KOKU FAN FAOW No.3 DOUGLAS A-4 SKYHAWK USN VA USMC VMA
LIKE NEW CONDITION. 98 PAGES SOFTBOUND. TEXT IS PRIMARILY IN JAPANESE BUT SOME ENGLISH INCLUDING PHOTO CAPTIONS. HEAVILY ILLUSTRATED WITH BOTH COLOR & BW PHOTOS. DETAILED ILLUSTRATIONS AND PROFILES.
MR. EDWARD HEINEMANN
COLOR PHOTO GALLERY (VA-76 A4D-2, VA-34 BLUE BLASTERS A-4C, USS INTREPID VA-66 A-4C, VA-45, VA-83 RAMPAGERS USS JOHN F. KENNEDY CV-67, VA-106 GLADIATORS USS SARATOGA A-4C, VA-216 USS HANCOCK, VMA-214 BLACK SHEEP USMC, VT-86, VC-13 SAINTS A-4L, VA-204 A-4L, VC-7, VA-212, VA-164 USS HANCOCK, USS FORRESTAL VA-216 BLACK DIAMONDS, TA-4J, VC-2 TA-4J, VC-10, VA-45 TA-4J, NAS ATLANTA, CNATRA TA-4J, NFWS NAVAL FIGHTER WEAPONS SCHOOL TOP GUN A-4E AGGRESSOR OPPOSITION, VF-101, VF-43, VMA-311 TOMCATS, VMA-223 BULLDOGS, VMA-331 A-4M, VMA-324 VAGABONDS A-4M, VMA-211 AVENGERS, VMAT-102, BLUE ANGELS A-4F, ROYAL MALAYSIAN AIR FORCE A-4PTM No.4 SQN, INDONESIAN AIR FORCE, ISRAELI AIR FORCE IDF)
BW PHOTO GALLERY (XA4D-1, A4D CV-36 VA-43, CVA-62 USMC VMA-324 A-4B, USS MIDWAY CV-41 A4D-2 VA-22, VA-83, VA-155, VA-164 A-4B, VA-106 CVA-38, VA-83 A4D-2 USS FORRESTAL, VA-113, VA-146 USS CONSTELLATION CVA-64, USS ENTERPRISE CVAN-65 VA-93, A4D-2N NAS LEMOORE, USS INDEPENDENCE CVA-62 VA-72, VA-153, VC-7 REDTAILS, 1966 CVA-64 VA-153 A-4E, VA-16)
BLUE ANGELS PHOTO GALLERY
TWO SEATER SKYHAWK PHOTO GALLERY (VA-45 TA-4F, H&MS-12 USMC, RVAH-3, H&MAS-15, VT-22 TW-2)
A-4M HUMPBACK (VMA-214, VMA-211, VMAT-102, OA-4M, H&MS-32
ISRAELI DEFENSE FORCE IDF ISRAELI AIR FORCE PHOTO GALLERY
ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY RAN PHOTO GALLERY
NEW ZEALAND RNZAF PHOTO GALLERY
ARGENTINA A-4Q & SINGAPORE RSAF PHOTO GALLERY
A-4 AIRCRAFT CARRIER FLIGHT DECK MISHAPS
A-4 SKYHAWK COMBAT IN VIETNAM (VA-23, VA-22, VA-94, VA-146, VA-55 USS HANCOCK, VA-21, VA-172 A-4C, VA-12, VMA-311, VMA-223, VMA-211, VMA-121, H&MS-11, H&MS-12)
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Additional Information from Internet Encyclopedia
The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a single seat subsonic
carrier-capable attack aircraft developed for the United States Navy and United
States Marine Corps in the early 1950s. The delta winged, single turbojet
engined Skyhawk was designed and produced by Douglas Aircraft Company, and
later by McDonnell Douglas. It was originally designated A4D under the U.S.
Navy's pre-1962 designation system.
The Skyhawk is a relatively lightweight aircraft with a
maximum takeoff weight of 24,500 pounds (11,100 kg) and has a top speed of more
than 670 miles per hour (1,080 km/h). The aircraft's five hardpoints support a
variety of missiles, bombs and other munitions. It was capable of carrying a
bomb load equivalent to that of a World War IIera Boeing B-17 bomber, and
could deliver nuclear weapons using a low-altitude bombing system and a
"loft" delivery technique. The A-4 was originally powered by the
Wright J65 turbojet engine; from the A-4E onwards, the Pratt & Whitney J52
engine was used.
