Douglas A - 3 Skywarrior The Douglas A - 3 Skywarrior was designed as a strategic bomber for the United States Navy and was among the longest serving carrier - based aircraft in history . It entered service in the mid - 1950s and was retired in 1991 . Throughout its service , it was the heaviest operational aircraft to operate from aircraft carriers , earning its nickname , " The Whale " . Its primary function for much of its later service life was as an electronic warfare platform , tactical air reconnaissance platform , and high capacity aerial refueling tanker . A modified derivative also served in the U . S . Air Force until the early 1970s as the B - 66 Destroyer , serving as a tactical bomber , electronic warfare aircraft ( EB - 66C ) and RB - 66 reconnaissance bomber . The Skywarrior is one of only two U . S . Navy attack aircraft intended as a strategic bomber to enter service . The Martin P6M SeaMaster tested well , even though the prototype crashed , but never entered service due to the Navy fearing loss of funding for surface ships and submarines . The pending elimination of the flying boat platform from the U . S Navy also entered into the decision regarding the P6M . The carrier - based supersonic North American A - 5 Vigilante was also originally designed for strategic nuclear strike missions and initially , very briefly , supplanted the A - 3 in that role beginning in the early 1960s . However , with the removal of aircraft carriers from the Single Integrated Operational Plan ( SIOP ) , the realization that very high altitude penetration of the Soviet Union was no longer feasible ( which also caused the cancellation of the North American B - 70 Valkyrie program ) and the transfer of the U . S . Navy ' s strategic nuclear deterrence mission to the Fleet Ballistic Missile submarine force , the Vigilante also saw its mission changed , in its case to carrier - based tactical air reconnaissance . Development . Early in World War II , the U . S . Navy began to explore the concept of a jet - powered aircraft operating from aircraft carriers . Success encouraged further development of the concept , and early in the post war years , the U . S . Navy began to consider jet power as a possible means of operating carrier - based aircraft that were large enough to provide a strategic bombing capability . In January 1948 , the Chief of Naval Operations issued a requirement to develop a long - range , carrier - based attack plane that could deliver a 10 , 000 lb ( 4 , 536 kg ) bomb load or a nuclear weapon . The aircraft was planned to operate from the proposed " United States " - class " supercarrier s " , much larger than existing carriers , and the specification set a target loaded weight of 100 , 000 lb ( 45 , 500 kg ) . Ed Heinemann , chief designer of the Douglas Aircraft Company , later to win fame for the A - 4 Skyhawk , fearing that the " United States " - class was vulnerable to cancellation , proposed a significantly smaller aircraft of 68 , 000 lb ( 31 , 000 kg ) loaded weight , capable of operating from existing carriers . The contract which the U . S . Navy awarded to the Douglas Aircraft Company on 29 September 1949 led to the development and production of the A3D Skywarrior . The prototype XA3D - 1 first flew on 28 October 1952 . Considerable development problems , largely with the original engines , delayed the introduction of the Skywarrior until spring 1956 . The A - 3 was , by far , the largest and heaviest aircraft ever designed for routine use on an aircraft carrier , though ironically it was the smallest proposal among other proposals which could only be deployed on even larger carriers not yet in service . Because of its cumbersome size , and less - than - slender profile , it was nicknamed " The Whale " ( after it converted to the electronic warfare role , it became " The Electric Whale " ) . Production ceased in 1961 . Design . The Skywarrior had a 36° degree swept wing and two Pratt & Whitney J57 turbojet engines . Early prototypes had used the intended Westinghouse J40 , a powerplant that proved to be disastrous and subsequently canceled . The turbojets could be supplemented by a provision for twelve 4 , 500 lbf ( 20 kN ) thrust JATO bottles , allowing takeoff from carriers that did not have catapult s . The aircraft had a largely conventional semi - monocoque fuselage , with the engines in underwing nacelles . Flight controls were hydraulic , and for storage below deck , the A - 3 ' s wings folded