The Grumman A-6 Intruder and the USS John F. Kennedy are but two big chapters of U.S. military aviation history. Each has given something very special to the nation in terms of defense.
The Grumman A-6 Intruder was an all-weather attack aircraft that came into operation in 1963. It replaced the piston-engined A-1 Skyraider. This twin jet-engine, mid-wing aircraft was a staple in both the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps until it retired in 1997. The A-6 Intruder powered by the Wright J52-P8B Turbojet was able to attain top speeds of 646 mph (1040 kph) with a maximum altitude of 40,600 feet or 12,400 meters. It saw extensive service in Vietnam even Operation Desert Storm; which spoke much about this aircraft’s versatility and general reliability throughout several combat zones. Because the design of the Intruder allowed the aircraft to operate well in all types of weather, it proved indispensable in the U.S. military arsenal for a period of well over three decades.
Meanwhile, the USS John F. Kennedy holds a special place in the history of the U.S. Navy as the last conventionally-powered aircraft carrier to be commissioned into service. Commissioned on 7 September 1968, the carrier was named in honor of the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy. Under the command of Captain Earl P. Yates, the ship made its maiden voyage to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, thence to return to Norfolk, Virginia, for some extended repairs.
Operational history with significant deployments and exercises: In April 1969, deployed to the Mediterranean as flagship of Rear Admiral Leroy V. Swanson to participate in exercises with Italian and French naval forces to counter the Soviet Union threat. During the early 1970s, the ship participated in numerous NATO exercises including “Strong Express,” where for the first time it crossed the Arctic Circle.
With the signing of the Paris Peace Accords in 1973, the carrier’s mission changed to European waters. During this period, the USS John F. Kennedy participated in the NATO exercise “Swift Move,” a huge operation that included over 20,000 personnel and 34 ships. During the Yom Kippur War in October 1973, however, the carrier assumed an alert position off Gibraltar, poised to return to the crisis in the Middle East.
The 1980s brought further challenges and missions. On August 20, 1982, the USS John F. Kennedy, for example, was involved in an operation related to the removal of U.S. citizens from Lebanon because of the fight between the Israeli forces and the Palestine Liberation Organization. The involvement in the Mediterranean continued, including that tragic incident in December 1983 when during a strike mission over Bekaa Valley, two A-6 attack aircraft were shot down.
During the 1990s, the USS John F. Kennedy received assignments for Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. The carrier launched its first strikes against Iraq on January 17, 1991, in significant support for the liberation of Kuwait. Its aircraft flew close to 3,000 combat sorties, an illustration of just how critical this one carrier was in the conflict.
Into her later years, USS John F. Kennedy would go on to support operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. Perhaps most notably during the Operation Enduring Freedom deployment, aircraft from the carrier dropped over 62 million pounds of ordnance on Taliban and al Qaeda targets in support of U.S. and Coalition forces.
The USS John F. Kennedy was finally decommissioned in 2007, after almost four decades of service by one of the most storied vessels ever to bear the colors. The Grumman A-6 Intruder and USS John F. Kennedy are great examples of the commitment to technology that has typified the U.S. military over the years and has left its mark on the pages of military history.