The AN/APG-76 radar is a pulse Doppler K u band multi-mode radar developed and manufactured by Northrop Grumman .
107-451: The first radar of the radar family AN/APG-76 belongs to is AN/APQ-92, which equipped A-6A . AN/APQ-92 is a search and navigational radar, with function called search radar terrain clearance (SRTC) to generate a synthetic terrain display on the pilot's Vertical Display Indicator (VDI), which is a large cathode ray tube (CRT) display in the center of the pilot's console, right under the gun sight. The display showed vertical terrain development in
214-465: A defense suppression aircraft to attack enemy anti-aircraft defense and SAM systems, a mission dubbed " Iron Hand " by the U.S. Navy, 19 A-6As were converted to A-6B version during 1967 to 1970. The A-6B had many of its standard attack systems removed in favor of specialized equipment to detect and track enemy radar sites and to guide AGM-45 Shrike and AGM-78 Standard anti-radiation missiles , with AN/APQ-103 radar replacing earlier AN/APQ-92 used in
321-443: A 100% effectiveness rate. The wing declared initial operational capability 18 December 1997 after receiving the second production aircraft. Operation Allied Force saw Joint STARS in action again from February to June 1999 accumulating more than 1,000 flight hours and a 94.5% mission-effectiveness rate in support of the U.S.-lead Kosovo War . The twelfth production aircraft, outfitted with an upgraded operations and control subsystem,
428-619: A 100% mission effectiveness rate. These Joint STARS developmental aircraft also participated in Operation Joint Endeavor , a NATO peacekeeping mission, in December 1995. While flying in friendly air space, the test-bed E-8A and pre-production E-8C aircraft monitored ground movements to confirm compliance with the Dayton Peace Accords agreements. Crews flew 95 consecutive operational sorties and more than 1,000 flight hours with
535-507: A 1957 requirement issued by the Bureau of Aeronautics for an all-weather attack aircraft for Navy long-range interdiction missions and with short takeoff and landing (STOL) capability for Marine close air support. It was to replace the piston-engined Douglas A-1 Skyraider . The requirement allowed one or two engines, either turbojet or turboprop. The winning proposal from Grumman used two Pratt & Whitney J52 turbojet engines. The Intruder
642-467: A 3.96–6.1 m (13.0–20.0 ft) radar array and capable of flying at 38,000 ft for eight hours. In August 2015, the Air Force issued contracts to Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman for a one-year pre-engineering and manufacturing development effort to mature and test competing designs ahead of a downselect in late 2017. During the fiscal 2019 budget rollout briefing it was announced that
749-460: A 53 degree by 26 degree window about the projected flight path. If the Intruder was heading for a valley between two hills, the pilot would see return generally in the shape of two hills (one on either side of the display), with a curving "V" notch in the center between them. The limitation of SRTC is in its inability to detect smaller artificial features - like cables suspend across a valley. AN/APQ-92
856-507: A 98% mission effectiveness rate. The 93d Air Control Wing , which activated 29 January 1996, accepted its first aircraft on 11 June 1996, and deployed in support of Operation Joint Endeavor in October. The provisional 93d Air Expeditionary Group monitored treaty compliance while NATO rotated troops through Bosnia and Herzegovina . The first production E-8C and a pre-production E-8C flew 36 operational sorties and more than 470 flight hours with
963-584: A US Navy A-6E performing the unusual target towing task to train Japanese Navy air defense crews was mistakenly engaged and shot down by the Japanese destroyer JS Yūgiri with its Phalanx CIWS gun. Both the pilot and BN ejected and were recovered. Despite the production of new airframes in the 164XXX Bureau Number (BuNo) series just before and after the Gulf War, augmented by a rewinging program of older airframes,
1070-601: A cheaper alternative in the A-6G , which had most of the A-6F's advanced electronics, but retained the existing engines. This, too, was canceled. An electronic warfare (EW)/ Electronic countermeasures (ECW) version of the Intruder was developed early in the aircraft's life for the USMC , which needed a new ECM platform to replace its elderly F3D-2Q Skyknights . An EW version of the Intruder, initially designated A2F-1H (rather than A2F-1Q, as "Q"
1177-539: A dive on a target near Laos. An explosion under the starboard wing damaged the starboard engine, causing the aircraft to catch fire and the hydraulics to fail. Seconds later the port engine failed, the controls froze, and the two crewmen ejected. Both crewmen survived. Of the 84 Intruders lost to all causes during the war, ten were shot down by surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), two were shot down by MiGs, 16 were lost to operational causes, and 56 were lost to conventional ground fire and AAA . The last Intruder to be lost during
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#17328447359851284-603: A few more years before being retired in favor of the LANTIRN -equipped F-14D Tomcat , which was in turn replaced by the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet in the U.S. Navy and the twin-seat F/A-18D Hornet in the U.S. Marine Corps. During the 2010s, the Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike program was at one point intended to produce an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) successor to
1391-406: A high degree of integration. To aid in identifying and isolating equipment malfunctions, the aircraft was provided with automatic diagnostic systems, some of the earliest computer-based analytic equipment developed for aircraft. These were known as Basic Automated Checkout Equipment, or BACE (pronounced "base"). There were two levels, known as "Line BACE" to identify specific malfunctioning systems in
1498-514: A joint venture with Seven Q Seven (SQS), was contracted to produce and deliver JT8D-219 engines for the E-8s. Their greater efficiency would have allowed the Joint STARS to spend more time on station, take off from a wider range of runways, climb faster, fly higher, all with a much reduced cost per flying hour. In December 2008, an E-8C test aircraft took its first flight with the new engines. In 2009,
