grummanintruder

One of my favourites american aircraft.

Monochrome picture of Grumman A-6A Intruder 157013 VA-52 ‘Knightriders’ Modex code 501 in black outlined with white. Squadron emblem of medieval knights helmet with plume on forward upper part of tail. Dark color rudder with last two digits’ 01’ of Modex on upper part. Aircraft in gull gray and white with white or unpainted radome on an airfield ramp with wings folded under high angle sunlight. Multiple Ejector Rack (MER) on outer pylon. Tail tip and engine of an EKA-3B Skywarrior behind. Tail code NH of Carrier Air Wing Eleven ‘GO!NAVY’ internet webpage for CVW-11 deployments: www.gonavy.jp/CVW-NHf.html Note; the 1972 & 1974 deployments included VA-52 equipped with A-6A Intruder. After this the squadron is recorded as operating the A-6E. Unfortunately Intruder Bu No157013 is not as yet recorded with VA-52. 1970-1971 record that includes A-6A 157013: www.gonavy.jp/CVW2-NE1970.html A-6A 157013 was with VA-145 'Swordsmen' as Modex 500 when part of Carrier Air Wing Two (CVW-2) code NE aboard CVA-61 USS RANGER October 27, 1970 to June 17, 1971 for an extended Vietnam War deployment. A 1970-1971 Vietnam War period picture of VA-145 ‘Swordsmen’ A-6A Intruder on ‘flickr’ to illustrate how A-6A 157013 would have looked then: www.flickr.com/photos/divemasterking2000/194159354/ A-6A Intruder 157018 in foreground. Wearing hi-viz markings of VA-145 'Swordsmen' with Modex nose code 504 and tail code NE of CVW-2 probably aboard CV-61 USS Ranger around 1970-1971. Sometime during the 1970’s Bu No 157013 was updated from A-6A to A-6E. 1977-1978 record including A-6E 157013: www.gonavy.jp/CVW8-AJ1977.html CVW-8 (code AJ) was embarked on CVN-68 USS NIMITZ from December 1, 1977 to July 20, 1978 for a Mediterranean Sea patrol. A-6E 157013 was with VA-35 ‘Black Panthers’ as Modex 507 during that time. 1978 picture of A-6E 157013: www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1156814/ A-6E 157013 VA-35 ‘Black Panthers’ Modex 507 Tail code AJ Seen onboard USS Nimitz anchored in the Solent off Portsmouth, UK - England 25th June 1978 1978 picture including A-6E 157013: www.planepictures.net/show.php?id=754971 A-6E 157013 VA-35 ‘Black Panthers’ Modex 507 Tail code AJ Seen onboard CVN-68 USS Nimitz anchored. 2 July 1978 As on this website page: www.planepictures.net/search4.cgi?stype=actype&srng=2... 1982 picture of A-6E 157013 with US Marine Corps unit VMA(AW)-224 ‘Bengals’. www.cloud9photography.us/Military-Aviation-11/Grumman-A-6... A-6E 157013 of VMA(AW)-224 ‘Bengals’, Modex 11 & squadron tail code WK with emblem on rudder. Pictured at MCAS Yuma Arizona & dated July 1982. 1983 picture of A-6E 157013 with US Marine Corps A-6 training unit VMAT(AW)-202. www.airliners.net/photo/USA---Marines/Grumman-A-6E-Intrud... A-6E 157013 Modex 09 & squadron tail code KC. VMAT(AW)-202 ‘Double Eagles’ Fleet Replacement Squadron. MCAS Cherry Point MCAS North Carolina, November 9, 1983 1986 record for A-6E 157013: www.gonavy.jp/CVW14-NK1986.html A-6E 157013 was Modex 506 with VA-196 ‘Main Battery’ as part of CVW-14 (code NK) aboard CV-64 USS CONSTELLATION for a short exercise cruise in the North Atlantic Ocean between September 4 & October 20, 1986. 1987 record including A-6E 157013: www.gonavy.jp/CVW14-NK1987.html Still as part of CVW-14 (code NK) aboard CV-64 USS CONSTELLATION, A-6E 157013 of VA-196 ‘Main Battery’ as Modex 506 Deployed with the air wing between April 11 & October 13, 1987 for a Western Pacific, Indian Ocean & Arabian Gulf voyage. 