grummanintruder

"TIAS" stands for the IBM APS-118 Target Identification Acquisition System which was fitted to Grumman A-6A Intruder aircraft modified to A-6B standard for the "Iron Hand" Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) role, seeking out and destroying enemy radar systems with the AGM-78 Standard Anti-Radiation Missile ("STARM"). See:

A-6A, BuNo 155719. Delivered to the US Navy 1969. Assigned VA-165, codex NG-504 1973-1974. Upgraded to A-6E. To VA-165, codex NG-503 1979-1980. To VA-176, codex AE-503 1983-1986. To VMA(AW)-533, codex AC-556 1986-1987. To VA-176, codex AE-503 1989-1990. To VMA(AW)-332, codex EA-512 1990. WFU NAS Norfolk, VA 1994.

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.