1605-464: A life-extension program involving the re-winging of existing A-6E aircraft was undertaken; initially a metal wing had been used before a graphite - epoxy composite wing was developed during the late 1980s. Other improvements were introduced to the fleet around this time, including GPS receivers, new computers and radar sets, more efficient J-52-409 engines, as well as increased compatibility with various additional missiles. The Grumman A-6 Intruder
1712-486: A maximum range of 200 km. AN/APY-6 is designed for precision target striking, and an AESA version is currently under development. AN/APY-7 is the development of AN/APY-3, and it is a solid state version of AN/APY-3 that adopts active electronically scanned array technology. AN/APY-7 radar can operate in fixed target indication (FTI), wide area surveillance, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), target classification and ground moving target indicator (GMTI) modes. An antenna
1819-479: A mission profile for 9 hours without refueling. Its range and on-station time can be substantially increased through in-flight refueling . The AN/APY-7 radar can operate in wide area surveillance, ground moving target indicator (GMTI), fixed target indicator (FTI) target classification, and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) modes. To pick up moving targets, the Doppler radar looks at the Doppler frequency shift of
1926-491: A much more effective speed-brake which projected above and below the wing when extended. The rudder needed a wider chord at its base to give greater exposed area to assist spin recovery. A major difference between the first six production aircraft and subsequent aircraft were the jet nozzles; close-air support by the Marine Corps required STOL performance to operate from forward airstrips. Jet deflection using tilting tailpipes
2033-669: A new standardized US DoD designation of A-6A in the Autumn of 1962, and entered squadron service in February 1963. The A-6 became both the U.S. Navy's and U.S. Marine Corps's principal medium and all-weather/night attack aircraft from the mid-1960s through the 1990s and as an aerial tanker either in the dedicated KA-6D version or by use of a buddy store (D-704). Whereas the A-6 fulfilled the USN and USMC all-weather ground-attack/strike mission role, this mission in
2140-531: A number of nicknames, including "Double Ugly", "The Mighty Alpha Six", "Iron Tadpole" and also "Drumstick". Following the Gulf War, Intruders were used to patrol the no-fly zone in Iraq and provided air support for U.S. Marines during Operation Restore Hope in Somalia. The last A-6E Intruder left U.S. Marine Corps service on 28 April 1993. Navy A-6s saw further duty over Bosnia in 1994. On 4 June 1996, during RIMPAC
2247-609: A radar display for the BN, a unique instrumentation feature for the pilot was a cathode ray tube screen that was known as the Vertical Display Indicator (VDI). This display provided a synthetic representation of the world in front of the aircraft, along with steering cues provided by the BN, enabling head-down navigation and attack at night and in all weather conditions. The A-6's wing was relatively efficient at subsonic speeds, particularly when compared to supersonic fighters such as
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#17328447359852354-505: A single multi-function radar. AN/APQ-148 was the original radar on board the A-6E. AN/APQ-156 is the development of AN/APQ-148, and it is used in conjunction with Target Recognition and Attack Multi-Sensor" (TRAM) system starting to be installed on A-6E in 1979 during upgrades. The bombardier/navigator could use both TRAM imagery and radar data for extremely accurate attacks, and the radar has an Airborne Moving Target Indicator (AMTI), which allowed
2461-837: A target is, tell what equipment it has, or discern whether it is friendly, hostile, or a bystander, so commanders often crosscheck the JSTARS data against other sources. In the Army, JSTARS data is analyzed in and disseminated from a Ground Station Module (GSM). The two E-8A development aircraft were deployed in 1991 to participate in Operation Desert Storm under the direction of USAF Colonel Harry H. Heimple, Program Director, even though they were still in development. The joint program accurately tracked mobile Iraqi forces, including tanks and Scud missiles. Crews flew developmental aircraft on 49 combat sorties, accumulating more than 500 combat hours and
2568-693: Is AN/APN-153. Only 28 EA-6As were built (two prototypes, 15 new-build, and 11 conversions from A-6As), serving with U.S. Marine Corps squadrons in Vietnam . It was phased out of front line service in the mid-1970s, remaining in use in reserve VMCJ units with the USMC and then the United States Navy in specialized VAQ units, primarily for training purposes. The last EA-6A had been retired by 1993. Northrop Grumman E-8 Joint STARS The Northrop Grumman E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System ( Joint STARS )
2675-584: Is a derivative of AN/APY-3, and it is based on fiber-optic Ethernet LAN. The radar has SAR, Inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) and ground moving target indication (GMTI) modes. The resolution in strip SAR mode is 1.8 m (6 ft), while in SAR and ISAR mode, the best resolution is 0.35 m (1 ft). AN/APY-6 has a total of four parallel receivers, with one for GMTI, and three for various SAR/ISAR modes. The planar passive phased array antenna can be either point forward or abeam, with coverage of 200 degree arc, and
2782-621: Is a retired United States Air Force (USAF) airborne ground surveillance , battle management and command and control aircraft. It tracked ground vehicles and some aircraft, collects imagery, and relayed tactical pictures to ground and air theater commanders. The aircraft was operated by both active duty USAF and Air National Guard units and also carried specially trained U.S. Army personnel as additional flight crew until its retirement in 2023. Joint STARS evolved from separate U.S. Army and Air Force (USAF) programs to develop technology to detect, locate and attack enemy armor at ranges beyond