1990 reference to A-6E 157013: www.gonavy.jp/CVW2-NE1990.html CVW-2 (code NE) was assigned CV-61 USS RANGER during the December 8, 1990 to June 8, 1991 for Operations ‘Desert Shield’ & ‘Desert Storm’, A-6E 157013 joined VA-155 ‘Silver Foxes’ as Modex 411 to replace an A-6E during this important war deployment. (Info in GO!NAVY' website is gathered purely on a voluntary basis and may be fragmentary. It is extremely fortunate when there are records of actual aircraft and their serial numbers available. For which recognition and appreciation of Takafumi Hiroe, citizen of Japan and naval air historian for all ‘GO!NAVY’ references is well deserved) A-6E 157013 was retired to the then AMARC via Davis Monthan AFB near Tucson Arizona on 3rd March 1994 and stored with PCN/Inventory No. AN5A0092 & Location code 040204. This was AMARC West. Area 4, Row 2, Position 4. March 2005 picture of A-6E 157013 in the desert air: www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1016374/ A-6E 157013 previously with VA-128, Modex 556 Short code 5A0092 Dated March 15, 2005 VA-128 ‘Golden Intruders' was the US Pacific coast based Fleet Requirements Squadron. So the final operational period of A-6E 157013 was with the training and conversion unit for A-6 aviators and maintenance personnel at NAS Whidbey Island, Washington State. May 2008 picture of A-6E 157013: www.airfighters.com/photo/26204/M/USA-Navy/Grumman-A-6E-I... www.airliners.net/photo/USA---Navy/Grumman-A-6E-Intruder/... A-6E 157013 (cn I-482) previously with VA-128, Modex 556 NAS Whidbey Island, WA Retired to AMARC 3 March 1994 stored with the PCN/Inventory No. AN5A0092. Short code 5A0092. Dated May 4, 2008 September 2008 picture of A-6E 157013: www.airliners.net/photo/USA---Navy/Grumman-A-6E-Intruder/... A-6E 157013 (cn I-482) previously with VA-128, Modex 556 NAS Whidbey Island, WA Retired to AMARC 3 March 1994 & stored with the PCN/Inventory No. AN5A0092. Short code 5A0092. Dated September 29, 2008 By going to this website "AMARC III": www.amarc.info/ Mouse clicking on 'Inventory by type', scroll down to box 'A-6 Intruder', mouse click on it and the most up to date inventory list may be viewed. Inventories dated 15 December 2010, 14 January 2011 & 29 March 2011 recorded 163. A-6 still in storage at what is now AMARG. A list dated 14 Sept 2010 recorded 174 Intruder. Because of recent precautionary restrictions on information only the minimum details of aircraft at AMARG are allowed to be published. All aircraft in all "AMARC III" lists are in arrival date order only. As A-6E 157013 arrival date was March 3, 1994 and is still included on that list so by end of March year 2011 still existed in a desert military compound near Tucson Arizona. Maintain a check on this website as it is regularly updated………. the numbers decrease continually as airframes are disposed of for salvage and scrapping. My extreme thanks to Martyn Swann for "AMARC III"

Pictured on an airfield ramp with wings folded under high angle direct sunlight. Weapons systems test plane NA-6A Intruder 149936 ‘CHINA LAKE’ on tail of the Naval Air Warfare Center, Naval Air Station China Lake, California. Radome unpainted or painted white with airframe in gull gray and white. Record of all aircraft used at China Lake test center, California: www.chinalakealumni.org/Aircraft.htm (use slider to scroll down to 'Intruder' to identify and view record) Within China Lake entry for A-6A 149936 are four lines of notes in comments section revealing some of its operational history; VA-42 - NAS Oceana, VA 01 Nov 1967 - R&T - NAF China Lake, CA 01 Aug 1977 - NWC - NAF China Lake, CA 26 Oct 1978 - NARF - NAS Norfolk, VA That A-6A 149936 may have joined VA-42 'Green Pawns' as a training plane with this US East coast based Replacement Air Group. Also A-6A 149936 was noted at China Lake as a Research & Test plane on November 1 1967. It was still by August 1 1977, ten years later, at China Lake. By October 26 1978 A-6A 149936 was at Naval Air Rework/Refit Facility, NAS Norfolk, Virginia for modification, possibly into a KA-6D. Bu No 149936 was the 22nd A-6A Intruder built and 14th A-6A series production aircraft built. There are pictures of A-6A 149936 at NAS China Lake Test Center California spanning at least seven years from 1968 to 1976: 1968; www.chinalakealumni.org/1968.htm Using slider on right scroll down two thirds of page to view three pictures of forward fuselage. 