outboard of the engines , lying almost flat , and its vertical stabilizer was hinged to starboard . Capacious internal fuel tanks provided long range . The early A - 3 variants had a crew of three : pilot , bombardier / navigator ( BN ) and crewman / navigator ( aka : third crewman ) . An unusual cockpit configuration was incorporated with the three crew sitting under a framed canopy . In the raised compartment , the pilot and bombardier / navigator sat in a side - by - side arrangement with the pilot ' s station on port side having full flight controls . On initial variants , a third crew member , who also acted as a gunner for the twin tail - mounted 20mm cannons that briefly equipped the original bomber version of the A3D / A - 3A ( removed and replaced by ECM equipment ) , sat behind the pilot in an aft - facing seat . The third crewman station had the sextant for celestial navigation and the defensive electronic counter measures equipment . Later electronic reconnaissance variants could accommodate a crew of seven with flight crew consisting of a pilot , co - pilot and navigator plus four electronic systems operators occupying stations in the former bomb bay in the spacious fuselage . Efforts to reduce weight had led to the deletion of ejection seats during the design process for the Skywarrior , based on the assumption that most flights would be at high altitude . A similar arrangement with an escape tunnel had been used on the F3D Skyknight . Aircrews began joking morbidly that " A3D " stood for " All Three Dead . " ( In 1973 , the widow of a Skywarrior crewman killed over Vietnam sued the McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Company for not providing ejection seats in the A - 3 . ) In contrast , the US Air Force ' s B - 66 Destroyer was equipped with ejection seats throughout its service life . Documented history of mechanical failures in the A3D / A - 3 showed a rate well above average . While there were magazine articles that conjectured that the safety problem was compounded by assigning weaker pilots to slower jets like the A - 3 , during their heyday , Skywarrior pilots were often " best - of - the - best " and were , with few exceptions , senior pilots with a minimum of 1500 hours jet time , due to its critical nuclear strike mission role and the difficulty of bringing such a large plane aboard , especially at night on the smaller carriers . Originally , the A3 bombers were assigned to all the attack carriers which included the WWII CVA - 27 class and the just postwar CVA41 class . The Skywarrior could carry up to 12 , 000 lb ( 5 , 443 kg ) of weaponry in the fuselage bomb bay , which in later versions was used for sensor and camera equipment or additional fuel tanks . An AN / ASB - 1A bomb - director system was initially installed , later replaced by a revised AN / ASB - 7 with a slightly reshaped nose . Defensive armament was two 20mm cannons in a radar - operated tail turret designed by Westinghouse , soon removed in favor of electronic counter measure equipment . Although some bombing missions would be carried out early in the Vietnam war , most bombing would be carried out by more nimble attack and fighter bombers , and the Skywarrior would serve mostly as a tanker and electronic warfare support aircraft . Operational history . Nuclear bomber . Prior to the initial operational capability of the U . S . Navy ' s Polaris - armed Fleet Ballistic Missile submarines , the A - 3 was the Navy ' s critical element in the U . S . nuclear deterrent . Squadrons were established in two Heavy Attack Wings ( HATWINGs ) , with one wing established at NAS Whidbey Island , Washington while the other wing was initially established at NAS Jacksonville , Florida before relocating to NAS Sanford , Florida . The wing at NAS Whidbey Island would later transition to the EKA - 3B variant , eventually forming the nucleus for the Navy ' s Grumman EA - 6B Prowler community , while the wing at NAS Sanford would convert to the A3J Vigilante in the nuclear heavy attack mission , followed by conversion to the RA - 5C and transition to the reconnaissance attack mission . The Vigilante wing would also continue to retain a small number of TA - 3B aircraft for training Naval Flight Officer s in the Vigilante ' s radar and navigation systems . The Skywarrior ' s strategic bombing role faded after 1964 , briefly being complemented by the A3J Vigilante , ( later redesignated as the A - 5A Vigilante ) . Soon afterward , the