2889-409: Is a two-seat twin-engined monoplane, equipped to perform carrier-based attack missions regardless of prevailing weather or light conditions. The cockpit used an unusual double pane windscreen and side-by-side seating arrangement in which the pilot sat in the left seat, while the bombardier/navigator (BN) sat to the right and slightly below to give the pilot an adequate view on that side. In addition to
2996-476: Is designed as part of A-6C specially dedicated for night attack missions against the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Vietnam . AN/APQ-129 is a derivative of AN/APQ-112 for EA-6A, allowing EA-6A to fire AGM-45 Shrike anti-radiation missile (ARM), though this was never done in real combat. The J-band AN/APQ-148 is the first one in the radar family that had achieved the capability to replace two separate radars with
3103-408: Is electronically steered in azimuth by phase shifters, and mechanically in elevation by two servo motors. Grumman A-6 Intruder#Variants The Grumman A-6 Intruder is an American twinjet all-weather attack aircraft developed and manufactured by American aircraft company Grumman Aerospace and formerly operated by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps . It was designed in response to
3210-413: Is installed on the underside of the aircraft, which can be tilted for a 120 degree to either side of the plane to cover targets at more than 152 miles (250 km). The 7.3 m (24 ft) long, 0.6 m (2 ft) wide side-looking AESA antenna is housed in a 12 m (40 ft) canoe-shaped radome under the forward fuselage of the hosting aircraft along the center line. As with AN/APY-3, AN/APY-7
3317-673: Is part of DIANE (Digital Integrated Attack/Navigation Devices), which consists of multiple radars: the Norden AN/APQ-92 search and navigation radar, the separate AN/APQ-88 for tracking/attacking, AN/APN-141 radar altimeter, & AN/APN-122 navigational radar to provide position updates to the AN/ASN-31 inertial navigation system. AN/APQ-103 is the successor of AN/APQ-92, and it is used in conjunction with AN/APN-153 Doppler navigational radar that replaced earlier AN/APN-122, and AN/APQ-112 radar replaced AN/APQ-88. The APQ-103/APN-153/APQ-112 upgrade
AN/APG-76 - Misplaced Pages Continue
3424-507: Is part of the improvement of DIANE installed on A-6B. AN/APQ-112 is a tracking radar that replaced earlier AN/APQ-88 radar developed by Naval Avionics. While the AN/APQ-88 could only track moving targets, the APQ-112 could track stationary targets as well, and it had slightly better resolution and greater reliability than AN/APQ-88. AN/APQ-112 not only could perform all functions of AN/APQ-88, but
3531-437: Is relayed in near-real time to the ground stations and to other ground command, control, communications, computers and intelligence, or C4I, nodes. AN/APY-3 provides high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images with moving target indicator (MTI) overlays to enable the operator to pick out targets in the images that were moving above some speed threshold. The SAR-MTI radar can be integrated with an INS or GPS to give
3638-425: Is the 40 ft (12 m) canoe-shaped radome under the forward fuselage that houses the 24 ft (7.3 m) APY-7 active electronically scanned array side looking airborne radar antenna. The E-8C can respond quickly and effectively to support worldwide military contingency operations. It is a jam-resistant system capable of operating while experiencing heavy electronic countermeasures . The E-8C can fly
3745-548: Is used in F-4E Kurnass 2000 ( Israel ) and has been tested in a pod configuration with the F-16 and S-3 Viking Gray Wolf Project. AN/APG-76 incorporates capability of AN/APQ-173 such as being compatible with AGM-88 and AIM-120, and it can also be configured as a side-looking radar. The side-looking version of AN/APG-76 played a very important role in the development of AN/APY-3 radar for Northrop Grumman E-8 Joint STARS in providing
3852-476: The 461st Air Control Wing (461 ACW) was established at Robins AFB as the Air Force's sole active duty E-8 Joint STARS wing while the 116 ACW reverted to a traditional Air National Guard wing within the Georgia Air National Guard . Both units share the same E-8 aircraft and will often fly with mixed crews, but now function as separate units. On 1 October 2019, JSTARS ended its continuous presence in
3959-532: The AN/AAS-33 DRS (Detecting and Ranging Set), part of the 'Target Recognition and Attack Multi-Sensor' (TRAM) system, a small, gyroscopically stabilized turret, mounted under the nose of the aircraft, containing a forward-looking infra-red (FLIR) boresighted with a laser spot-tracker/designator and IBM AN/ASQ-155 computer. TRAM was matched with a new Norden AN/APQ-156 radar. The BN could use both TRAM imagery and radar data for extremely accurate attacks, or use
4066-619: The Grumman F-14 Tomcat . The team was spread between two sites, the company's manufacturing plant at Bethpage and the testing facilities at Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant, Calverton . During September 1959, the design was approved by the Mock-Up Review Board. The A2F-1 design incorporated several cutting-edge features for the era. In the early 1960s, it was novel for a fighter-sized aircraft to have sophisticated avionics that used multiple computers. This design experience
4173-806: The Gulf War in 1991, U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps A-6s flew more than 4,700 combat sorties, providing close air support, destroying enemy air defenses, attacking Iraqi naval units, and hitting strategic targets. They were also the U.S. Navy's primary strike platform for delivering laser-guided bombs . The U.S. Navy operated them from the aircraft carriers USS Saratoga , USS John F. Kennedy , USS Midway , USS Ranger , USS America and USS Theodore Roosevelt , while U.S. Marine Corps A-6s operated ashore, primarily from Shaikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain. Three A-6s were shot down in combat by SAMs and AAA. The Intruder's large blunt nose and slender tail inspired
4280-597: The Ho Chi Minh trail in Vietnam. They were fitted with a "Trails/Roads Interdiction Multi-sensor" (TRIM) pod in the fuselage for FLIR and low-light TV cameras, as well as a "Black Crow" engine ignition detection system. Radars were also upgraded, with the AN/APQ-112 replacing the earlier AN/APQ-103, and an AN/APN-186 navigational radar replacing the earlier AN/APN-153. A vastly improved Sperry Corporation AN/APQ-127 radar replaced
