The All-Weather Attack Bomber That Served In Vietnam’s Harshest Conditions – SlashGear

The Intruder’s two Pratt and Whitney turbojet engines integrated right into the fuselage of the aircraft gave it a bizarre appearance, compared to the sleek-looking F-105 Thunderchief jet. But the Intruder’s job wasn’t to act as a fighter jet, as it was often used as what’s called a “pathfinder.” Its all-weather prowess and advanced array of onboard optical sensors allowed it to scout out and find targets ahead of conventional strategic bombers or fighter jets. 

North Vietnamese soldiers often utilized the tactics of asymmetrical warfare and small guerilla tactics against the much larger and better-equipped NATO forces. This would often include night operations. The A-6C, a Vietnam War-specific variant of the Intruder, could “see” enemy movement in near pitch-black conditions in the dead of night. According to the National Air and Space Museum, A-6s were used to knock out powerplants and strategic targets with such effectiveness and show of force that enemy soldiers thought squadrons of the much larger B-52 Stratofortress were attacking, when it was, in fact, two Intruders.

But its fancy sensors and rain boots don’t mean that the A-6 couldn’t pack a punch. In an attack bomber role, the A-6 could carry up to 18,000 pounds of payload, including air-to-ground missiles, a weapon that comes in handy when taking out surface-to-air missile (SAM) installations or anti-aircraft batteries. The A-6 flew all through the Vietnam War, Desert Storm, and operations in Bosnia before retiring for good in 1997. It was replaced in combat by the F/A-18 Hornet.