This circa 1976 film opens with a montage of world leaders including President Gerald R. Ford, Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev as the narrator explains how “peace often seems a respite between wars.” As a result the US must work at being prepared for conflict as “strength is the best deterrent to war.” As a result, the US remains ever vigilant with military bases established around the globe, as well as ships at sea, including aircraft carriers. While the successful operation of an aircraft carrier is a team effort, we’re told near mark 03:00, including aircraft attack squadrons assigned to the ships “to get the job done.” The best squadron, it is suggested, are those with the Grumman A-6 Intruder, and by mark 04:30 we’re finally provided with a film title: “A6E Intruder: Any Weather … Any Time.” (The A-6E, the definitive version of the Navy’s A-6 Intruder attack bomber with upgraded navigation and attack systems, was introduced in 1970 and first deployed in December 1971.) The film includes A-6 Intruder footage and on-the-spot interviews with pilots and air wing commanders who discuss the aircraft’s capabilities. The aircraft is shown flying through heavy fog and thick clouds as the narrator discusses some of the fighter’s on-board computer systems, radar, and navigation systems (mark 05:30). The aircraft is considered one of the most potent attack weapon for Vietnam War-era US Navy Carrier battle groups, we’re told. The viewer is given access to film footage of action in the air as well as in the field (mark 08:26) and a number of interviews with US Marines discussing their bombing runs. Although no aircraft is all things for all missions, says the narrator at mark 12:08, the A-6 is often the choice, in part due to its ability to carry a large weapons load, as we see additional scenes of the fighter in flight and pilots discuss maneuverability. “Readiness is what it’s all about,” states the narrator at mark 14:30, while an officer notes at mark 17:30 how, in Southeast Asia, the A-6 was the “sophisticated” aircraft needed to fight the enemy.
The Grumman A-6 Intruder was an American, twin jet-engine, mid-wing all-weather attack aircraft built by Grumman Aerospace. In service with the United States Navy and Marine Corps between 1963 and 1997, the Intruder was designed as an all-weather medium attack aircraft to replace the piston-engined Douglas A-1 Skyraider. As the A-6E was slated for retirement, its precision strike mission was taken over by the Grumman F-14 Tomcat equipped with a LANTIRN pod. From the A-6, a specialized electronic warfare derivative, the EA-6, was developed.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