4387-888: The Lexington Institute raised the question of why most of the Joint STARS fleet was sitting idle instead of being used to track insurgents in Afghanistan. Thompson states that the Joint STARS' radar has an inherent capacity to find what the Army calls 'dismounted' targets—insurgents walking around or placing roadside bombs. Thompson's neutrality has been questioned by some since Lexington Institute has been heavily funded by defense contractors, including Northrop Grumman. Recent trials of Joint STARS in Afghanistan are destined to develop tactics, techniques and procedures in tracking dismounted, moving groups of Taliban. In January 2011, Northrop Grumman's E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) test bed aircraft completed
AN/APG-76 - Misplaced Pages Continue
4494-509: The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II , which are also limited to subsonic speeds when carrying a payload of bombs. The wing was also designed to provide a favorable level of maneuverability even while carrying a sizable bomb load. A very similar wing would be put on pivots on Grumman's later supersonic swing-wing Grumman F-14 Tomcat, as well as similar landing gear. For its day, the Intruder had sophisticated avionics , with
4601-583: The Multinational Force in Lebanon in 1983. On 4 December, one LTV A-7 Corsair II and one Intruder were downed by Syrian missiles. The Intruder's pilot, Lieutenant Mark Lange, and bombardier/navigator Lieutenant Robert "Bobby" Goodman ejected immediately before the crash; Lange died of his injuries while Goodman was captured and taken by the Syrians to Damascus where he was released on 3 January 1984. Later in
4708-530: The North Korean winter exercise cycle and for the United Nations enforcing resolutions on Iraq. In March 2009, a Joint STARS aircraft was damaged beyond economical repair when a test plug was left on a fuel tank vent, subsequently causing the fuel tank to rupture during in-flight refueling. There were no casualties but the aircraft sustained $ 25 million in damage. In September 2009, Loren B. Thompson of
4815-521: The Type G-128 . Following evaluation of the bids, the U.S. Navy announced the selection of Grumman on 2 January 1958. The company was awarded a contract for the development of their submission, which had been re-designated A2F-1 , in February 1958. Grumman's design team was led by Robert Nafis and Lawrence Mead, Jr. Mead later played a lead role in the design of the Lunar Excursion Module and
4922-671: The US Army 's common ground stations via the secure jam-resistant surveillance and control data link (SCDL) and to other ground C4I nodes beyond line-of-sight via ultra high-frequency satellite communications. Other major E-8C prime mission equipment are the communications/datalink (COMM/DLX) and operations and control (O&C) subsystems. Eighteen operator workstations display computer-processed data in graphic and tabular format on video screens. Operators and technicians perform battle management, surveillance, weapons, intelligence, communications and maintenance functions. Northrop Grumman has tested
5029-595: The United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) areas of responsibility. The 18–year deployment was the second-longest deployment in U.S. Air Force history. In that time, the crews and aircraft flew 10,938 sorties, and 114,426.6 combat hours. On 11 February 2022, the first of four JSTARS out of the remaining 16 operational JSTARS was retired as detailed in the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA). The plane (serial number 92-3289/GA) which
5136-597: The YA-6A designation. These were used in the development and testing of the A-6A Intruder. The initial version of the Intruder was built around the complex and advanced DIANE (Digital Integrated Attack/Navigation Equipment) suite, intended to provide a high degree of bombing accuracy even at night and in poor weather. DIANE consisted of multiple radar systems: the Norden Systems AN/APQ-92 search radar replacing
5243-655: The front line of a battle. In 1982, the programs were merged and the USAF became the lead agent. The concept and sensor technology for the E-8 was developed and tested on the Tacit Blue experimental aircraft. The prime contract was awarded to Grumman Aerospace Corporation in September 1985 for two E-8A development systems. In late 2005, Northrop Grumman was awarded a contract for upgrading engines and other systems. Pratt & Whitney , in
5350-501: The 116 BW lacking a current mission. The newly created wing was designated as the 116th Air Control Wing (116 ACW). The 93 ACW was inactivated the same day. The 116 ACW constituted the first fully blended wing of active duty and Air National Guard airmen. The wing took delivery of the 17th and final E-8C on 23 March 2005. The E-8C Joint STARS routinely supports various taskings of the Combined Force Command Korea during
5457-572: The 1980s, two Naval Reserve A-7 Corsair II light attack squadrons, VA-205 and VA-304 , were reconstituted as medium attack squadrons with the A-6E at NAS Atlanta , Georgia and NAS Alameda , California, respectively. Intruders also saw action in April 1986 operating from the aircraft carriers USS America and Coral Sea during the bombing of Libya ( Operation El Dorado Canyon ). The squadrons involved were VA-34 "Blue Blasters" (from USS America ) and VA-55 "Warhorses" (from USS Coral Sea ). During
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#17328447359855564-669: The A-6 were developed, often in response to urgent military requirements raised during the Vietnam War . The A-6C , a dedicated interdictor, was one such model, as was the KA-6D , a buddy store -equipped aerial refueling tanker. Perhaps the most complex variant was the EA-6B Prowler , a specialized electronic warfare derivative. The last variant to be produced was the A-6E , first introduced in 1972; it features extensive avionics improvements, including
5671-446: The A-6A, plus AN/APN-153 navigational radar replacing earlier AN/APN-122, again used in the A-6A. Between 1968 and 1977, several Intruder squadrons operated A-6Bs alongside their regular A-6As. Five were lost to all causes, and the surviving aircraft were later converted to A-6E standard in the late 1970s. 12 A-6As were converted in 1970 to A-6C standard for night attack missions against