Skyhawks played key roles in the Vietnam War, the Yom
Kippur War, and the Falklands War. Sixty years after the aircraft's first
flight in 1954, some of the 2,960 produced (through February 1979)1 remain in
service with several air arms around the world.
The Skyhawk was designed by Douglas Aircraft's Ed
Heinemann in response to a U.S. Navy call for a jet-powered attack aircraft to
replace the older Douglas AD Skyraider (later redesignated A-1 Skyraider).2
Heinemann opted for a design that would minimize its size, weight, and
complexity. The result was an aircraft that weighed only half of the Navy's
weight specification.3 It had a wing so compact that it did not need to be
folded for carrier stowage. The first 500 production examples cost an average
of $860,000 each, less than the Navy's one million dollar maximum.1 The
diminutive Skyhawk soon received the nicknames "Scooter",
"Kiddiecar", "Bantam Bomber", "Tinker Toy
Bomber", and, on account of its speed and nimble performance,
"Heinemann's Hot-Rod".4 The XA4D-1 prototype set a world speed record
of 695.163 mph on October 15, 1955.
The aircraft is of conventional post-World War II design,
with a low-mounted delta wing, tricycle undercarriage, and a single turbojet
engine in the rear fuselage, with two air intakes on the fuselage sides. The
tail is of cruciform design, with the horizontal stabilizer mounted above the
fuselage. Armament consisted of two 20 mm (.79 in caliber) Colt Mk 12 cannons,
one in each wing root, with 100 rounds per gun (the A-4M Skyhawk II and types
based on the A-4M have 200 rounds per gun), plus a large variety of bombs,
rockets, and missiles carried on a hardpoint under the fuselage centerline and
hardpoints under each wing (originally one per wing, later two).
The short-span delta wing did not require the complexity
of wingtip folding, saving an estimated 200 pounds. Its spars were machined
from a single forging that spanned across both wingtips.57 The leading edge slats
were designed to drop automatically at the appropriate speed by gravity and air
pressure, saving weight and space by omitting actuation motors and switches.
Similarly the main undercarriage did not penetrate the main wing spar, designed
so that when retracted only the wheel itself was inside the wing and the
undercarriage struts were housed in a fairing below the wing. Thus the wing
structure was lighter with the same overall strength. The rudder was
constructed of a single panel reinforced with external ribs.8 The turbojet
engine was accessed for service or replacement by removing the aft section of
the fuselage and sliding out the engine. This obviated the need for access
doors with their hinges and latches further reducing weight and complexity. This
is the opposite of what can often happen in aircraft design where a small
weight increase in one area leads to a compounding increase in weight in other
areas to compensate, creating a demand for more powerful, heavier engines,
larger wing and empennage area, and so on in a vicious circle.
The A-4 pioneered the concept of "buddy"
air-to-air refueling. This allows the aircraft to supply others of the same
type, reducing the need for dedicated tanker aircrafta particular advantage
for small air arms or when operating in remote locations. This allows for
greatly improved operational flexibility and reassurance against the loss or
malfunction of tanker aircraft, though this procedure reduces the effective
combat force on board the carrier. A designated supply A-4 would mount a
center-mounted "buddy store", a large external fuel tank with a hose
reel in the aft section and an extensible drogue refueling bucket. This
aircraft was fueled up without armament and launched first. Attack aircraft
would be armed to the maximum and given as much fuel as was allowable by
maximum takeoff weight limits, far less than a full tank. Once airborne, they
would then proceed to top off their fuel tanks from the tanker using the A-4's
fixed refueling probe on the starboard side of the aircraft nose. They could
then sortie with both full armament and fuel loads. The A-4 was rarely used for
refueling in U.S. service after the KA-3 Skywarrior tanker became available
aboard the larger carriers. The versatility of the capability and the retirement
of the Skywarrior meant that the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet now includes
this capability.
The A-4 was also designed to be able to make an emergency
landing, in the event of a hydraulic failure, on the two drop tanks nearly
always carried by these aircraft. Such landings resulted in only minor damage
to the nose of the aircraft which could be repaired in less than an hour.
The Navy issued a contract for the type on 12 June
1952,12 and the first prototype first flew from Edwards Air Force Base,
California on 22 June 1954.13 Deliveries to Navy and Marine Corps squadrons (to
VA-72 and VMA-224 respectively) commenced in late 1956.
