A-4 Skyhawk
The A-4 is a light attack bomber, built by McDonnell-Douglas and flown by the U.S. Navy and Marines. Powered by a Pratt & Whitney turbojet, it was nicknamed the “Scooter” for its small size and tremendous maneuverability. It also was called "Heineman's Hot Rod", after its designer. The A-4 had a maximum speed of 670 mph, was armed with 2 20-mm cannons, and could carry 4000 lb of bombs.[1]
History
The Skyhawk first flew on June 22, 1954, and entered operational service in October 1956. The Scooter served prominently during the Vietnam War. An A-4 was the first plane shot down over North Vietnam, in a raid on a torpedo boat base and oil installations in retaliation for the Gulf of Tonkin incident.[2] Among the A-4 pilots who flew in the war were Medal of Honor recipient Michael Estocin and future Senator and presidential candidate John McCain.
Israel
When France stopped supplying Israel after the Six Day War, Israel turned to the United States, and the Israeli Air Force took an immediate liking to the F-4 Phantom II and the A-4 Skyhawk. First delivery of the little bomber was in late 1967, and the Skyhawk became the workhorse of the bombing campaigns in the War of Attrition and the Yom Kippur War. Losses in the latter were heavy (30 Skyhawks were downed in the first day of fighting), due to Egyptian anti-aircraft defences, but losses went down as Israeli tactics improved. Within a week, Israeli bombers were on the offensive again, and the destroyed planes were replaced by emergency shipments from the United States. A-4s also participated in strikes on PLO bases in Lebanon and Syrian SAM sites during Operation Peace for Galilee in 1982.[2] The Skyhawk has been replaced in front-line service by the home-built Kfir and the American F-16, but it’s still used for advanced pilot training.
Argentina
The A-4 operated in the Falkland Islands War for Argentina against the British fleet. Bombing attacks by Skyhawks sank the destroyer HMS Coventry and the frigates Antelope and Ardent, and damaged a number of other ships. A total of 23 A-4s were lost in the conflict: three to accidents, one to friendly fire, eight to Sea Harriers, and eleven to anti-aircraft guns and SAMs.[3]
Kuwait
Kuwaiti Skyhawks flew against Iraqi forces when Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, and some pilots managed to escape to Saudi Arabia when their airfields were overrun. The planes were integrated into the Royal Saudi Air Force for the duration of the Gulf War, and came to be known as the Free Kuwaiti Air Force. The FKAF flew over 1300 combat sorties, losing one aircraft to enemy fire.[4] After the war, Kuwait replaced its Skyhawks with F/A-18 Hornets. The Skyhawks were sold to Brazil for use on their aircraft carrier, Sao Paulo.
References
External Links
Further Reading
- Douglas A-4 Skyhawk: Attack and Close-support Fighter Bomber, by Jim Winchester, Pen & Sword Books, 2005
- US Navy and Marine Corps A-4 Skyhawk Units in the Vietnam War: 1963-1973, by Peter Mersky, Osprey Publishing, 2007