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A-7 Corsair II



A-7 Corsair II
To replace the venerable A-4 Skyhawk, the Navy chose the Ling-Tempo-Vought Corsair II from among four proposals in 1964. Within three years, tactical squadrons were flying missions over Vietnam and the A-7 would feature prominently in the Linebacker bombing campaign of 1972. With two-thirds more payload capacity than the A-4, the Corsair rapidly became the mainstay of the Fleet's light attack community in Southeast Asia.

The A-7 carried on for a quarter century wherever carriers were in action: the Mayaguez Incident, Grenada, Libya, and finally, the Gulf War of 1991. Over time, the Corsair acquired other names such as 'SLUF' ('Short, Little, Ugly, Fella'), 'the Harley', and for wary deck crews working in front the A-7's large intake, 'the Gator'.


A-7 Corsair II A-7 Corsair II A-7 Corsair II