1971-Continued
UNITED STATES NAVAL AVIATION 1910-1995
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A V-8A Harrier (VTOL) comes in for a recovery on board Guadalcanal K-89288
be procured for early issue rather than
phased in as stocks of the Mk 5 anti-
exposure suit were depleted.
29 January The Navy's newest carri-
er-based electronic warfare aircraft, the
sophisticated EA-6B Prowler, entered
service with VAQ-129 at NAS Whidbey
Island, Wash. The Prowler, a derivative
of the two-place A-6 Intruder, was
lengthened to accommodate a four-
place cockpit and replaced the A-3
Skywarrior. V AQ-129 (redesignated
from VAH-I0 in 1970) became the
replacement training squadron when it
commenced instructing aircrew and
ground support replacement personnel
for all the Navy's Prowler squadrons.
31 January Alternating on Yankee
Station, Hancock, Ranger and Kitty
Hawk flew a total of 3,214 sorties dur-
ing the month, of which 3,128 deliv-
ered ordnance in Laos. A-6 and A-7
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A-6 Intruder releasing ordnance dUljng bombing mission over Vietnam NAH-003854

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