ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MODERN U.S. MILITARY WEAPONS
ATTACK
Avenger (A-12)
The Avenger was to be a night/all-weather, high-performance strike aircraft. After several years of controversial secret development and several months of accelerating cost projections and schedule stretch-outs, the program was canceled in January 1991. The proposed A-l 2, also known as the Advanced Tactical Aircraft (ATA), was to provide an eventual replacement for the Navy and Marine Corps A-6 Intruder/EA-6B Prowler series.
The artist’s conception showed a relatively high-aspect-ratio delta wing with approximately 2′/2 times the area of the A-6′s wing. The leading-edge sweep was about 47°; the trailing edge was straight and continuous from tip to tip. The A-12′s shape led to nicknames such as Manta Ray and Dorito (after the tortilla chip).
Roll control involved two sections of elevens on the trailing edge near the wingtip and spoilers ahead of the elevens; used differentially, the elevens provided yaw control. A control surface was centered on the trailing edge to control pitch. When the wings would be folded, the A-12′s span was reduced to 34 ft (10.36 m). Movable surfaces on the outer half of the leading edge increased lift for takeoff and landing.
The two General Electric engines were derived from the F/A-18 Hornet’s F404s; the fan diameter was increased for greater airflow. The delta wing planform combined with a deep center section provides a large internal volume for fuel while keeping the wing’s thickness/ chord ratio relatively low.
The ATA design featured “stealth”
technology so that it would be difficult to detect on radar. The ATA’s avionics were to be controlled by an IBM computer using Very High Speed Integrated Circuits (VHSIC) technology and Central Processing Units (CPU) with 1.4 million words of memory and capable of 3 million instructions per second.
Westinghouse, with Texas Instruments, was to develop the AN/APQ-183 electronically scanned, phased-array mul-timode radar. Harris Corp. developed the multifunction antennas, to have been located in the wing’s leading edges. Magna-vox was supplying the A-RPX-5 Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver while Westinghouse was developing the A-12′s combined-functions Forward-Looking Infrared (FLIR) system.
Tandem seats for the pilot and weapons officer were enclosed by a bubble canopy. The instrumentation included Kaiser’s Kroma liquid-crystal Multifunction Displays (MFD) and Bendix Tactical Situation Displays (TSD). The front-seat Head-Up Display (HUD) had a 30° X 23° field of view. An
8-in X 8-in (203-mm X 203-mm) TSD was flanked by two 6-in X 6-in (152-mm X 152-mm) MFD. In the rear cockpit were a
TSD and three MFDs.
Defensive avionics were to be Litton’s electronic surveillance measures system and General Electric’s missile-warning system.
The maximum payload was 40% higher than that of the A-6, or 25,200 Ib (11,431 kg) vs. 18,000 Ib (8,165 kg), and its range would be 80% greater.
DEVELOPMENT •
The Avenger was canceled on January 7, 1991. Its planned initial operational capability was scheduled for 1992 but was slipped to at least 1996 or 1997. First flight had been expected to occur in summer 1990 but was delayed several times.
The program cost was estimated to be $42 billion for 450 Navy and $31-$36 billion for 300-350 Air Force aircraft. Total Navy buy was to be 858 aircraft (to outfit both Navy and Marine Corps attack squadrons) and another 400 for the Air Force. These plans too were revised during the plane’s planning.
SPECIFICATIONS •
MANUFACTURER McDonnell Douglas and General Dynamics
CREW 2 (pilot, navigator/weapons systems operator)
ENGINES 2 General Electric F412-GE-D5F2 turbofan
max power more than 16,000 Ib (7,257 kg) each
WEIGHT
max takeoff approx 70,000 Ib (31,751 kg)
DIMENSIONS (EST.)
wingspan 70 ft (21.34 m) length 37 ft (11.28m)
wing area 1,300 ft* (120.8 m*)
PERFORMANCE
max speed approx. Mach 1 RADAR Westinghouse AN/APQ483 radar
Dragonfly (A-37)
The Dragonfly is adapted from the T-37 “Tweet” trainer, intended for use in counterinsurgency operations. The wing is mounted low on the fuselage, having a straight leading edge and slightly tapered trailing edge. Streamlined fuel tanks are permanently fixed to the wing-tips. The fin and full-height rudder are nearly upright; the fin has a dorsal fillet. The double-taper tailplanes are fitted approximately one-third of the way up the fin.
The two General Electric J85-17 turbo-jets are in thickened wing roots. The oval intakes are considerably larger than those of the T-37; the nozzles exhaust through the wing root at the trailing edge: A refueling probe is fitted to the nose of many A-37s, located on the cen-terline, and extends forward. The short, wide-stance main gear retracts inward into the wing root, while the nose gear retracts forward into the nose.
The bulbous forward section of the fuselage contains an oversize side-by-side cockpit with a single-piece clamshell canopy bubble hinged at the rear. The fuselage then tapers gently toward the tail.
The Dragonfly’s 7.62-mm, 6-barrel minigun is mounted in the lower left nose, and four store pylons under each wing carry a variety of conventional and cluster bombs, rocket pods, gun pods, and drop tanks.
The A-37 is characterized by its simple operating characteristics, its efficient ordnance-carrying capability, and its relatively high operational ceiling. The forgiving flying qualities stem from its trainer origins.
DEVELOPMENT •
The A-37′s initial operational capability was in 1967; its first flight was on October 22,1963. A total of 577 were produced from 1967 to 1978. In addition to its US Air Force service, the A-37 is operated in nine Latin American countries, South Korea, Thailand, and probably Vietnam.
VARIANTS •
YA-37A (prototype),
A-37A, A-37B, OA-37, T-37 Tweet.