Navy abandoned the concept of carrier - based strategic nuclear weaponry for the successful Polaris missile - equipped Fleet Ballistic Missile submarine program and all A - 5As were converted to the RA - 5C Vigilante reconnaissance variant . Many A3B ' s were converted to a combination tanker - ECM aircraft . Vietnam . Skywarriors saw some use in the conventional bombing and mine - laying role ( A - 3B ) during the Vietnam War from 1964 through 1967 , often to deliver the 2000 lbs bombs . The A - 3 found subsequent service in the tanker ( KA - 3B , EKA - 3B ) , photographic reconnaissance ( RA - 3B ) , electronic reconnaissance ( EA - 3B ) , and electronic warfare ( EKA - 3B ) roles . Equipped with a drogue refueling hose and basket that was compatible with the " probe and drogue " refueling systems of all U . S . Navy , U . S . Marine Corps and some U . S . Air Force tactical jets , the Skywarrior would not only extend the range of a strike force , but save returning pilots short on fuel , much like the larger and more well known Air Force Boeing KC - 135 Stratotanker . For most of the Vietnam War , EA - 3Bs of Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron 1 ( VQ - 1 ) flew from Da Nang Air Base in South Vietnam , providing continuous electronic reconnaissance capability over the area , including the so - called Ho Chi Minh trail and all the way north to Haiphong harbor . This was known as VQ - 1 " Det . B " . The aircrew and ground support personnel were TAD from their home base at NAS Atsugi , Japan and after 1970 , NAS Agana , Guam . After Det B was disestablished , VQ - 1 provided detachments of two EA - 3B aircraft that deployed with Western Pacific and Indian Ocean ( WESTPAC / IO ) bound aircraft carrier battle groups up until the late 1980s when it was replaced by the Lockheed ES - 3A Shadow . In addition , a version of the A - 3B was modified into the RA - 3B and used in Vietnam as a photo reconnaissance aircraft . Heavy Photographic Squadron 61 ( VAP - 61 ) at NAS Agana , Guam and sister squadron VAP - 62 at NAS Jacksonville , Florida furnished crews and flew out of Da Nang AB performing mapping and intelligence gathering flight over the Southeast Asia area . With 12 camera stations the RA - 3B was well equipped to perform cartographic mapping of areas where no detail maps existed . With IR gear installed , the RA - 3B was used at night to monitor the movement of troops down roads and trails in Laos . Other locations included Det Tango at Don Muang Royal Thai Air Force Base in Bangkok , Thailand , Det Southpaw at RAAF Base Townsville , Australia , as well as work out of Osan Air Base , South Korea . Tanker role . During Vietnam , the Skywarrior was modified into a multimission tanker variant , the EKA - 3B , that was a real workhorse for the carrier air wing . A - 3 attack aircraft were modified to KA - 3B tankers . Electronic jamming equipment was added without removing tanker capability so the EKA - 3B could jam enemy radar while waiting to refuel tactical aircraft . Buddy tanking using A - 4 Skyhawks and A - 7 Corsair IIs , and inflight refueling using A - 3 Skywarriors was utilized by the U . S . Navy in the Vietnam theater of operations from at least 1966 through 1973 . Eventually , the EKA - 3B was replaced by the smaller dedicated Grumman KA - 6D Intruder tanker , which although it had less capacity and endurance , was deployed in greater numbers within the carrier ' s air wing . Two additional Naval Reserve units were established in the early 1970s as air refueling squadrons , VAK - 208 and VAK - 308 , at NAS Alameda , California . Both units operated aircraft with electronic warfare equipment removed and were redesignated as KA - 3Bs . VAK - 208 and VAK - 308 were decommissioned in the early 1990s . Cold War . The EA - 3 variant was an indispensable resource for the Fleet Commander and was used in critical electronic intelligence ( ELINT ) roles operating from aircraft carrier decks and ashore supplementing the larger Lockheed EP - 3 . Its last service was as an ELINT platform during Desert Storm . Reconnaissance . The EA - 3B variant was modified for electronic intelligence against the Warsaw Pact . Missions were flown around the globe beginning in 1956 , with the U . S . Air Force EB - 47 Stratojet flying a similar mission . The EA - 3B carried a crew of seven , with flight crew of three in the cockpit and an Electronic Warfare Officer and three electronic systems operators / evaluators in the