The Skyhawk remained in production until 1979, with 2,960
aircraft built, including 555 two-seat trainers.15 The last production A-4, an
A-4M of Marine squadron VMA-331 had the flags of all nations that operated the
A-4 painted on its fuselage sides.
The Skyhawk proved to be a relatively common United
States Navy aircraft export of the postwar era. Due to its small size, it could
be operated from the older, smaller World War II-era aircraft carriers still
used by many smaller navies during the 1960s. These older ships were often
unable to accommodate newer Navy fighters such as the F-4 Phantom II and F-8
Crusader, which were faster and more capable than the A-4, but significantly
larger and heavier than older naval fighters.
The Navy operated the A-4 in both Regular Navy and Naval
Reserve light attack squadrons (VA). Although the A-4's use as a training and
adversary aircraft would continue well into the 1990s, the Navy began removing
the aircraft from its frontline attack squadrons in 1967, with the last ones
(Super Foxes of VA-55/212/164) being retired in 1976.
The Marine Corps would not take the U.S. Navy's replacement
warplane, the LTV A-7 Corsair II, instead keeping Skyhawks in service with both
Regular Marine Corps and Marine Corps Reserve attack squadrons (VMA), and
ordering the new A-4M model. The last USMC Skyhawk was delivered in 1979, and
they were used until the mid-1980s before they were replaced by the equally
small, but more versatile STOVL AV-8 Harrier II.
VMA-131, Marine Aircraft Group 49 (the Diamondbacks)
retired its last four OA-4Ms on 22 June 1994. Trainer versions of the Skyhawk
remained in Navy service, however, finding a new lease on life with the advent
of "adversary training", where the nimble A-4 was used as a stand-in
for the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 in dissimilar air combat training (DACT). It
served in that role at TOPGUN until 1999.
The A-4's nimble performance also made it suitable to
replace the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II when the Navy downsized its
aircraft for the Blue Angels demonstration team, until McDonnell Douglas F/A-18
Hornets were available in the 1980s. The last U.S. Navy Skyhawks, TA-4J models
belonging to the composite squadron VC-8, remained in military use for target
towing, and as adversary aircraft, for combat training at Naval Station
Roosevelt Roads. These aircraft were officially retired on 3 May 2003.
Skyhawks were well loved by their crews for being tough
and agile. These attributes, along with their low purchase and operating cost
as well as easy maintenance, have contributed to the popularity of the A-4 with
American and international armed forces. Besides the U.S., at least three other
nations have used A-4 Skyhawks in combat (Argentina, Israel, and Kuwait).
Skyhawks were the U.S. Navy's primary light attack
aircraft used over North Vietnam during the early years of the Vietnam War;
they were later supplanted by the A-7 Corsair II in the U.S. Navy light attack
role. Skyhawks carried out some of the first air strikes by the US during the
conflict, and a Marine Skyhawk is believed to have dropped the last American
bombs on the country. Notable naval aviators who flew the Skyhawk included
Lieutenant Commanders Everett Alvarez, Jr. and John McCain, and Commander James
Stockdale. On 1 May 1967, an A-4C Skyhawk piloted by Lieutenant Commander
Theodore R. Swartz of VA-76 aboard the carrier USS Bon Homme Richard, shot down
a North Vietnamese Air Force MiG-17 with an unguided Zuni rocket as the
Skyhawk's only air-to-air victory of the Vietnam War.
From 1956 on, Navy Skyhawks were the first aircraft to be
deployed outside of the U.S. armed with the AIM-9 Sidewinder.19 On strike
missions, which was the Skyhawk's normal role, the air-to-air armament was for
self-defense purposes.
In the early to mid-1960s, standard U.S. Navy A-4B
Skyhawk squadrons were assigned to provide fighter protection for
anti-submarine warfare aircraft operating from some Essex-class U.S.
anti-submarine warfare carriers, these aircraft retained their ground- and
sea-attack capabilities. The A-4B model did not have an air-to-air radar, and
it required visual identification of targets and guidance from either ships in
the fleet or an airborne Grumman E-1 Tracer AEW aircraft.
Lightweight and safer to land on smaller decks, Skyhawks
would later also play a similar role flying from Australian, Argentinean, and
Brazilian upgraded World War II surplus light ASW carriers, which were unable
to operate most large modern fighters.2021 Primary air-to-air armament
consisted of the internal 20 mm (.79 in) Colt cannons and ability to carry an
AIM-9 Sidewinder missile on both underwing hardpoints, later additions of two
more underwing hardpoints on some aircraft made for a total capacity of four
AAMs.