COMBAT EXPERIENCE •
In December 1989, 21 OA-37s from the Air Force’s 24th Composite Wing flew 255 sorties over three days during the US military operation to remove Panamanian leader
General Noriega.
The aircraft were not used for ground attack, but rather for radio relay, medical evacuation coordination, and flare dispensing.
SPECIFICATIONS •
MANUFACTURER Cessna Aircraft
CREW 2
ENGINES 2 General Electric J85-GE-17A turbojet
maxpower 2,850 Ib (1,293 kg) static thrust each
fuel capacity
507 US gal (1,920 liters)
WEIGHTS
empty 6,211 Ib (2,817 kg)
max payload
5,680 Ib (2,576 kg)
max takeoff 14,000 Ib (6,350 kg)
DIMENSIONS
wingspan 35 ft 10M> in (10.93 m)
length 29 ft 3 in (8.92 m) height 8 ft lOVa in (2.7 m)
wing area 184 ft* (17.09 m2)
PERFORMANCE
max speed 440 kts (507 mph; 816 km/h)
max diving 455 kts (524 mph; 843
km/h)
max cruise 425 kts (489 mph; 787
km/h)
stall speed
max weight: 98 kts (113 mph; 182 km/h) normal weight: 75 kts (86 mph; 139 km/h)
climb rate
6,990 ft/min (2,130
m/min)
ceiling
both engines: 41,765 ft
(12,730 m) 1 engine: 25,000 ft (7,620 m)
radius
with 4,700-lb (2,132-kg) weapons load: 74 nm (85 mi; 137 km)
with 3,700-lb (1,678-kg)
weapons load: 217 nm (250 mi; 402 km)
with 1,300-lb (590-kg)
weapons load: 478 nm (550 mi; 885 km)
range
with 4,100-lb (1,860-kg)
weapons load: 399 nm (460 mi; 740 km) with 4 100-US gal (379-liter) drop tanks: 877
nm (1,000 mi; 1,625
km)
armament
1 GAU-2B/A 7.62-mm minigun with 1,500 rounds 8 wing pylons for up to
5,600 Ib (2,540 kg) of ordnance
Harrier (AV-8B)
The AV-8B Harrier is an advanced Vertical Short Takeoff and Landing (VSTOL) fighter/attack aircraft that is coproduced by McDonnell Douglas Aircraft and British Aerospace. It has the ability to take off vertically and hover. The AV-8B differs from previous Harriers by having a larger, more efficient wing shape, larger trailing-edge flaps and ventral air brake, strakes under the gun/ammunition pods, redesigned engine intakes and nozzles, strengthened landing gear, a ventral air dam, and a more powerful engine, providing twice the payload of the AV-8A.
The shoulder-mounted, low-aspect-ratio swept wings have supercritical airfoil sections and Leading-Edge Root Extensions (LERX) that increase instantaneous turn rate. In later aircraft, the LERX is enlarged for better handling and survivability. Single-slotted trailing-edge flaps are located inboard of the midwing landing-gear pods. Drooping ailerons are located outboard. The flaps are positioned automatically during flight to generate the best lift at a given angle of attack.
The tail unit features a swept, pointed fin and rudder with a ventral fin below the fuselage. The aircraft is also fitted with a Stability Augmentation and Attitude Hold System (SAAHS) and a short tailboom.
The Harrier’s single engine provides both lift and thrust. It has large, semicircular engine air intakes with two vertical rows of auxiliary air doors on each side of the fuselage. The engine power has been upgraded several times during production. In place of a conventional exhaust nozzle, the Harrier uses swiveling exhausts that can be repositioned for hovering flight and for better combat maneuvering. A water injection system increases thrust by 2,500 Ib (1,134 kg) for IVz minutes to aid in hot-weather takeoffs and landings.
Retractable bicycle landing gear retracts into the fuselage; a single-wheel unit is forward, a twin-wheel unit aft. Rearward-folding outrigger landing gear retracts into pods extending aft from the midspan of each wing. The aircraft’s net weight consists of 26% composite components. Compared to the original Harrier design, the cockpit has been raised 12 in (305 mm) and upgraded to include a Multipurpose Display (MPD) for attack and navigation as well as Hands on Throttle and Stick (HOTAS) technology.
The principal attack avionics system is the Hughes nose-mounted AN/ASB-
19(V)2 or (V) 3 Angle Rate Bombing Set
(ARBS), which uses a TV/laser target seeker and tracker. Navigation is aided by the Litton AN/ASN-130A Carrier Aircraft Inertial Navigation System (CAINS).
The ARBS feeds information to the Sperry AN/AYK-14(V) mission computer, the Lear-Siegler AN/AYQ-13 Stores Management Set (SMS), and Smiths Industries SU-128A dual combining, wide field-of-view Head-Up Display (HUD). Radar warning is provided by the Litton AN/ALR-67(V)2 radar-warning receiver; the Loral AN/ALE-39 chaff/ flare dispenser is fitted in the lower rear fuselage.
The aircraft carries an external 25-mm gun pack faired into the underfuselage, with a 1,000-lb (454-kg) capacity fuselage hardpoint for bombs or an AN/ALQ-164defensive ECM pod, four 2,000-lb (907-kg) capacity wing pylons, two 620-lb (281-kg) capacity outboard pylons available for bombs, rockets, air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, and fuel tanks. Outrigger pylons were added to USMC AV-8Bs beginning with aircraft number 167.
DEVELOPMENT •
The Harrier’s initial operational capability for US Marine Corps service was in January 1985; the YAV-8B’s first flight was on November 9,1978, AV-8B on November 5, 1981, and
EAV-8B in August 1987. Until the AV-8A/ C’s retirement, the AV-8B was known as the Harrier II.
