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'.
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