The first combat loss of an A-4 occurred on 5 August
1964, when Lieutenant junior grade Everett Alvarez, of VA-144 aboard USS
Constellation, was shot down while attacking enemy torpedo boats in North
Vietnam. Alvarez safely ejected after being hit by anti-aircraft artillery
(AAA) fire, and became the first US Naval POW of the war; he was released as a
POW on 12 February 1973. The last A-4 loss in the Vietnam War occurred on 26
September 1972, when USMC pilot Captain James P. Walsh, USMC of VMA-211, flying
close air support from Bien Hoa Air Base, South Vietnam, was hit by ground fire
during the Battle of An Lộc. Captain Walsh ejected safely and was the last U.S.
Marine to be taken prisoner during the war. He was released as a POW on 12
February 1973.
Although the first A-4Es were flown in Vietnam in early
1965, the A-4Cs continued to be used until late 1970. On 1 June 1965, the Chu
Lai Short Airfield for Tactical Support (SATS) was officially opened with the
arrival of eight A-4 Skyhawks from Cubi Point, Philippine Islands. The group
landed with the aid of arresting cables, refueled and took off with the aid of
JATO, with fuel and bombs to support Marine combat units. The Skyhawks were
from Marine Attack Squadron VMA-225 and VMA-311.
On 29 July 1967, the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal was
conducting combat operations in the Gulf of Tonkin during the Vietnam War. A
Zuni rocket misfired, striking an external tank on an A-4. Fuel from the
leaking tank caught fire, creating a massive conflagration that burned for
hours, killing 134 sailors, and injuring 161.
During the war, 362 A-4/TA-4F Skyhawks were lost due to
all causes. The U.S. Navy lost 271 A-4s, the U.S. Marine Corps lost 81 A-4s and
10 TA-4Fs. A total of 32 A-4s were lost to surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), and
one A-4 was lost in aerial combat to a MiG-17 on 25 April 1967.
The A-4 Skyhawk, in the two-seat TA-4J configuration, was
introduced to a training role replacing the TF-9J Cougar. The TA-4J served as
the advanced jet trainer in white and orange markings for decades until being
replaced by the T-45 Goshawk. Additional TA-4Js were assigned to Instrument
Training RAGs at all the Navy master jet bases under RCVW-12 and RCVW-4. The
Instrument RAGs initially provided jet transition training for Naval Aviators
during the time period when Naval Aviation still had a great number of
propeller-driven aircraft and also provided annual instrument training and
check rides for Naval Aviators. The assigned TA-4J models were installed with
collapsible hoods so the aviator under training had to demonstrate instrument
flying skills without any outside reference. These units were VF-126 at NAS
Miramar, California; VA-127 (later VFA-127; NAS FALLON, NV) at NAS Lemoore,
California; VF-43 at NAS Oceana, Virginia; and VA-45 (later VF-45) at NAS Cecil
Field, Florida until its later move to NAS Key West, Florida.
Additional single-seat A-4 Skyhawks were also assigned to
composite squadrons (VC) worldwide to provide training and other services to
deployed units. These included VC-1 at NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii; VC-7 at NAS
Miramar, California; VC-5 at NAS Cubi Point, Republic of the Philippines; VC-8
at NS Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico; VC-10 at NAVBASE Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and
Naval Reserve squadrons VC-12 (later VFC-12) at NAS Oceana, Virginia and VC-13
(later VFC-13) at NAS Miramar, California until its later move to NAS Fallon,
Nevada.
With renewed emphasis on Air Combat Maneuvering (ACM)
training brought on with the establishment of the Navy Fighter Weapons School
(TOPGUN) in 1969, the availability of A-4 Skyhawks in both the Instrument RAGs
and Composite Squadrons at the master jet bases presented a ready resource of
the nimble Skyhawks that had become the TOPGUN preferred surrogate for the
MiG-17. At the time, the F-4 Phantom was just beginning to be exploited to its full
potential as a fighter and had not performed as well as expected against the
smaller North Vietnamese MiG-17 and MiG-21 opponents. TOPGUN introduced the
notion of dissimilar air combat training (DACT) using modified A-4E/Fs.