The Marine Corps has been procuring 300 AV-8B and 28 TAV-8B aircraft. The first three aircraft of an order of 12 EAV-8B were delivered to the Spanish Navy in October 1987, with the last two delivered by the end of 1988. The production share for the US and Spanish aircraft is 60% for McDonnell Douglas and 40% for British Aerospace.
The Royal Air Force acquired GR Mk 5 aircraft, with the first delivered on July 1, 1987; production for the GR Mk 5 is shared equally between the two companies.
In October 1990, the United States, Italy, and Spain drafted a Memorandum of Understanding (MU) that guides development of the AV-8B Plus, a Harrier II variant fitted with a version of the AN/ APG-65 radar used in the F/A-18 Hornet. Some of the Marines’ AV-8Bs, including those ordered in FY1991, were upgraded to the Plus standard. The Spanish Navy plans to remanufacture its 11 EAV-8Bs and buy an additional seven.
In May 1990, following the MU negotiations, the Italian Parliament approved the purchase of 16 AV-8B Plus and two TAV-8B trainers; delivery of the Jill-million order for the TAV-8Bs was made in August 1991. The AV-8B replaced the
earlier British-built AV-8A/C Harrier and A-4M Skyhawk aircraft in US attack squadrons.
VARIANTS •
YAV-8B, GR Mk 5, TAV-8B (trainer), EAV-8B Matador II (Spain), AV-8D Night Attack Harrier, Harrier GR
Mk 7, Harrier T10 (trainer), and AV-8B
Plus.
COMBAT EXPERIENCE •
US Marine Corps AV-8Bs were deployed to Saudi Arabia in mid-August 1990 as part of Operation Desert Shield.
When Operation Desert Storm began, 86 AV-8Bs—60 operating from airstrips in Saudi Arabia and 26 flying from amphibious assault ships Tarawa (LHA 1) and Nassau (LHA 4) in the Persian Gulf—compiled 3,567 sorties against Iraqi targets in Kuwait and Iraq. Almost 3,000 tons of ordnance were delivered by the aircraft.
The Harriers used their ARBS to detect targets and dropped laser-guided bombs and launched laser-guided AGM-65 Mavericks. In one attack, four AV-8Bs were credited with the destruction of 25 Iraqi tanks. On almost every sortie, 25-mm cannon fire was directed against a variety of vehicles (armored and “soft”) and was said to have been very effective.
Five AV-8Bs were lost during the war, four in combat and one noncombat. Postwar Marine Corps analysis revealed that the midfuselage location of the engine nozzles made the Harriers much more vulnerable to an infrared missile hit than other aircraft.
Many believe that the AV-8B, particularly the Night Attack and AV-8B Plus
variants, represents the first truly effective VSTOL combat aircraft.
SPECIFICATIONS •
MANUFACTURER McDonnell Douglas and British Aerospace
CREW 1 (2 in TAV-8B)
ENGINES
1 Rolls-Royce F402-RR-406 Pegasus
11-21 turbofan or 1 Rolls-Royce F402-RR-408 Pegasus 11-61 turbofan
maxpower -406: 21,450 Ib (9,730 kg) static thrust -408: 23,400 Ib (10,614 kg) static thrust
internalfuel capacity
1,100 US gal (4,164 liters)
max internal and externalfuel capacity
approx 2,300 US gal (8,705 liters)
WEIGHTS
empty -406: 13,086 Ib (5,936 kg)
-408: 13,968 Ib (6,336 kg)
max weapons load
-406: 9,200 Ib (4,173 kg) -408: 13,235 Ib (6,003 kg)
design limitfor 7 g operation
22,950 Ib (10,410kg)
max takeoff -406, sea level, vertical
takeoff: ISA, 18,950 Ib (8,595kg);at90°F
(32°C), 17,950 Ib
(8,142 kg)
-408, tropical day: 20,595
Ib (9,342 kg) with 1,640-ft (500-m) takeoff roll: 31,000 Ib (14,061 kg)
DIMENSIONS
wingspan 30 ft 4 in (9.25 m)
length 46 ft 4 in (14.12 m)
height Ilft73/4in (3.55m)
wing area 230 ft2 (21.37 m2)
PERFORMANCE
max speed sea level: 580 kts (668 mph; 1,075 km/h;
Mach 0.88) at altitude: Mach 0.91
climb rate more than 13,000 ft/min
(3,962 m/min) ceiling 50,000 ft (12,240 m)
radius with 1,200-ft (366-m) roll, 7 500-Ib (227-kg) bombs, and 2 300-USgal (1,136-liter) drop tanks
-406: 471 nm (542 mi;
873 km) -408: 594 nm (684 mi; 1,100 km) ferry range with 300-US gal (1,136-liter) drop tanks
dropped
-406: 2,067 nm (2,380 mi; 3,850 km)
-408: l,965nm (2,263 mi;
3,639 km)
retained
-406: l,720nm (1,981 mi;
3,187 km) -408: l,638nm (1,886 mi;
3,034 km)
range 2,560 nm (2,946 mi;
4,741 km) max fuel armament 1 GAU-12/U multibarrel
25-mm cannon, 250
rounds and 16 500-lb (227-kg)
bombs or 10 Paveway laser-
guided bombs or 12 cluster bombs or 10 rocket pods or 6 AIM-9 Sidewinder
AAM or 2 Sidewinder + 4
AGM-65 Maverick ASM
Intruder (A-6)
The Intruder is the US Navy’s carrier-based all-weather, night-attack aircraft. It can deliver a variety of conventional and nuclear ordnance. The Intruder was developed on the basis of night-attack requirements generated during the Korean War in the early 1950s.
