The Navy’s A-6 Intruder Attack Bomber Decimated the North Vietnamese Flying Below the Radar in Vietnam

By Maya Carlin, Warrior Contributor, Weapons

As the world’s first ever fully all-weather attack bomber, the A-6 “Intruder” has a revered history in American military aviation.

Although the airframe may not be as widely recognized as its maker’s 

F-14 Tomcat, the Northrop Grumman attack bomber played a critical role in the carrier air wing’s deep strike capabilities for many years.

How the A-6 Was Born

Following the Navy’s experience in the Korean War, the service saw the need for a more sophisticated long-range strike airframe that could fly at very low altitudes.

The A-6 answered this need and more. With five hard points, the Intruder could handle nine tons of payload- which made the airframe extremely handy in future conflicts. 

The A-6 was operated by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps for more than three decades and proved to be an instrumental asset in the Vietnam War. One mission the Intruder participated in during the war would become the quintessential narrative for the formidable attack bomber.

The A-6 Story

During the Vietnam War, the Hanoi Rail Ferry on the Red River represented one of the most crucial targets in North Vietnam. While the location had moved from the ‘prohibited’ list and was technically available to attack, it had avoided destruction up until an A-6 attack that would become legendary among aviation buffs.