5778-540: The A-6A/B/C were replaced by a single Norden AN/APQ-148 multi-mode radar, and onboard computers with a more sophisticated (and generally more reliable) IC based system, as opposed to the A-6A's DIANE discrete transistor-based technology. A new AN/ASN-92 inertial navigation system was added, along with the CAINS (Carrier Aircraft Inertial Navigation System), for greater navigation accuracy. Beginning in 1979, all A-6Es were fitted with
5885-627: The A-6E and KA-6D were quickly phased out of service in the mid-1990s in a U.S. Navy cost-cutting move driven by the Office of the Secretary of Defense to reduce the number of different type/model/series (T/M/S) of aircraft in carrier air wings and U.S. Marine aircraft groups. The A-6 was intended to be replaced by the McDonnell Douglas A-12 Avenger II , but that program was canceled due to cost overruns. The Intruder remained in service for
5992-503: The AN/APG-46 fire control radar. One of these aircraft was lost in combat; the others were later refitted to A-6E standard after the war. To replace both the KA-3B and EA-3B Skywarrior during the early 1970s, 78 A-6As and 12 A-6Es were converted for use as tanker aircraft, providing aerial refueling support to other strike aircraft. The DIANE system was removed and an internal refueling system
6099-632: The APQ-173 would have given the Intruder air-to-air capacity with provision for the AIM-120 AMRAAM . Two additional wing pylons were added, for a total of seven stations. Although five development aircraft were built, the U.S. Navy ultimately chose not to authorize the A-6F, preferring to concentrate on the A-12 Avenger II . This left the service in a quandary when the A-12 was canceled in 1991. Grumman proposed
6206-505: The APY-7 to differentiate between armored vehicles (tracked tanks) and trucks, allowing targeting personnel to better select the appropriate ordnance for various targets. The system's SAR modes can produce images of stationary objects. Objects with many angles (for example, the interior of a pick-up bed) will give a much better radar signature, or specular return. In addition to being able to detect, locate and track large numbers of ground vehicles,
6313-471: The Air Force held an industry day for companies interested in competing for JSTARS Recap; attendees included Boeing , Bombardier Aerospace , and Gulfstream Aerospace . Air Force procurement documents called for a replacement for the Boeing 707-based E-8C as a "business jet class" airframe that is "significantly smaller and more efficient." Indicative specification were for an aircraft with a 10-13 person crew with
6420-454: The Air Force will not move forward with an E-8C replacement aircraft. Funding for the JSTARS recapitalization program was instead be diverted to pay for development of an Advanced Battle Management System. The E-8C JSTARS began to be retired in February 2022, and flew its last operational sortie on 21 September 2023. Rather than procure a replacement aircraft, the USAF intends to use a network of satellites, aircraft sensors and ground radars as
6527-499: The Intruder's long-distance strike role, but the initiative has since changed priorities towards the tanker mission instead. The last Intruders were retired on 28 February 1997. Many in the US defense establishment in general, and Naval Aviation in particular, questioned the wisdom of a shift to a shorter range carrier-based strike force, as represented by the Hornet and Super Hornet, compared to
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#17328447359856634-450: The NEW architecture. From 2001 to January 2011 the Joint STARS fleet flew more than 63,000 hours in 5,200 combat missions in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom , Enduring Freedom and New Dawn . On 1 October 2011, the "blended" wing construct of the 116th Air Control Wing (116 ACW), combining Air National Guard and Regular Air Force personnel in a single unit was discontinued. On this date,
6741-453: The TRAM sensors alone to attack without using the Intruder's radar (which might warn the target). TRAM also allowed the Intruder to autonomously designate and drop laser-guided bombs . In addition, the Intruder used an Airborne Moving Target Indicator (AMTI), which allowed the aircraft to track a moving target (such as a tank or truck) and drop ordnance on it even though the target was moving. Also,
6848-622: The U.S. Navy's carrier air wings and self-contained range among carrier-based strike aircraft. Although the Intruder could not match the F-14's or the F/A-18's speed or air-combat capability, the A-6's range and load-carrying ability are still unmatched by newer aircraft in the fleet. At the time of retirement, several retired A-6 airframes were awaiting rewinging at the Northrop Grumman facility at St. Augustine Airport , Florida; these were later sunk off
6955-519: The USAF revealed a plan for the acquisition of a new business jet-class replacement for the E-8C Joint STARS. The program was called Joint STARS Recap and planned for the aircraft to reach initial operating capability (IOC) by 2022. The airframe would be more efficient, and separate contracts would be awarded for developing the aircraft, airborne sensor, battle management command and control (BMC2) system, and communications subsystem. On 8 April 2014,
7062-509: The USAF was served by the Republic F-105 Thunderchief and later the F-111 , the latter which also saw its earlier F-111A variants converted to a radar jammer as the EF-111 Raven , analogous to the USN and USMC EA-6B Prowler. A-6 Intruders first saw action during the Vietnam War , where the craft were used extensively against targets in Vietnam . The aircraft's long range and heavy payload (18,000 pounds or 8,200 kilograms) coupled with its ability to fly in all weather made it invaluable during
7169-450: The YA-6A's AN/APQ-88, and a separate AN/APG-46 for tracking, the AN/APN-141 radar altimeter, and an AN/APN-122 Doppler navigational radar to provide position updates to the Litton AN/ASN-31 inertial navigation system . An air-data computer and the AN/ASQ-61 ballistics computer integrated the radar information for the bombardier/navigator in the right-hand seat. TACAN and ADF systems were also provided for navigation. When it worked, DIANE