The A-6 configuration is relatively conventional. The wing is mounted at mid-fuselage height and has a modest 25° sweep at the quarter-chord. Nearly the entire leading edge is occupied by slats; virtually all of the trailing edge has single-slotted flaps. Spoilers that run parallel to the flaps provide roll control when operated differentially, lift dumping when operated collectively. The rear half of each wingtip can be opened into upper and lower halves, thus acting as air brakes.
Almost 180 A-6Es are receiving composite wings to extend their service lives.
The fin leading edge has a slight sweep aft; the trailing edge, with its inset rudder, sweeps slightly forward. The all-moving tailplanes are slightly swept and are mounted on the fuselage ahead of the rudder hinge line.
The two J52 turbojet engines are contained in pods under the wing flanking the fuselage; the airflow is a straight line from intake to exhaust. Each intake, headed by a boundary-layer splitter plate, is mounted in a cheek position below the cockpit; the exhausts appear beyond the wing trailing edge on either side of the fuselage. Both wings house integral fuel tanks, and additional tankage is in the fuselage behind the cockpit and near the center of gravity. Intruders are fitted with an in-flight refueling probe mounted immediately ahead of the cockpit.
The fuselage, with its large nose ra-dome, bulged side-by-side cockpit, and tapered after section, resembles to some a tadpole. The side-by-side cockpit imposes some drag penalty.
The remainder of the fuselage tapers aft and is filled with avionics equipment and fuel. The retractable main gear units fold forward and inward into the intake pod; the nose gear retracts to the rear. The arrester hook for carrier landings swings down from a fuselage point midway between the wing trailing edge and the tail. Dual hydraulic systems power the control surfaces, flaps, speed brakes, and wheel brakes. The design load factor is -1-6.5 g.
The A-6 was one of the first attack aircraft with an integrated offensive avionics suite, known as DIANE (Digital Integrated Attack and Navigational Equipment) . The later Navy and Marine Corps A-6Es had a major revision in its avionics package when the two-radar system was replaced by the Norden AN/APQ448
multimode radar, which offers terrain avoidance as well as target acquisition and tracking; an improved version is designated APQ-156. The Litton ballistic computer was replaced by the IBM
AN/ASQ433 (later improved as the ASQ-155) digital, solid-state ballistic computer, which oversees some 60 displays and sensors.
The primary cockpit display is the Kaiser AVA-1 Vertical Display Indicator (VDI), which accepts information from the radar and navigational avionics, including the Litton AN/ASN-92 Carrier
Aircraft Inertial Navigation System (CAINS). Defensive avionics include the Lockheed Sanders AN/ALQ-126B, AN/ ALE-39 chaff dispenser, and Litton AN/ ALR-67 Threat-Warning System.
The A-6E also has the Hughes AN/ AAS-33 Target-Recognition Attack Mul-
tisensor (TRAM), which integrates a Forward-Looking Infrared (FLIR), a combination laser designator/rangefinder, and a laser designation receiver. North-rop’s Infrared Video Automatic Tracking (IRVAT) automates the tracking portion of TRAM. The TRAM sensor is fitted in a small, spherical turret under the nose; the BN uses a separate viewing scope for the TRAM.
Some A-6s have been retrofitted with blue-green cockpit lighting that is compatible with Cats Eye Night Vision Goggles (NVG). These aircraft are able to reduce their minimum altitude during night flying (in good weather) from 500800 ft (152-244 m) to 200 ft (61 m) and can maneuver more sharply because of the pilot’s improved field of view.
Weapons and external fuel tanks are carried on the four wing pylons and an un-derfuselage attachment point; each weapons station has a capacity of 3,600 Ib (1,633 kg) for a maximum payload of up to 18,000 Ib (8,182 kg). The Intruder’s bomb load makes it the most capable “bomber” in US naval service. AHarpoon antiship missile capability has been fitted to all aircraft, and the aircraft can carry Sidewinder air-to-air missiles for self-defense as well as Brunswick Tactical Air-Launched Decoys (TALD). The aircraft is “wired” for carrying nuclear bombs.
A KA-6D tanker variant—-converted from earlier attack models—has avionics deleted to provide space for the reel and drogue; up to five 400-US gal (1,514-liter) drop tanks can be carried.
DEVELOPMENT •
The A-6′s initial operational capability was in 1963; its first flight was on April 9, 1960, and the KA-6D tanker prototype was on May 23, 1966. Over 700 A-6s have been built, with 240 converted to the A-6E configuration. Intruders suffered a series of wing fatigue problems, with hairline fractures occurring after approximately 2,200 flight hours. Over 180 A-6 aircraft were grounded for wing inspections in early 1987 after a series of crashes.
VARIANTS • A-6A, EA-6A Intruder
(EW), A-6B, EA-6B Prowler (EW), A-6C, KA-6D, A-6E, A-6E Block 1 (A-6E
Systems/Weapons Integration Program
SWIP), A-6E Composite Rewing Program, A-6F, A-6G.
COMBAT EXPERIENCE •
Intruders were used extensively in the Vietnam War. A total of 68 Navy and Marine Corps A-6 aircraft were lost in combat from 1965 to 1973.
In December 1983, Intruders from the USS Independence (CV 62) andJohnF. Kennedy (CV 67) participated in air strikes against Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley; one Intruder and an A-7E Corsair were shot down by Syrian missile batteries.
In March 1986, an A-6 aircraft from the USS Coral Sea (CV 43) fired an AGM-84 Harpoon missile at a Libyan Nanuchka-class corvette, sinking it. In April 1986, Intruders from the Coral Sea and the USS America (CV 66) attacked five targets in northern Libya in retaliation for alleged Libyan involvement in a terrorist bombing in West Berlin.
In April 1988, A-6s from the USS Enterprise (CVN 65) attacked Iranian Boghammer patrol boats, sinking one and chasing away four others. Later that day, A-6s helped sink the Iranian frigate Sahand and damaged the Sabalan (Sahand’ssister ship).
