The Navy's quest to become a viable nuclear deterrent force in the late 1950s, led it to procure the A-5A Vigilante, a high performance supersonic attack jet. The A-5's original armament was to be a single nuclear bomb contained in a linear tube centered in the middle of the aircraft and ejected rearward from an exit point between its two engine exhausts. Conventional weapons capability was tested only as an afterthought.
A prototype flew in 1956 and production started in 1959 but only 18 were built when Congress rescinded Naval Aviation's nuclear deterrence role. The Navy suddenly found itself with a superb mach two capable aircraft, having advanced avionics for pinpoint navigation, but with no mission. Conventional attack was for cheaper, expendable jets like the A-4.
Fortunately, the A-5's potential as a high speed reconnaissance platform was recognized giving birth to the RA-5C model. This became the main production Variant and entered fleet service 'in 1962. Only 140 RA-5C's were built and many served in Vietnam where 18 were lost to enemy defenses. The Vigilante was retired in 1979; replaced by F-14s with TARP capability.
RA-5C Vigilante
Mach Riders: Great Supersonic Jets of the '50s Aircraft Briefings
Back to Table of Contents -- Air Power # 15
Back to Air Power List of Issues
Back to MagWeb Magazine List
© Copyright 1991 by J.D. Webster
This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com