converted weapons bay . It offered unique electronic reconnaissance capabilities in numerous Cold War - era conflicts and the Vietnam War . Retirement . EA - 3Bs survived long enough to participate in the first Gulf War in 1991 , although the Skywarrior was out of Navy service by September 1991 . For more than three decades , the 282 Skywarriors the U . S . Navy procured served effectively in many roles with the last USN Skywarriors retiring on 27 September 1991 . U . S . Navy RDT & E units , notably Naval Air Systems Command ( NAVAIR ) activities at NAS Point Mugu and NAWS China Lake , attempted to retain their A - 3 testbeds . This plan ultimately failed when Vice Admiral Richard Dunleavy , as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Air Warfare and an old A - 3 bombardier / navigator himself , made the final decision to retire the type . Post - retirement career . In an agreement Hughes Aircraft had with the U . S . Navy , at least one A - 3 aircraft was retained in inviolate storage at Davis - Monthan AFB for long term support for major structural parts . Westinghouse also operated an A - 3 in a similar arrangement . The NAVAIR Weapons System Manager , who participated in the drafting of the contract , saw that support as no longer possible and Hughes was contacted to meet with Westinghouse and Raytheon to finalize plans for the support shutdown of the aircraft . At the last Integrated Logistics meeting at NAS Alameda , California , both Raytheon and Hughes indicated their willingness to obtain fleet A - 3 Skywarrior assets instead of sending them to Davis - Monthan AFB , Arizona , thereby saving the airframes from destruction and saving the US Navy the cost of storage at AMARC . As the plan matured , two other contractors , Thunderbird Aviation and CTAS also elected to participate in similar agreements . The fleet spares from ASO were distributed between the contractors evenly , and warehouses were emptied all over the US . Unfortunately , due to misunderstandings and reorganizations within the US Navy , the world - wide ASO assets were scrapped , not getting to the contractors . In early 1993 , CTAS decided that they no longer had use for their aircraft , and Hughes had several programs needing additional assets . In early 1994 , a US Air Force program decided to modify an A - 3 for F - 15 radar tests , and the only available airframe was stored at NAS Alameda since the fleet shutdown . Hughes added that aircraft to the bailment , and ferried the aircraft to Van Nuys for modifications . An entire nose section was removed from a stricken F - 15B at AMARC at Davis - Monthan AFB , Arizona and grafted onto the front of the aircraft . Racks and equipment were installed in the cabin , and the aircraft was utilized by Hughes and the USAF for F - 15 software development . In 1994 , Westinghouse decided to terminate their agreement with the Navy , and Thunderbird added their aircraft to the Thunderbird bailment . In 1996 , Thunderbird Aviation went into receivership , and Hughes , through mutual cost savings to the government , added the Thunderbird assets to the contract , prepping them for ferry at Deer Valley airport , and relocating them to Mojave , California and Tucson , Arizona for long - term storage . In December 1996 , Raytheon bought the aerospace units of Hughes Aircraft Company . Hughes Aeronautical Operations , now a part of Raytheon Systems , continued to operate the A - 3s from their base at Van Nuys Airport , California . These aircraft have participated at several military air shows , telling visitors that the plane continued to be valuable for its load capacity compared to corporate jets , and its performance compared to small airliners . On 30 June 2011 , the last flyable EA - 3D ( N875RS ) a Raytheon aircraft , arrived at NAS Pensacola , Florida for retirement and display at the National Naval Aviation Museum . Variants . " Note : under the original Navy designation scheme , the Skywarrior was designated A3D ( third Attack aircraft from Douglas Aircraft ) . In September 1962 , the new Tri - Services designation system was implemented and the aircraft was redesignated A - 3 . Where applicable , pre - 1962 designations are listed first , post - 1962 designations in parentheses . " B - 66 Destroyer . The U . S . Air Force ordered 294 examples of the derivative B - 66 Destroyer , most of which were used in the reconnaissance and electronic warfare roles . The Destroyer was fitted with ejection seats .