On January 17, 199.1, 90 A-6Es from six aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea, along with 20 US Marine Corps Intruders, attacked Iraqi targets at the initiation of Operation Desert Storm. For the entire conflict, the Navy’s A-6E contingent flew 4,071 sorties and Marine Corps aircraft amassed 854. Four Navy A-6Es were lost in combat and one was a noncombat loss.
Two US Navy Intruders on separate missions from the USS Abraham Lincoln
(CVN 72) fired single HARM missiles at Iraqi surface-to-air missile sites after being illuminated by the radar. The aircraft were monitoring the no-fly zone over southern Iraq in July 1993.
SPECIFICATIONS •
MANUFACTURER Grumman Aerospace CREW 2 (pilot, bombardier/navigator) ENGINES 2 Pratt & Whitney J52-P-8B turbojet
max power 9,300 Ib (4,218 kg) static
thrust each internalfuel capacity
2,344 US gal (8,873 liters)
WEIGHTS
empty 26,600 Ib (12,065 kg) max weapons load
18,000 Ib (8,165 kg) max takeoff catapult: 58,600 Ib
(26,580 kg) land-based: 60,400 Ib
(27,397 kg)
DIMENSIONS
wingspan 53 ft (16.15 m)
length 54 ft 9 in (16.69 m) height 16 ft 2 in (4.93 m)
wing area 529 ft2 (49.1 m2)
PERFORMANCE
max speed (sea level)
560 kts (644 mph; 1,036 km/h)
cruise speed
412 kts (474 mph; 763
km/h)
stall speed flaps up: 148 kts (164 mph; 264 km/h)
flaps down: 98 kts (113
mph; 182 km/h) climb rate clean: 7,620 ft/min
(2,323 m/min) 1 engine: 2,120 ft/min
(646 m/min) ceiling clean: 42,400 ft (12,924
m)
1 engine: 21,000 ft (6,400 m)
range combat: 880 nm (1,012
mi; 1,629 km) with tanks: 2,375 nm
(2,733 mi; 4,399 km)
without tanks: 2,818 nm (3,245 mi; 5,222 km) g limits +6.5 armament 43,600-lb (1,933-kg)
capacity wing pylons and 1 fuselage hardpoint for external fuel and weapons 30 Mk 82 500-lb bombs 0rlOMk831,000-lb
bombs or 3 Mk 84 2,000-lb bombs or3B43/B57/B61H
nuclear bombs or up to 4 missiles:
AGM-84A Harpoon
AGM-88 HARM AGM-65 Maverick AGM-123A Skipper II
AIM-9 Sidewinder radar AN/APQ-156 multimode
Skyhawk (A-4)
The Skyhawk is a small attack aircraft, originally developed for daylight-only nuclear strike missions from US aircraft carriers. It has subsequently been modified to serve as a highly versatile, light attack aircraft for conventional strike and close air support missions.
The A-4 has a nonfolding, low-aspect-ratio delta wing mounted low on the fuselage. The wing’s quarter-chord sweep is 33.2° and the wing dihedral angle is 2.67°. The wing’s three spars run from tip to tip; virtually all of the wing is an integral fuel tank. The leading edge has automatic slats and wing fences. The trailing edge has split flaps inboard of horn-balanced ailerons; ahead of the flaps are lift-dumping spoilers.
The A-4 has a “cropped delta” fin and ribbed rudder; the ribbing reduces flutter, although not by design.
The engine air intakes are located on the fuselage above the wing and behind the cockpit. Rectangular air brakes are fitted on either side of the fuselage behind the wings. The aircraft’s long-stroke landing gear retracts forward into the wings and nose. The pilot sits well forward and has excellent visibility. The cockpit is enclosed by a single-piece, rear-hinged canopy.
The 20-mm or 30-mm cannon are located in the wing roots, and five attachment points are provided for weapons and external fuel tanks. The outboard wing pylons are rated at 570 Ib (258 kg) each, the inboard wing pylons at 1,750 Ib (794 kg) without roll restrictions and 2,240 Ib (1,016 kg) with restrictions, and the centerline fuselage hardpoint at
3,575 Ib (1,622 kg). These hardpoints carry antiradar and land-attack missiles as well as conventional bombs, rocket pods, and mines. Avionics include a Head-Up Display (HUD), Angle Rate Bombing Set (ARBS), a loft bomb computer system, and a tailfin-mounted ECM system.
DEVELOPMENT •
The A-4′s initial operational capability was in 1956; its first flight (the XA4D-1) was onJune 22,1954.
The Skyhawk’s production from 1956 to 1979 totaled 2,960, of which 555 were two-seat variants. Although the aircraft is no longer in service with active US Navy or Marine Corps units (last active USMC aircraft retired on July 6, 1990), New Zealand and Singapore are updating many of their A-4s, enabling them to serve to the end of the century.
When Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990, five single-seat A-4KUs and all six trainers were captured, but Kuwait’s other 25 attack aircraft escaped to Saudi Arabia.
The aircraft has been replaced by the A-7 Corsair. It was replaced in the US Blue Angels flight demonstration team in 1987 by the F/A-18 Hornet. It is replaced in US Marine Corps service by the AV-8B Harrier. Both the Navy and Marine Corps fly large numbers of A-4s for training, target tow, and other special missions.
The A-4 is operated by seven foreign air forces. The Skyhawk has enjoyed a reputation for durability and possesses good handling characteristics. Recent Argentina, New Zealand, and Singapore update programs reflect the airplane’s versatility.
