Editing Grumman A-6 Intruder (section)

===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>