First Flight:
The first development A2F-1 (later redesignated A-6A) Intruder made its maiden flight on April 19, 1960..

All-Weather Bomber:
On Wednesday, February 28, 1962, the Department of Defense released a photograph showing the A2F-1 Intruder surrounded by expanding circles of bombs and missiles showing the array of ordnance the aircraft could carry (total of 18,000 pounds). What made the airplane special at the time of its introduction was the fact that it could deliver that ordnance in all weather conditions. The airplane’s Digital Integrated Attack Navigation Equipment (DIANE) provided an electronic display of targets and geographical features even when visibility was low.  Introduced on the A-6E version of the Intruder, the Target Recognition Attack Multisensors (TRAM) system combined Forward Looking Infrared Radar (FLIR) and laser sensors with an onboard computer.  Located in a ball turret beneath the nose of the aircraft, TRAM enabled a higher degree of bombing accuracy by locating targets and ascertaining their ranges and allowed the aircrew to detect ground undulations as small as a plowed field.

Side-by-Side:
The most important element of the A-6’s success was its crew that consisted of the pilot in the left seat and bombardier navigator (B/N) in the right seat. There was inherent trust between them, the pilot relying on the B/N’s abilities to operate the aircraft’s sophisticated systems as he flew the airplane in low-level attacks. One A-6 pilot indicated crews who flew together developed a sign language of sorts to quickly communicate during a flight. 

Vietnam:                                                  The first front-line squadron to receive the A-6 was the VA-75 Sunday Punchers, which took the plane into combat over Vietnam in 1965. The squadron experienced some early difficulties with bombs prematurely detonating when released, causing the loss of at least three airplanes. However, over the course of the war the A-6 proved itself in the murky weather conditions in Southeast Asia, oftentimes carrying out single-plane or two-plane night raids with devastating accuracy that produced disproportionate results. On these missions, aircrews flew through intense anti-aircraft fire and numerous surface-to-air missiles focused on them. The aircraft’s capability was dramatically  illustrated when two A-6s made a night strike, dropping 26 500-lb. bombs against a North Vietnamese power plant. The damage was such that the enemy high command was convinced that Air Force B-52 Stratofortress heavy bombers had been at work! All told, 17 A-6 pilots and B/Ns received the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism in the Vietnam War, three of those awarded to prisoners of war for their actions in captivity.

Cold Warrior:
The A-6 remained a fixture in Naval Aviation for more than two decades following the end of the Vietnam War. Combat actions included missions over Lebanon, Libya, and Bosnia, targeting Iranian naval targets during Operation Praying Mantis in 1987 and participating in Operation Desert Storm in 1991.

The Museum’s Aircraft:
One of 687 A-6s delivered to the Navy, the museum’s airplane entered service in 1968 as an A-6A and was eventually upgraded to an A-6E. It logged combat over Vietnam with the VA-196 Main Battery, flying from USS Ranger (CVA 61) and USS Enterprise (CVAN 65). Operating from the latter carrier, the squadron’s ranks of junior officers included LT Stephen Coonts, whose experiences formed the basis for his novel Flight of the Intruder. The airplane also flew in VA-196 from USS Independence (CV 62) during Operation Desert Shield. It arrived at the museum in 1994.