VARIANTS • XA4D-1, A-4A, A-4B, TA-4B, A-4C, A4D-3, A-4E, A-4F, TA-4F, EA-4F (EW), A-4G/TA-4G, A-4H/TA-4H, TA-4J, A-4K/KAHU, A-4KU/TA-4KU, A-4L, A-4M Skyhawk II, A-4N, A-4P, A-4Q,
A-4PTM/TA-4PTM (“Peculiar to Malaysia”), A-4S, A-4S-1 Super Skyhawk.
COMBAT EXPERIENCE •
Skyhawks were used extensively by the US Navy and Marine Corps in the Vietnam War and by Israel in the Middle East wars. During the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Israel lost 53 of its Skyhawks. Argentina flew the A-4 in the 1982 Falklands War against Britain.
Skyhawks were often used for simulating Soviet threat aircraft in US military pilot training during the cold war.
During the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990, Kuwaiti Skyhawks bombed and strafed Iraqi forces until resistance ended on August 4. A total of 21 helicopters and four Iraqi patrol boats were
destroyed. 25 A-4KUs from the 9th and 25th Squadrons flew to Saudi Arabia to regroup.
When Operation Desert Storm began on January 17, 1991, the Kuwaiti A-4s flew against targets in Kuwait. The squadron commander was shot down by ground fire in an early raid; no other A-4KUs were lost. Limited by the lack of radar or radar-warning systems, the relatively “low-tech,” day-attack A-4s relied on E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) for defense against Iraqi fighters. Kuwaiti A-4 sorties continued until the cease-fire on February 28,
1991.
SPECIFICATIONS • MANUFACTURER McDonnell Douglas
CREW 1 (2 in TA-4 and OA-4 variants) ENGINES 1 Pratt & WhitneyJ52-P-408 turbojet
max power 11,200 Ib (5,080 kg) static thrust
internalfuel capacity
800 US gal (3,208 liters)
WEIGHTS
empty 10,456 Ib (4,743 kg)
max external load
9,195 Ib (4,139 kg) max takeoff 25,500 Ib (13,113 kg)
DIMENSIONS
wingspan 27 ft 6 in (8.38 m) length 40 ft 4V4 in (12.3 m)
TA-4/OA-4: 42 ft 7V4 in
(12.98 m)
height 14 ft 11 in (4.55m)
TA-4/OA-4: 15 ft 3 in (4.66 m) wing area 260 ft2 (24.16 m2) PERFORMANCE
max speed (sea level)
clean: 582 kts (670 mph;
1,078 km/h)
with 4,000 Ib (1,814 kg) of weapons: 560 kts (645
mph; 1,038 km/h)
climb rate 8,440 ft/min (2,573 m/min)
ceiling 42,250 ft (12,878 m)
radius with 4,000Ib (1,814 kg) of weapons and externalfuel
335 nm (386 mi; 620 km) range with 4,000-lb (1,814-kg) of weapons and externalfuel
799 nm (920 mi; 1,480 km)
ferry range 2,055 nm (2,366 mi;
3,808 km)
armament 2 20-mm Mk 12 cannon
with 200 rounds each or 2 30-mm DEFA cannon
with 150 rounds each and 14 500-lb (227-kg)
bombs or31,000-lb (454-kg)
bombs
or 1 2,000-lb (907-kg)
bomb or1 4,500-lb (2,041-kg)
bomb or4AGM-45Shrike
missiles or 3 AGM-62 Walleye
missiles or4AGM-65Maverick
missiles or IMk 43/57 nuclear
store
Spectre (AC-130)
The Spectre gunship is derived from the C-130 Hercules, the most widely used military transport in the modern military era. AC-130s were first used in Vietnam and more recently to support Special Operations Forces (SOF) missions. (For a description of the basic C-130, see Cargo Aircraft.)
The weapons in the AC-130H consist of a 105-mm howitzer, two 20-mm Vulcan Catling cannon, and a Bofors 40-mm/70-cal cannon, all mounted athwartships and firing to port. The howitzer is carried in a hydraulic mount just ahead of the rear cargo ramp. It has a shortened barrel and a 49-in (1.24-m) recoil and is fired by a three-man crew (gunner at the control
AC-130 Spectre
U.S. GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
panel, loader, and unloader). The howitzer’s pointing angle is 20° in azimuth fore and aft and 40° elevation. 76 ready rounds are carried near the gun with another 24 stowed farther forward.
The Bofors cannon is ahead of the 105mm howitzer in a hydraulic, trainable mount served by two crew members. It has a rate of fire of 100 rounds per minute and 69 4-round clips. The two Vulcan Catling cannon are mounted in parallel between the forward door and the landing-gear sponson. Each fires at a rate of 2,500 rounds/mm and has a magazine of 3,000 rounds.
Avionics are comprehensive and include several sensors. A General Electric AN/ASQ-145 Low-Light-Level Television (LLLTV) and an AN/AVQ-19 laser designator are mounted in a stabilized turret located in the forward door. Ahead of the door is a large radome for the AN/ASD-5 Black Crow ignition tracking system. The AN/AAD-7 Forward-Looking Infrared (FLIR) ball is mounted on the nose of the port-landing-gear sponson. The AN/ APQ-150 beacon tracking radar is fitted in between the 40-mm cannon and the 105-mm howitzer. The AN/AVQ-17 IR/ whitelight searchlight is mounted on the port rear fuselage.
The three sensor operators are housed in a single position in the cargo hold between the two sets of gun positions. Because the location of armament and the pilot’s Head-Up Display (HUD) are both on the port side, all firings are in a port orbit.
A Litton AN/ALR-69 radar-warning receiver is fitted in the fuselage. Four chaff/flare launcher systems are fitted to each side of the aircraft, and two more are in the tail; a total of 300 cartridges are carried. Westinghouse AN/ ALQ-119 noise/deception jamming and SUU-42 IR countermeasures pods can be carried on the Triple Ejection Racks (TER) that are fitted to the external fuel tanks.
