so-long-ago |title = The Last Time A Japanese Warship Shot Down A U.S. Navy Plane Was Actually Not So Long Ago |website = thedrive.com |first = Thomas |last = Newdick |date = 4 June 2021}}</ref>

===Retirement===
Despite the production of new airframes in the 164XXX Bureau Number (BuNo) series just before and after the Gulf War, augmented by a rewinging program of older airframes, the A-6E and KA-6D were quickly phased out of service in the mid-1990s in a U.S. Navy cost-cutting move driven by the [[Office of the Secretary of Defense]] to reduce the number of different type/model/series (T/M/S) of aircraft in carrier air wings and U.S. Marine aircraft groups.

The A-6 was intended to be replaced by the [[McDonnell Douglas A-12 Avenger II]], but that program was canceled due to cost overruns.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.flightglobal.com/boeing-and-general-dynamics-to-appeal-against-ruling-in-a-12-case/73457.article |title = Boeing and General Dynamics to appeal against ruling in A-12 case |publisher = Flight International |date = 8 October 2007}}</ref> The Intruder remained in service for a few more years before being retired in favor of the [[LANTIRN]]-equipped [[Grumman F-14 Tomcat|F-14D Tomcat]], which was in turn replaced by the [[Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet|F/A-18E/F Super Hornet]] in the U.S. Navy and the twin-seat [[McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet|F/A-18D Hornet]] in the U.S. Marine Corps. During the 2010s, the [[Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike]] program was at one point intended to produce an [[unmanned aerial vehicle]] (UAV) successor to the Intruder's long-distance strike role, but the initiative has since changed priorities towards the tanker mission instead.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.flightglobal.com/northrop-grumman-wins-us-navy-unmanned-bomber-contract/75422.article |title = Northrop Grumman wins US Navy unmanned bomber contract |publisher = [[Flight International]] |first = Stephen |last = Trimble |date = 3 August 2007}}</ref> The last Intruders were retired on 28 February 1997.

Many in the US defense establishment in general, and [[Naval Aviation]] in particular, questioned the wisdom of a shift to a shorter range carrier-based strike force, as represented by the Hornet and Super Hornet, compared to the older generation aircraft such as the Intruder and Tomcat. However, the availability of USAF [[Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker]] and [[McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender]] tankers modified to accommodate USN, USMC and [[NATO]] tactical aircraft in all recent conflicts was considered by certain senior decision makers in the Department of Defense to put a lesser premium on organic aerial refueling capability in the U.S. Navy's carrier air wings and self-contained range among carrier-based strike aircraft. Although the Intruder could not match the F-14's or the F/A-18's speed or air-combat capability, the A-6's range and load-carrying ability are still unmatched by newer aircraft in the fleet.<ref name = "flyint 2011"/>

At the time of retirement, several retired A-6 airframes were awaiting rewinging at the [[Northrop Grumman]] facility at [[St. Augustine Airport]], Florida; these were later sunk off the coast of [[St. Johns County]], Florida to form a [[artificial reef|fish haven]] named "Intruder Reef".<ref>Hildebrandt, Erik. 1996–1997. "Burial at Sea: Navy's A-6 Intruder is Retiring, and What Could be a More Fitting End?" Air and Space Smithsonian. December 1996 – January 1997, Volume 11 (5). Pages 64–70. Also: [http://www.geocities.ws/Pentagon/Bunker/7316/burial.html "Burial at Sea."]</ref> Surviving aircraft fitted with the new wings, and later production aircraft (i.e., BuNo 164XXX series) not earmarked for museum or non-flying static display were stored at the [[309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group|AMARG]] storage center at [[Davis-Monthan Air Force Base]], Arizona.<ref name="intruderassociation.org">[http://www.intruderassociation.org/a6displays.html "A-6 Displays."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101118051510/http://www.intruderassociation.org/a6displays.html |date=18 November 2010 }} ''intruderassociation.org''. Retrieved: 19 July 2010.</ref>