It offered unique electronic reconnaissance capabilities in numerous Cold War-era conflicts and the Vietnam War. EA-3Bs remained in service long enough to participate in the first Gulf War in 1991. The Skywarrior was out of Navy service by September 1991, with the last USN Skywarriors retiring on 27 September 1991.

Dec 28, 2019 · The deaths of seven crew in the crash of an EA-3B during a night recovery onboard USS Nimitz in the Mediterranean rapidly solidified the effort to get the `Whale’ off the boat.

Fortunately, the A-3 (the A3D-1 and -2 had been re-designated A-3A and A-3B in September 1962 in accordance with the new Tri-Service designation system) was a remarkably adaptable aircraft and most A-3Bs were modified into KA-3B tankers …

The EA-3B Skywarrior was the largest and heaviest aircraft to regularly operate from an aircraft carrier, earning the nickname "Whale." Skywarriors began service in 1956 as a carrier-­based strategic bomber.

Mar 16, 2025 · ERA-3B: Eight RA-3B airframes upgraded for electronic aggressor missions, featuring extended tail cones and specialized pods. VA-3B: Two EA-3B aircraft adapted as VIP transports, primarily for high-ranking naval officers.

A U.S. Navy Douglas EA-3B Skywarrior (BuNo 146452) from Fleet Reconnaissance Squadron VQ-1 Det.64 World Watchers landing on the aircraft carrrier USS Constellation (CVA-64) in the South China Sea.

Designated the EA-3B in 1961, the aircraft and its crew of seven offered the fleet unique electronic reconnaissance capabilities that served the Navy well in numerous Cold War-era conflicts and crises, including the Vietnam War.

Derived from the A3D Skywarrior designed to operate from supercarriers as a nuclear bomber, the seven-seat EA-3B was the electronic recce and ECM variant. A crew of four operated the long Q-Band sideways looking ventral radar.

The ELINT version is known as the EA-3, the tanker version as the KA-3, and a radar test bed as the NRA-3B. The RA-3B featured a pressurized reconnaissance module in the area occupied by the...

The A3D-2 (A-3B) is a definitive production bomber aircraft. It is equipped with a stronger airframe with an external length of 23.27 meters, an external height of 3.3 meters, and a width of 2.1 meters.