DEVELOPMENT •
Although the basic C-130 is flown throughout the world, the AC-130 is flown only by the US Air Force. The AC-130′s initial operational capability was in 1967. Two AC-130 variants, the -A and -H, serve with Special Operations Squadrons, the former in an Air Force reserve unit and the latter in an active unit. The AC-130As are in service with a US Air Force Reserve Special Operations Squadron, while AC-130Hs are in active service with the 16th Special Operations Squadron.
The latest variant, the AC-130U program, suffered from delays and cost increases. Problems in design of the software and the Electronic Warfare (EW) suite and compressed development and production schedules were singled out as causes. It is air refuelable and includes a side-firing weapons system. The AC-130U variant’s mission is to provide precision fire support for Special
Operations Forces, as well as conventional forces, plus performing escort, surveillance, search and rescue, and armed reconnaissance/interdiction missions.
VARIANTS •
C-130 Hercules, AC-130, AC-130A, AC-130E, AC-130H, AC-130U.
COMBAT EXPERIENCE •
In December 1989, seven AC-130 aircraft flew 74 sorties against Panamanian forces as part of the American military operation to oust General Noriega. Gunfire from an AC-130 destroyed or disabled nine vehicles from a Panamanian convoy appeared heading toward US forces at Tocumen/ Torrijos International Airport.
In late January 1991, an AC-130 was shot down off the Kuwaiti coast during Operation Desert Storm against Iraqi forces in Kuwait. All 14 men on board were listed as missing; the wreckage was found in shallow water in early March. AC-130s supported Special Operations Command missions that placed small teams in Iraq and Kuwait to gather intelligence and conduct operations.
Spectres were deployed to Somalia in mid-1993 and used against the forces of warlords, marking the first military engagement under the Clinton administration.
SPECIFICATIONS •
MANUFACTURER Lockheed-Georgia CREW 14 (2 pilots, navigator, flight engineer, radio operator, 3 sensor operators, and gun crews) ENGINES 4 Allison T56-A-15 turboprop max power 4,591 effective hp each internalfuel capacity
9,679 US gal (36,636
liters)
WEIGHTS
empty 76,469 Ib (34,686 kg)
maxpayload 42,673 Ib (19,356 kg) takeoff normal: 155,000 Ib (70,310 kg) max: 175,000 Ib (79,380 kg)
DIMENSIONS
wingspan 132 ft 7 in (40.41 m) length 97 ft 9 in (29.79 m)
height 38 ft 3 in (11.66m)
wing area 1,745 ft2 (162.12 m2) ramp opening
length: 9 ft 1 in (2.77 m) width: 10 ft (3.05 m)
PERFORMANCE
cruise speed
max: 325 kts (374 mph; 602 km/h)
econ: 300 kts (345 mph;
556 km/h)
stall speed 100 kts (115 mph; 185
km/h)
climb rate 1,900 ft/min (579
m/min) ceiling at 130,000 Ib (58,970 kg)
4 engines: 33,000 ft
(10,060 m) 3 engines: 26,500 ft
(8,075 m)
range max payload: 2,046 nm (2,356 mi; 3,791 km) max fuel with 15,611-lb (7,081-kg) payload:
4,250 nm (4,894 mi; 7,876 km) takeoff run: 3,580ft (1,091 m)
armament 1 X 105-mm howitzer (76 ready rounds, 24 stowed)
1 X 40-mm Bofors
cannon (276 rounds)
2 X 20-mm Vulcan Galling cannon (6,000 rounds)
radar APQ-150
Thunderbolt (A-10)
The Thunderbolt was designed specifically for Close Air Support (CAS) operations. It was especially designed and armed to engage tanks and other armored vehicles and to operate from austerely equipped forward bases, a mission
U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II
U.S. GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
it carried out effectively during Operation Desert Storm. (The World War II-era Soviet 11-2 Sturmovik ground-attack aircraft and the more recent Su-25 Frogfoot were designed for a similar mission.) The A-10 originally had only a visual targeting capability but subsequently was upgraded with a laser spot seeker.
The design and construction of the A-10 was governed by the desire to deliver a heavy weapons load, require little maintenance, and remain survivable in an intensely antiaircraft environment; speed and ceiling were deemphasized. The low wing is a thick-sectioned airfoil with little taper. The center section has no dihedral or taper; the outer panels, which are attached just outboard of the leading-edge landing-gear “knees,” have dihedral, some taper, and turned-down tips. High-lift devices include slats on the center-section leading edge and trailing-edge double-slotted flaps inboard of broad-chord ailerons.
The tail group has low-mounted, rectangular horizontal tailplanes, each with an upright endplate fin and rudder. The fin and rudder have converging taper. All movable tail surfaces are left/right interchangeable; the aircraft can fly with an entire vertical tail missing. Hydraulic control systems for the control surfaces are duplicated, with each system taking a different path through the airframe; there is also a mechanical backup system. The A-10 is also fitted with a General Electric two-axis, two-channel Stability Augmentation System (SAS).
The two TF34 turbofans are housed in large nacelles mounted on short stubs on the fuselage flanks ahead of the tail group. The engine position reduces vulnerability to small-arms fire while the Infrared (IR) signature is blanketed by the wing and tailplane. Engine-out control asymmetry is reduced because the engine thrust lines are relatively close to the centerline. Internal fuel tankage consists of tear-resistant, self-sealing, foam-filled cells.
