One of the longer lived USN aircraft types was the A-3 Skywarrior. Developed as the Navy's answer to a nuclear deterrent (basically so the USAF wouldn't get all the defense dollars), it was, like most of the other aircraft designed for the job (like the P2V Neptune and AJ Savage), understood that it would probably be a one way trip. However, thanks to an auspicious change from the pathetic J-40 to J-57 turbojets, an aircraft that had great performance and speed. It was decided not to incorporate ejection seats into the design, probably one of the last tactical aircraft so flown, and there were times when this turned out to be a mistake. The Skywarrior was also the heaviest aircraft to normally operate from an aircraft carrier.

When the Vietnam War was underway, all the fleet carriers had either a full Skywarrior squadron or, in the case of the 27C Essex classes, a detachment of the planes. These aircraft carried out bombing missions during the early years, many of these being dive bombing events, something the plane was not designed to do, but which, with a bit of ingenuity, they carried out successfully. They were also fitted with a tanker package and once it got too 'hot' for the Skywarrior, this is what they did most of the time.

Relatively early on it was realized that what the Navy needed was more electronic warfare aircraft. These would be basically jammers that could detect incoming 'bad guy' radar emissions from their radar controlled SAM sites and AAA. Thus was born the EKA-3B. These planes had large blisters on the fuselage sides to hold antennas for the equipment as well as a canoe attached to one bomb bay door that held steerable antennas. At the back of the bomb bay was the tanker package while the front held the jamming transmitters as well as chaff dispensers when those were required. These latter two items were held by the standard bomb racks in the top of the fuselage that were originally designed to hold nuclear bombs. The idea was for these planes to accompany a strike and jam enemy defenses. What is little known is that an A-3/A-4 combo performed the first SAM suppression mission of the war with the Skywarrior locking onto the SAM site's radar and directing the Skyhawk as to where to fire its missile. This partnership was in operation several months before the USAF's Wild Weasels began operations.

Eventually the VAH squadrons were gone with their aircraft converted into either KA-3 or EKA-3 aircraft. It was with the EKA-3B that VAQ squadrons were born. This also moved Skywarrior assets from Whidbey Island to Alameda where your editor joined VAQ-130 det 2 and later det 4 in the last year of Skywarrior operations. Once the EA-6B came on line the EKA-3B lost its mission and the planes either went to the Reserves or the boneyard.

Skywarriors were built in two major types. The A/KA/EKA aircraft were all based on the bomber type with a bomb bay. Other A-3s were what is known as 'versions'. These planes had no bomb bay and the interior was taken up by seats or equipment. Versions aircraft were TA-3B, RA-3B, and EA-3B. The TA was a trainer version that was used by the RAG and also for VIP transport and by unit hacks. The RA variant was a dedicated photo recon aircraft and flew many missions during the war in areas that were not susceptible to major SAM threats. This type did not last much past the Vietnam war as there was no longer a need for it once the conflict was over. These Skywarriors were some of the few that were provided with non-standard camouflage. Finally there was the EA-3B. These planes were ELINT aircraft with four operator positions on the inside to cover the equipment needed to electronically snoop. Once your editor left VAQ-130, instead of going to EA-6Bs, his Skywarrior background led him to VQ-1, which operated these aircraft.

VQ-1 and to some small extent VQ-2, which did send planes to the Vietnam war area from time to time, performed valuable and thanks to the secrecy surrounding their missions, unhearalded aid to the war effort. VQ-1 also flew EP-3B and EC-121M aircraft, often flying close to enemy coasts with the results that two EC-121Ms were shot down, one by Chinese fighters and the other by North Korean fighters. Note that the author calls these planes EC-121Ks, which is incorrect as the Ms were solely outfitted for ELINT work. This probably comes from the author being involved with the Super Connies of VAQ-33 many years after the war, and those were the K variant. VQ-1 and VQ-2 kept their EA-3Bs into the 1990s, retiring the last planes after Destert Storm. Still, the planes kept flying in specialty roles as they could hold a lot of instrumentation. They were operated in their last years with civil registration, the last Skwarrior flying in June of 2011, that flight being one to a museum. I found this to be particularly interesting as when I joined VQ-1 in 1974, I was told that the 'Whales' would be gone in five years. So much for predictions!

In all, the Skywarrior was an important Navy asset during the Vietnam War and later as well as being an important part of my life. This book covers all of their operations with the usual pilot stories and other interesting snippets of information about the type and its missions. A book that I, obviously, enjoyed reading and I'm sure you will as well.

April 2015

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