1969; www.chinalakealumni.org/1969.htm Picture of A-6A 149936 at top of webpage: www.chinalakealumni.org/IMAGES/1969/149936%20A-6A%2006JAN... A-6A Intruder BuNo 149936, TAG pod, China Lake, 6 January 1969.Official U.S Navy photo. 1970; www.chinalakealumni.org/1970.htm Using slider on right scroll to near bottom of page to view two pictures of A-6A 149936: www.chinalakealumni.org/IMAGES/1970/149936%20A-6A%2017NOV... A-6A Intruder BuNo149936, AGILE missiles, China Lake, 17 November 1970. Official U.S. Navy photo 1971; www.chinalakealumni.org/1971.htm Using slider on right scroll down just over half of page to view three pictures of A-6A 149936. A-6A Intruder BuNo 149936, Cold Cloud SUU-53/A dispenser , China Lake, 03 August 1971. Official U.S. Navy photo G. Verver collection. www.chinalakealumni.org/IMAGES/1971/149936%20A-6A%2003AUG... 1972; www.chinalakealumni.org/1972.htm Using slider on right scroll down just over half of page to view a picture of A-6A 149936. A-6A Intruder BuNo 149936, AGILE missiles, China Lake, 09 June 1972 . Official U.S. Navy photo. www.chinalakealumni.org/IMAGES/1972/149936%20A-6A%2009JUN... 1973; www.chinalakealumni.org/1973.htm Using slider on right scroll down three quarters of page to view three B/W pictures of A-6A 149936. A-6A Intruder BuNo 149936, loading a AGM-53 Condor. China Lake. 02 Oct.1973 ... A-6A Intruder BuNo 149936, AGM-53A Condor, China Lake. 02 Oct.1973... A-6A Intruder BuNo 149936, weather mod. jet seeder pod close-up, China Lake, 04 October 1973. Official U.S. Navy photo 1976: www.chinalakealumni.org/1976/1976mo.htm Using slider on right scroll down half way of page to view picture with A-6A 149936 included in background. ‘NA-4E Skyhawk BuNo 148613, FAE ordnance, A-6A BuNo 149936 in the background, 21 April 1976.Official U.S. Navy photo.’ Some time between 1978 &1980 A-6A Bu No 149936 was stripped back, brought up to standard and converted to a KA-6D aerial refueler with permanently installed fuselage hose and drogue unit. 1981 record for KA-6D 149936: www.gonavy.jp/CVW11-NH1981.html KA-6D 149936 of VA-95 'Green Lizards' as Modex 514. with Carrier Air Wing Eleven (CVW-11code NH) aboard CV-66 USS AMERICA April 14 to November 12, 1981 (Mediterranean Sea & Indian Ocean patrol) 1983 deployment record for KA-6D 149936: www.gonavy.jp/CVW15-NL1983.html CVW-15 (code NL) embarked on CVN-70 USS CARL VINSON from March 1 to October 29, 1983 (Norfolk Virginia to Alameda California, a World Cruise) had KA-6D 149936 as part of VA-52 'Knightriders' Modex code 515 until it was replaced by another KA-6D possibly sometime during the deployment. 1984 record including KA-6D 149936: www.gonavy.jp/CVW11-NH1984.html CVW-11 code NH CVN-65 USS ENTERPRISE May 30 to December 20, 1984 (WestPac, Indian Ocean) KA-6D 149936. VA-95 'Green Lizards' Modex 514. 1988 picture of KA-6D 149936: www.airliners.net/photo/USA---Navy/Grumman-KA-6D-Intruder... KA-6D 149936. VA-155 'Silver Foxes', tanker Modex 514, tail code AA of CVW-17. High viz markings. Seen at NAS Whidbey Island, Washington State. Date August 1988. KA-6D 149936 was retired to the then AMARC on 24 September 1990. Given AMARC Inventory code AN5A0053 (short code 5A053). Location code 011019. This was AMARC West, Area 1, Row 10, Position 19. Formerly of VA-155, NAS Whidbey Island, WA. 1994 picture of KA-6D 149936 in desert storage: www.airliners.net/photo/USA---Navy/Grumman-KA-6D-Intruder... www.airliners.net/photo/0704995/ KA-6D 149936 (cn I-17) had been in store at AMARC for four years when photographed but appeared to have minimum of protection from the elements.(short AMARC code 5A053) Carrying no unit markings and last recorded with VA-155 as "NE-417". Picture dated October 9, 1994. AMARC Freedom of Information listing for 2nd December 1998 includes KA-6D 149936: f4phantom.co.uk/tucson/amarc.txt AMARC Inventories for Area 4 dated 18 Feb 2000 or 20 May 2001 do not include KA-6D 149936: www.mwindridge.clara.net/Database/18Feb00/area_04.htm home.clara.net/mwindridge/Database/20May01/area_041.htm Thus by year 2000 KA-6D 149936 had been disposed of for salvage of parts and scrap.