The fuselage is relatively slender, with the cockpit placed well ahead of the wing leading edge. As part of the aircraft’s ballistic protection, the pilot sits in a 700-lb (318-kg) titanium tub designed to resist 23-mm antiaircraft artillery fire. Further passive protection is provided by Electronic Support Measures (ESM), such as the Litton AN/ALR-46/69 radar-warning receiver, and 16 Tracor AN/ALE-40(V)10 chaff cartridge dispensers mounted in groups of four in each wingtip and wheel well; Westinghouse AN/ALQ-119, AN/ALQ-131, or Raytheon AN/ALQ-184 active jammer pods can also be carried on wing pylons.
The main landing struts retract forward into “knees” located at the dihedral break of the wing leading edges. The wheels are partially exposed when retracted. The nose gear is offset to port to provide clearance for the 30-mm cannon barrel; it retracts forward under the cockpit.
The cockpit is enclosed by a single-piece canopy that is hinged at the rear. Avionics include a Kaiser Head-Up Display (HUD) with a MIL-STD-1553 multiplex digital databus system, a Litton LN-39 Inertial Navigation System (INS), and the Martin Marietta AN/AAS-35(V) Pave Penny day/night laser tracker. The Pave Penny is mounted on a small pylon attached to the port side of the fuselage below the cockpit.
For the A-10′s offensive ground-attack capability, a General Electric GAU-8/A Avenger 7-barrel 30-mm Gatling gun is mounted in the forward fuselage. The installation, including the 1,174-round ammunition drum, is 19 ft 10 in (6.05 m) long and weighs 4,029 Ib (1,829 kg). The cannon has a maximum rate of fire of 70 1.5-lb (0.68-kg) rounds per second.
Fuselage weapons stations include three side-by-side ventral hardpoints. Either the outer two, each with a 3,500-lb (1,588-kg) capacity, or the centerline 5,000-lb (2,268-kg) capacity hardpoint
can be used, but not all three simultaneously. The center-section wing pylons have a 3,500-lb (1,588-kg) capacity. Outboard of the landing gear on each wing are three pylons, the inner one capable of a 2,500-lb (1,134-kg) load, the middle one 1,200 Ib (544 kg), and the outer pylon 1,000 Ib (454 kg).
The maximum weapons load of 16,000 Ib (7,258 kg) can include AGM-65 Maverick TV- or IR-guided air-to-ground missiles, conventional and laser-guided bombs, rocket pods, gun pods, sub-munitions dispensers, AIM-9 Sidewinder Air-to-Air Missiles (AAM), and fuel tanks.
DEVELOPMENT •
The A-10′s official name was originally Thunderbolt II in honor of Republic’s P-47 fighter-bomber
of World War II; the “II” was later dropped. Pilots and ground crew more commonly refer to the A-10 as the Wart-hog or Hog; the latter nickname has been applied to most Republic Aviation aircraft since World War II. The Warthog’s initial operational capability was in 1977, and its first flight was on May 10, 1972. Production ended in 1984 after 707 aircraft, and six preproduction aircraft, were delivered. The A-10 has served for the Air National Guard in addition to the active US Air Force. Thailand announced plans to purchase 25 A-lOs in the early 1990s.
The FY1991 Defense Authorization bill required that A-lOs replace US Army OV-1 Mohawks and US Marine Corps OV-10 Broncos over a five-year period.
VARIANTS •
A-10A, A-10 NAW (Night/Adverse Weather), A-10 upgrades: Low Altitude Safety and Target Enhancement (LASTE) program, Close-Air Support/Batdefield Air Interdiction
(CAS/BAI) program, OA-10.
COMBAT EXPERIENCE •
The A-10 participated with distinction in Operation Desert Storm, attacking tactical and theater targets in Iraq and Kuwait. Before the ground war began on February 24, Warthogs attacked a variety of targets including Scud mobile ballistic missile launchers, radar sites, and surface-to-air missile positions. When preparation for the ground war began, most A-10 sorties were directed against Iraqi armored and unarmored vehicles. In all, A-lOs flew approximately 8,100 sorties.
Limitations imposed by the lack of a radar or FLIR were overcome by using the AGM-65D Maverick’s IR seeker to search for targets. The 30-mm cannon proved effective against a variety of targets, including two helicopters shot down over Kuwait. Accounts credited pairs of A-lOs with destroying 20 or more tanks in a single day. Altogether, Warthogs were credited with over 1,000 tanks, 2,000 military vehicles, and 1,200 artillery pieces destroyed.
Five A-10s were shot down during the seven-weekwar.
SPECIFICATIONS •
MANUFACTURER Fairchild-Republic
CREW 1
ENGINES 2 General Electric TF34-GE-
100 turbofan
maxpower 9,065 Ib (4,112 kg) static thrust each
WEIGHTS
empty 21,519 Ib (9,761 kg)
forward airstrip weight, armed and fueled
33,412 Ib (15,155 kg) max takeoff 50,000 Ib (22,680 kg)
DIMENSIONS
wingspan 57 ft 6 in (17.53 m) length 53 ft 4 in (16.26m)
height 14 ft 8 in (4.47m)
wing area 506 ft2 (47 m2) PERFORMANCE
max speed 367 kts (423 mph; 681
km/h)
cruise 300 kts (345 mph; 555
km/h)
climb rate 6,000 ft/ min (1,829 m/min)
radius with 9,000-lb (4,309-kg)
weapons load, 1.8-hr
loiter: 250 nm (288 mi;
463km) single-store deep strike penetration: 540 nm (622 mi; 1,000 km) FERRY RANGE 2,209 nm (2,542 mi; 4,091 km)
ARMAMENT
1 GAU-8/A 30-mm multibarrel gun in
fuselage w/1,174 rounds 18 Mk 82 500-lb (227-kg) or 6 Mk 84
2,000-lb (907-kg) bombs
or 6 AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missiles
or 18 Rockeye II cluster bombs or 6 500-lb (227-kg) or 4 2,000-lb (907kg) laser-guided bombs