7276-484: The advent of turbine engines, the United States Navy issued preliminary requirements in 1955 for an all-weather carrier-based attack aircraft . The U.S. Navy published an Operational Requirements Document (ORD) for it in October 1956. It released a Request For Proposals (RFP) in February 1957. The RFP called for a 'close air support attack bomber capable of hitting the enemy at any time'. Aviation authors Bill Gunston and Peter Gilchrist observe that this specification
7383-451: The aircraft left a gap in US Navy and Marine Corps refueling tanker capability. At least 16 KA-6Ds served in the Gulf War . The Navy Lockheed S-3 Viking filled that gap until the new F/A-18E/F Super Hornet became operational. The definitive attack version of the Intruder with vastly upgraded navigation and attack systems, introduced in 1970 and first deployed on 9 December 1971. The earlier separate search and track (fire control) radars of
7490-501: The aircraft to be imposing very high maintenance demands, particularly in the Asian theatre of operations, and serviceability figures were also low. In response, the Naval Avionics Lab launched a substantial and lengthy program to improve both the reliability and performance of the A-6's avionics suite. The successful performance of the A-6 in operations following these improvements ended proposals to produce follow-on models that featured downgraded avionics. Various specialized variants of
7597-407: The aircraft to track a moving target (such as a tank or truck) and drop ordnance on it even though the target was moving. AN/APS-130 is a derivative of AN/APQ-156 and the upgrade of AN/APQ-129, by applying the knowledge gained from AN/APQ-156 to improve AN/APQ-129. AN/APS-130 is fitted on EA-6B, enable the aircraft to fire AGM-88 HARM . AN/APS-146 is a simplified version of AN/APQ-156/APS-130, with
7704-657: The aircraft, while in the hangar or on the flight line; and "Shop BACE", to exercise and analyze individual malfunctioning systems in the maintenance shop. This equipment was manufactured by Litton Industries . Together, the BACE systems greatly reduced the Maintenance Man-Hours per Flight Hour, a key index of the cost and effort needed to keep military aircraft operating. The Intruder was equipped to carry nuclear weapons ( B43 , B57 , B61 ) which would have been delivered using semi-automated toss bombing . The Intruder received
7811-470: The coast of St. Johns County , Florida to form a fish haven named "Intruder Reef". Surviving aircraft fitted with the new wings, and later production aircraft (i.e., BuNo 164XXX series) not earmarked for museum or non-flying static display were stored at the AMARG storage center at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base , Arizona. The eight prototypes and pre-production Intruder aircraft were sometimes referred to with
7918-460: The company began engine replacement and additional upgrade efforts. The re-engining funding was halted in 2009 as the Air Force began to consider other options for performing the JSTARS mission. The E-8C is an aircraft modified from the Boeing 707 -300 series commercial airliner. The E-8 carries specialized radar, communications, operations and control subsystems. The most prominent external feature
8025-488: The computer system allowed the use of Offset Aim Point (OAP), giving the crew the ability to drop on a target unseen on radar by noting coordinates of a known target nearby and entering the offset range and bearing to the unseen target. In the 1980s, the A-6E TRAM aircraft were converted to the A-6E 'Weapons Control System Improvement' (WCSI) version to extend weapons capability. This added the ability to carry and target some of
8132-617: The course of a mission. A few KA-6Ds went to sea with each Intruder squadron. Their operation was integrated into the Intruder squadrons, as A-6 crew were trained to operate both aircraft and the NATOPS covered both the A6 and KA-6D. These aircraft were always in short supply, and frequently were "cross decked" from a returning carrier to an outgoing one. Many KA-6 airframes had severe G restrictions, as well as fuselage stretching due to almost continual use and high number of catapults and traps. The retirement of
8239-564: The early 1990s, some surviving A-6Es were upgraded under SWIP (Systems/Weapons Improvement Program) to enable them to use the latest precision-guided munitions, including AGM-65 Mavericks , AGM-84E SLAMs, AGM-62 Walleyes and the AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missile as well as additional capability with the AGM-84 Harpoon. A co-processor was added to the AN/ASQ-155 computer system to implement
8346-580: The first generation precision guided weapons, like the AGM-84 Harpoon missile, and AGM-123 Skipper . WCSI equipped aircraft were eventually modified to have a limited capability to use the AGM-84E SLAM standoff land attack missile. Since the Harpoon and SLAM missiles had common communication interfaces, WCSI aircraft could carry and fire SLAM missiles, but needed a nearby A-6E SWIP to guide them to target. In
8453-514: The foundation of know-hows for the development of the more advanced AN/APY-3. AN/APY-3 is the radar developed for E-8 J-STARS . The 24-foot (7.3 meters) long, side-looking planar passive phased array radar is housed in the 27-foot (8 meters) long, canoe-shaped radome under the forward fuselage of the hosting aircraft. The radar and computer information systems on the E-8C gather and display detailed battlefield information on ground forces. The information
8560-540: The installation of a MS-177 camera on an E-8C to provide real time visual target confirmation. In missions from peacekeeping operations to major theater war, the E-8C can provide targeting data and intelligence for attack aviation, naval surface fire, field artillery and friendly maneuver forces. The information helps air and land commanders to control the battlespace. The E-8's ground-moving radar can tell approximate number of vehicles, location, speed, and direction of travel. It cannot identify exactly what type of vehicle
