The A-6's all-weather capability, long range, and tremendous payload represented a quantum leap in carrier-based power projection
The A-6 was the U.S. Navy's all-weather long-range attack aircraft with the ability to operate day or night. It was a subsonic, two seat aircraft fitted with the ability to carry up to 15,000 lb or numerous types of munitions. Later A-6E's were fitted with the Target Recognition and Attack Multisensor (TRAM), which included Forward Looking Infra-Red (FLIR) for precision-guided munitions. Over 660 A-6 aircraft were built
Primary Function: All-weather medium attack aircraft
Contractor: Grumman
Crew: Two
Unit Cost: $22 million
Powerplant
Two Pratt & Whitney J52-P8B engines (9,300 pounds thrust each)
Dimensions
Length: 54 feet 7 inches (16.1 meters)
Wingspan: 53 feet (16.1 meters)
Height: 15 feet 7 inches (4.74 meters)
Weights
Empty: 25,630 pounds (11,636 kg)
Maximum Takeoff: 60,626 pounds (27,524 kg)
Performance
Speed: 563 knots (648 mph / 1036 km/h)
Ceiling: 40,600 feet
Range: 1,077 miles (1,733 km) -- full combat load
Armament
10 2.75" Rocket Pod
10 5" Zuni Rocket Pod
28 Mk-20 Rockeye
Mk-77 Napalm
28 Mk-81 (250 lbs)
28 Mk-82 Snakeye
13 Mk-83 (1,000 lbs)
5 Mk-84 (2,000 lbs)
20 Mk-117 (750 lbs)
28 CBU-78
GBU-10E Laser Guided Bomb
GBU-12D Laser Guided Bomb
GBU-16B Laser Guided Bomb
AGM-123A Skipper II
AGM-45 Shrike
AGM-62 Walleyes
AIM-9 Sidewinders
System Weapon Improvement Program, SWIP
AGM-88 HARMs
AGM-84E SLAMs
AGM-65 Maverick Anti-Ship Missile
AIM-120A AMRAAM
Service Life
First Flight: April 19, 1960 (A-6A)
February 27, 1970 (A-6E)
1963 (EA-6A)
May 25, 1968 (EA-6B)
End of Service: December 19, 1996
Number Built: A-6A (482) + 154 others [~636 total]