Modified aircraft, called "Mongoose", lost the dorsal hump, the 20 mm
cannon with their ammo systems, and the external stores, although sometimes the
centerline station was kept. The slats were fixed.26
The small size of the Skyhawk and superb low speed
handling in the hands of a well trained aviator made it ideal to teach fleet
aviators the finer points of DACT. The squadrons eventually began to display
vivid threat type paint schemes signifying their transition into the primary
role of Adversary training. To better perform the Adversary role, single-seat
A-4E and F models were introduced into the role, but the ultimate adversary
Skyhawk was the Super Fox, which was equipped with the uprated J52-P-408
engine. This variant had entered service in 1974 with VA-55/VA-164/VA-212 on the
final USS Hancock cruise and had been the variant that the Blue Angels had
selected in 1973.
The surplus of former USMC Skyhawks resulted in A-4M
versions being used by both VF-126 and TOPGUN. Even though the A-4 was
augmented by the F-5E, F-21 (Kfir), F-16, and F/A-18 in the adversary role, the
A-4 remained a viable threat surrogate until it was retired by VF-43 in 1993
and shortly thereafter by VFC-12. The last A-4 fleet operators were VC-8, which
retired its Skyhawks in 2003.
The A-4M was also operated by the Operations Maintenance
Detachment (OMD) in an adversary role based at NAS Dallas, Texas for the Naval
Air Reserve. Many of the aviators that flew the four jets were attached to NAS
Dallas, including the Commanding Officer of the air station. The aircraft were
instrumental in training and development of Air Combat Maneuvers (ACM) for
Naval Air Reserve fighter squadrons VF-201 and VF-202 flying the F-4 Phantom II
and later the Grumman F-14 Tomcat. The unit also completed several missions
involving target towing to NAS Key West, Florida; NAS Kingsville, Texas, and
deployments to NAS Miramar, California and NAS Fallon, Nevada for adversary
support. The detachment was under the operational command of the Commander
Fleet Logistics Support Wing (CFLSW), also based at NAS Dallas.
Israel was the largest export customer for Skyhawks. The
Skyhawk was the first U.S. warplane to be offered to the Israeli Air Force,
marking the point where the U.S. took over from France as Israel's chief
military supplier. Deliveries began after the Six-Day War, and A-4s soon formed
the backbone of the IAF's ground-attack force. In IAF Service, the A-4 Skyhawk
was named as the Ayit (Hebrew: עיט, for Eagle).27
They cost only a quarter of what a Phantom II cost and
carried more bombs. Starting in 1966, Israel purchased 217 A-4s, plus another
46 that were transferred from U.S. units in Operation Nickel Grass to
compensate for large losses during the Yom Kippur War.
In the late 1960s and 1970s, Israeli Air Force Skyhawks
were the primary ground attack aircraft in the War of Attrition and the Yom
Kippur War. Skyhawks carried out bombing missions in the Yom Kippur War, and a
considerable proportion of the tactical sorties. ACIG.org claims that at least
9 A-4 Skyhawks were downed by MiG-21s and MiG-17s during Yom Kippur war.293031
Formal Israeli sources claim only five Israeli Air Force aircraft, of any type,
were shot down in air-to-air duels.32
In May 1970, an Israeli Skyhawk piloted by Col. Ezra
Dotan shot down two MiG-17s over south Lebanon (one with unguided rockets, the
other with 30mm cannon fire) even though the Skyhawk's heads-up display has no
"air-to-air mode". However, up to three Skyhawks were downed by
Egyptian MiG-21 fighters, plus two were downed by Soviet-piloted MiG-21s during
the War of Attrition.
A special version of the A-4 was developed for the IAF,
the A-4H. This was an A-4E which featured improved avionics and the improved
thrust J52-P-8A engine. Armament consisted of twin DEFA 30 mm cannon in place
of the Colt Mk.12 20 mm cannons. Later modifications included the avionics hump
and an extended tailpipe, implemented in Israel by IAI. The extended tailpipe
gave greater protection against heat-seeking surface-to-air missiles. A total
of 90 A-4Hs were delivered, and were Heyl Ha'avir's (Israels Air Force) primary
attack plane in the War of Attrition.
In early 1973, the improved A-4N Skyhawk for Israel
entered service, based on the A-4M models used by the U.S. Marine Corps. The
different model Skyhawks carried out bombing missions in the Yom Kippur War,
and a considerable proportion of the tactical sorties. They also attacked in
Operation Peace for the Galilee, and one of them shot down a Syrian MiG-17.