8667-454: The interferometer omitted, but added a weather avoidance pencil beam, and replaced the reflector antenna with a planar antenna. AN/APQ-173 is the development of AN/APQ-156 with the addition to include synthetic aperture radar (SAR). and multi-function cockpit displays – the APQ-173 would have given the Intruder air-to-air capacity with provision for the AIM-120 AMRAAM . AN/APQ-173 was designed for A-6F/G which were cancelled. AN/APG-76
8774-409: The needed MIL-STD-1553 digital interfaces to the pylons, as well as an additional control panel. After a series of wing-fatigue problems, about 85% of the fleet was fitted with new graphite/epoxy/titanium/aluminum composite wings. The new wings proved to be a mixed blessing, as a composite wing is stiffer and transmits more force to the fuselage, accelerating fatigue in the fuselage. In 1990, the decision
8881-534: The new APQ-148 multimode radar, along with minor airframe refinements. The last A-6E was delivered in 1992. During the 1980s, a further model, designated A-6F , was being planned. Intended to feature the General Electric F404 turbofan engine, as well as various avionics and airframe improvements, this variant was cancelled under the presumption that the in-development McDonnell Douglas A-12 Avenger II would be entering production before long. Instead,
8988-456: The older generation aircraft such as the Intruder and Tomcat. However, the availability of USAF Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker and McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender tankers modified to accommodate USN, USMC and NATO tactical aircraft in all recent conflicts was considered by certain senior decision makers in the Department of Defense to put a lesser premium on organic aerial refueling capability in
9095-571: The precise locations of targets, with the data relayed to other platforms over JTIDS . The antenna of AN/APY-3 is tilted to either side of the aircraft where it has a 120-degree field of view covering nearly 19,305 square miles (50,000 square kilometers), and is capable of detecting targets at more than 250 kilometers (more than 820,000 feet). The radar also has some limited capability to detect helicopters, rotating antennas and low, slow-moving fixed wing aircraft. A total of 1000 ground targets can be simultaneously tracked by AN/APY-3. The X-band AN/APY-6
9202-401: The radar has a limited capability to detect helicopters, rotating antennas and low, slow-moving fixed-wing aircraft. The radar and computer subsystems on the E-8C can gather and display broad and detailed battlefield information. Data is collected as events occur. This includes position and tracking information on enemy and friendly ground forces. The information is relayed in near-real time to
9309-455: The returned signal. It can look from a long-range, which the military refers to as a high standoff capability. The antenna can be tilted to either side of the aircraft for a 120-degree field of view covering nearly 19,305 square miles (50,000 km ) and can simultaneously track 600 targets at more than 152 miles (250 km). The GMTI modes cannot pick up objects that are too small, insufficiently dense, or stationary. Data processing allows
9416-426: The second of two deployments to Naval Air Station Point Mugu , California, in support of the U.S. Navy Joint Surface Warfare Joint Capability Technology Demonstration to test its Network-Enabled Weapon (NEW) architecture. The Joint STARS aircraft executed three Operational Utility Assessment flights and demonstrated its ability to guide anti-ship weapons against surface combatants at a variety of standoff distances in
9523-442: The second prototype flying on 28 July 1960. The test program required to develop the aircraft took a long time. The very advanced navigation and attack equipment required a lot of development and changes had to be made to correct aerodynamic deficiencies and remove unwanted features. Extending the air brakes , which were mounted on the rear fuselage, changed the downwash at the horizontal tailplane which overloaded its actuator so
9630-564: The start of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022. The USAF began an analysis of alternatives (AOA) in March 2010 for its next generation GMTI radar aircraft fleet. The study was completed in March 2012 and recommended buying a new business jet-based ISR aircraft, such as a version of the Boeing 737 , and the Gulfstream 550 . The Air Force said Joint STARS was expected to remain in operation through 2030. On 23 January 2014,
9737-453: The tailplane was moved rearwards by 16 inches (41 cm). Later evaluation of the aircraft showed that the airbrakes were not effective enough in controlling the speed of the aircraft and they were moved to the wing-tips. Early production aircraft were fitted with both the fuselage and wingtip air brakes, although the fuselage-mounted ones were soon disabled, and were removed from later aircraft. The trailing edge of each wing-tip split to form
9844-1107: The war was from VA-35 , flown by LT C. M. Graf and LT S. H. Hatfield, operating from USS America ; they were shot down by ground fire on 24 January 1973 while providing close air support. The airmen ejected and were rescued by a Navy helicopter. Twenty U.S. Navy aircraft carriers rotated through the waters of Southeast Asia, providing air strikes, from the early 1960s through the early 1970s. Nine of those carriers lost A-6 Intruders: USS Constellation lost 11, USS Ranger lost eight, USS Coral Sea lost six, USS Midway lost two, USS Independence lost four, USS Kitty Hawk lost 14, USS Saratoga lost three, USS Enterprise lost eight, and USS America lost two. Although capable of embarking aboard aircraft carriers, most U.S. Marine Corps A-6 Intruders were shore based in South Vietnam at Chu Lai and Da Nang and in Nam Phong , Thailand . A-6 Intruders were later used in support of other operations, such as
9951-515: The war. However, its typical mission profile of flying low to deliver its payload made it especially vulnerable to anti-aircraft fire, and in the eight years the Intruder was used during the Vietnam War, the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps lost a total of 84 A-6 aircraft of various series. The first loss occurred on 14 July 1965 when an Intruder from VA-75 operating from USS Independence , flown by LT Donald Boecker and LT Donald Eaton, commenced