The IAF also operated two-seat models, for operations as
well as advanced training and retraining. The first training models arrived in
1967, with the first batch of Skyhawks. During the Yom Kippur war, the Skyhawk
order of battle was reinforced with TA-4F and TA-4J models.28 The IAF selected
in 2003 RADA Electronic Industries Ltd. to upgrade its A-4 trainer fleet with
weapon delivery, navigation and training systems. Integration of a
multifunction and Head-up Display produced an advanced Lead in fighter trainer
for the IAF's future fighter pilots.
According to acig.org, two Israeli A-4 Skyhawks were
downed by Syrian MiG-23s over northern Lebanon On 26 April 1981. Official
Israeli Air Force statistics do not list any downing of Israeli warplanes since
the Yom Kippur War.
During the 1982 Lebanon War an Israeli A-4 piloted by Aharon
Achiaz was shot down over Lebanon by a SA-7 on 6 June 1982. Israel claimed this
was one of its only two fixed-wing aircraft shot down over the Beqaa Valley
during the air battle of 6 June 1982 to 11 June 1982 where 150 aircraft took
part.
In October 2008, it was decided due to maintenance issues
that the A-4 Skyhawk fleet would be withdrawn and replaced by more modern
aircraft, able to perform equally well in the training role and, if required,
close support and interdiction missions on the battlefield.40 Some of Israel's
A-4s were later exported to Indonesia. The Skyhawks have been replaced by F-16s
in combat roles but are still used for pilot training. All the remaining A-4s
aircraft were to be fully phased out beginning by 2014 as the IAF accepts delivery
of Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master jets.4142 Skyhawks were used to drop leaflets
to Gaza in 2012.
In July 2013, Israel began a program called Teuza
(boldness) for the purpose of turning some military bases into sales lots for
obsolete IDF equipment. Older models that are not suited for Israel's modern
high-tech forces will be sold off, or sold for scrap if there are no buyers.
A-4 Skyhawk jets are among those being offered.
On 13 December 2015, all remaining Israeli A-4 Skyhawks
were retired from service. The retirement ceremony took place at Hatzerim IDF
base.
Argentina was the first foreign user of the Skyhawk and
had nearly 130 A-4s delivered since 1965. The Argentine Air Force received 25
A-4Bs in 1966 and another 25 in 1970, all refurbished in the United States by
Lockheed Service Co. prior to their delivery as A-4P, although they were still
locally known as A-4B. They had three weapon pylons and served in the 5th Air
Brigade (Spanish: V Brigada Aérea). In 1976, 25 A-4Cs were ordered to replace the
F-86 Sabres still in service in the 4th Air Brigade (Spanish: IV Brigada
Aérea). They were received as is and refurbished to flight status by Air Force
technicians at Río Cuarto, Córdoba. The C model had five weapon pylons and
could use AIM-9B Sidewinder air-to-air missiles.
The Argentine Naval Aviation also bought the Skyhawk
known as A-4Q in the form of 16 A-4Bs plus two for spare parts, modified with
five weapon pylons and to carry AIM-9B Sidewinders. They were received in 1971
to replace Grumman F9F Panther and Grumman F9F Cougar in use from the aircraft
carrier ARA Veinticinco de Mayo by the 3rd Fighter/Attack Squadron (Spanish:
3ra Escuadrilla Aeronaval de Caza y Ataque).
The U.S. placed an embargo of spare parts in 1977 due to
the Dirty War[46] backing the Humphrey-Kennedy amendment to the Foreign
Assistance Act of 1976, the Carter administration placed an embargo on the sale
of arms and spare parts to Argentina and on the training of its military
personnel (which was lifted in the 1990s under Carlos Menem's presidency when
Argentina became a major non-NATO ally). Ejection seats did not work and there
were many other mechanical faults.[48] In spite of this, A-4s still served well
in the 1982 Falklands War.
During the 1982 Falklands War, Argentina deployed 48
Skyhawk warplanes (26 A-4B, 12 A-4C and 10 A-4Q aircraft). Armed with unguided
bombs and lacking any electronic or missile self-defense, Argentine Air Force
Skyhawks sank the Type 42 destroyer Coventry and inflicted a variety of damage on
several others: Type 21 frigate Antelope (subsequently sunk during attempted
disposal of unexploded bombs), RFA Sir Galahad (subsequently scuttled as a war
grave), Type 42 Glasgow, Leander-class frigate Argonaut, Type 22 frigate
Broadsword, and RFA Sir Tristram.
Argentine Navy A-4Qs, flying from Río Grande, Tierra del
Fuego naval air station, also played a role in the bombing attacks against
British ships, destroying the Type 21 Ardent.
In all, 22 Skyhawks (10 A-4Bs, nine A-4Cs, and three
A-4Qs) were lost to all causes in the six-week-long war. These losses included
eight to British Sea Harriers, seven to ship-launched surface-to-air missiles,
four to ground-launched surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft fire
(including one to "friendly fire"), and three to crashes.
After the war, Argentine Air Force A-4Ps and A-4Cs
survivors were upgraded under the Halcón (Spanish for "falcon")
program with 30 mm (1.2 in) DEFA cannons, air-to-air missiles, and other minor
details, and merged into the 5th Air Brigade. All of these were withdrawn from
service in 1999, and they were replaced with 36 of the much-improved Lockheed
Martin OA/A-4AR Fightinghawk (rebuilt and modernised ex USMC A-4M). Several
TA-4J and A-4E airframes were also delivered under the A-4AR program, mainly
for spare parts use. The A-4AR was in service between the late 1990s and 2016
when the majority of the fleet was grounded for serviceability and age. A small
number of airframes remained in service for limited roles. Three aircraft were
lost to accidents.
In 1983, the United States vetoed the delivery by Israel
of 24 A-4Hs for the Argentine Navy as the A-4Q replacement. The A-4Qs were
finally retired in 1988.
Kuwaiti Air Force Skyhawks fought in 1991 during
Operation Desert Storm. When Iraq invaded Kuwait, the available Skyhawks flew
attack missions against the advancing Iraqi forces from deserted roads after
their bases were overrun. Twenty-four of the 29 A-4KUs that remained in service
with Kuwait (36 had been delivered in the 1970s) escaped to Saudi Arabia. The
escaped Skyhawks (along with escaped Dassault Mirage F1s) operated as the Free
Kuwait Air Force, flying 1,361 sorties during the liberation of Kuwait.[54]
Twenty-three A-4s survived the conflict and the Iraqi invasion,[55] with only
one A-4KU (KAF-828, BuNo. 160207) shot down by Iraqi radar-guided SAM on 17
January 1991. The pilot, Mohammed Mubarak, ejected and was taken prisoner.[58]
The remaining Kuwaiti Skyhawks were later sold to Brazil, where they served
aboard the aircraft carrier NAe São Paulo until prior to its decommissioning in
February 2017.
Australia
Twenty A-4G skyhawks were operated by the Royal
Australian Navy for operation from HMAS Melbourne. These aircraft were acquired
in two batches of 10 Skyhawks in 1967 and 1971, and were primarily used to
provide air defence for the fleet. Ten of the A-4Gs were destroyed in
accidents, and all of the survivors were sold to the Royal New Zealand Air
Force in 1984.
New Zealand
In 1970, 10 A-4K single-seat aircraft and 4 TA-4K were
delivered to the Royal New Zealand Air Force, joining 75 Squadron. These were
joined by 8 A-4G Skyhawk and 2 TA-4Gs from the Royal Australian Navy in 1984,
which allowed a second Skyhawk-equipped squadron, 2 Squadron, to form.[60] In
1986, Project Kahu was launched to upgrade New Zealand's Skyhawks with new
avionics, including an AN/APG-66NZ radar based on that used by the F-16, and
weapons, as a lower-cost alternative to buying new replacements. All 10 ex-RAN
and the 12 surviving original RNZAF aircraft were converted to the A-4K Kahu
standard.
In 2001 the three Air Combat Force squadrons (Nos 2, 14,
and 75) were disbanded and the Skyhawks put into storage awaiting sale. They
were maintained, with occasional servicing flights, and then moved to RNZAF
Base Woodbourne, where they were preserved in protective latex. Draken
International signed an agreement with the New Zealand government in 2012 to
purchase eight A-4Ks and associated equipment for its adversary training
services. Six were former RAN A-4G airframes which as carrier aircraft had
logged significantly fewer flying hours. These were subsequently relocated to
the U.S. at Draken's Lakeland Linder International Airport facility in
Lakeland, Florida. The other A-4K
aircraft were given to museums in New Zealand and Australia.