10058-450: Was added, sometimes supplemented by a D-704 refueling pod on the centerline pylon. The KA-6D theoretically could be used in the day/visual bombing role, but it apparently never was, with the standard load-out being four fuel tanks. Because it was based on a tactical aircraft platform, the KA-6D provided a capability for mission tanking, the ability to keep up with strike aircraft and refuel them in
10165-494: Was also capable of performing some functions of AN/APQ-103. As more advanced version of AN/APQ-112 was developed, it replaced AN/APQ-103. However, the attempt to replace two separate radars failed at the time due to increased mission requirement, and a separate dedicated fire control radar was needed. As a result, the vastly improved Sperry Corporation AN/APQ-127 was adopted, while AN/APN-186 navigational radar replacing earlier AN/APN-153 in earlier A-6B. APN-186/APQ-112/APQ-127 suit
10272-539: Was being split to relegate it to passive electronic warfare and "H" to active) and subsequently redesignated EA-6A , first flew on 26 April 1963. It had a Bunker-Ramo AN/ALQ-86 ECM suite, with most electronics contained on the walnut-shaped pod atop the vertical fin. They were equipped with AN/APQ-129 fire control radar, and theoretically capable of firing the AGM-45 Shrike anti-radiation missile , although they were apparently not used in that role. The navigational radar
10379-511: Was delivered to the USAF on 5 November 2001. On 1 October 2002, the 93d Air Control Wing (93 ACW) was "blended" with the 116th Bomb Wing in a ceremony at Robins Air Force Base , Georgia . The 116 BW was an Air National Guard wing equipped with the B-1B Lancer bomber at Robins AFB . As a result of a USAF reorganization of the B-1B force, all B-1Bs were assigned to active duty wings, resulting in
10486-405: Was in service with the United States Navy and Marine Corps between 1963 and 1997, during which time multiple variants were prototyped and produced. Two of the more successful variants developed were the EA-6B Prowler , a specialized electronic warfare derivative, and the KA-6D tanker version. It was deployed during various overseas conflicts, including the Vietnam War and the Gulf War . The A-6
10593-463: Was intended to be superseded by the McDonnell Douglas A-12 Avenger II , but this program was ultimately canceled due to cost overruns. Thus, when the A-6E was scheduled for retirement, its precision strike mission was initially taken over by the Grumman F-14 Tomcat equipped with a LANTIRN pod. As a result of the fair-weather limitation of the propeller-driven A-1 Skyraider in the Korean War and
10700-487: Was made to terminate production of the A-6. Through the 1970s and 1980s, the A-6 had been in low-rate production of four or five new aircraft a year, enough to replace mostly accidental losses. The final production order was for 20 aircraft of the SWIP configuration with composite wings, delivered in 1993. A-6E models totaled 445 aircraft, about 240 of which were converted from earlier A-6A/B/C models. An advanced A-6F Intruder II
10807-509: Was perhaps the most capable navigation/attack system of its era, giving the Intruder the ability to fly and fight in even very poor conditions (particularly important over Vietnam and Thailand during the Vietnam War ). It suffered numerous teething problems, and it was several years before its reliability was established. Total A-6A production was 480, excluding the prototype and pre-production aircraft. A total of 47 A-6As were converted to other variants. To provide U.S. Navy squadrons with
10914-483: Was proposed in the mid-1980s that would have replaced the Intruder's elderly Pratt & Whitney J52 turbojets with non-afterburning versions of the General Electric F404 turbofan used in the F/A-18 Hornet, providing substantial improvements in both power and fuel economy. The A-6F would have had totally new avionics , including a Norden AN/APQ-173 synthetic aperture radar and multi-function cockpit displays –
11021-477: Was proposed. The performance benefits from varying the angle were not worthwhile, whether operating from short strips or carriers, and they were fixed at a 7 degree downward angle. During February 1963, the A-6 was introduced to service with the US Navy; at this point, the type was, according to Gunston and Gilchrist, "the first genuinely all-weather attack bomber in history". However, early operating experiences found
11128-461: Was shaped by the service's Korean War experiences, during which air support had been frequently unavailable unless fair weather conditions were present. In response to the RFP, a total of eleven design proposals were submitted by eight different companies, including Bell , Boeing , Douglas , Grumman , Lockheed , Martin , North American , and Vought . Grumman's submission was internally designated as
11235-586: Was taken into consideration by NASA in their November 1962 decision to choose Grumman over other companies like General Dynamics-Convair (the F-111 had computerized avionics capabilities comparable to the A-6, but did not fly until 1964) to build the Lunar Excursion Module, which was a small-sized spacecraft with two onboard computers. The first prototype YA2F-1, lacking radar and the navigational and attack avionics, made its first flight on 19 April 1960, with
11342-447: Was the first Navy aircraft with an integrated airframe and weapons system. Operated by a crew of two in a side-by-side seating configuration, the workload was divided between the pilot and weapons officer (bombardier/navigator or BN). In addition to conventional munitions, it could also carry nuclear weapons , which would be delivered using toss bombing techniques. On 19 April 1960, the first prototype made its maiden flight . The A-6
11449-567: Was the first to arrive at Robins AFB in 1996 has now been transferred to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base . From late 2021 to early 2022, E-8C JSTARS aircraft deployed to Europe during the 2021-2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis . 30 years after entering service, it was performing the type of mission it had originally been intended to: monitoring Russian military activity in Eastern Europe, which it did while operating over Ukrainian airspace until
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