De Havilland Albion AA-160 Intruder II

The De Havilland Albion AA-160 Intruder II is a license-built version of the Grumman A-6 Intruder II in Royal Air Force of Albion service. Identical in virtually all respects to the later-model A-6 aircraft produced for the United States, the AA-160 is produced for the RAFA as part of a cost-sharing agreement with Grumman and the United States Navy.

The A-6 was developed in response to a United States Navy requirement for an all-weather carrier-based jet attack aircraft, succeeding several older airframes. The updated A-6F airframes, while substantially similar to earlier Intruder variants, received the appellation "Intruder II" in recognition of the substantial performance and capability improvements implemented by Grumman. The aircraft lineage remains one of the oldest still in NATO service but represents one of the most effective long-range precision strike aircraft ever flown.

The appellation AA-160 Intruder is also utilized to identify several A-6E airframes seconded to Albion.

Procurement
Albion's experience during the Guyana War revealed numerous flaws in the Royal Air Force of Albion's ability to support ground troops in close quarters. While the RAFA's AF-104 Archers proved dominant in the air, Albion was forced to rely on British aircraft to provide close air support, with the RAFA's fleet of AF-105 Thunderchiefs useful primarily for high-speed bombing missions rather than lower-speed attack and patrol. Army of Albion brass complained of a "close support gap" and urged the Ministry of Defence to rectify the situation.

In 1974, the RAFA initiated the Long Range Strike Aircraft competition, intended to identify a subsonic aircraft with both exceptional ground attack capability and long range, suited both to support troops in the field and patrol Albion's vast Arctic reaches. The program dragged on interminably as several proposals came and went, but by 1978 the finalists had been narrowed down to the Panavia Tornado and the General Dynamics F-111C Aardvark. Media criticized both options heavily, with the most influential take coming from a panel of retired generals, who drafted an open letter remarking that both choices would replicate the failings of the F-105 in Guyana: Both were large supersonic aircraft better suited for high-altitude bombing rather than low-level support missions sought by the Army. The government nevertheless elected in 1980 to procure the Aardvark, placing an order for 20 aircraft.

This contract came under heavy scrutiny both for its expense and its utility, with Liberal defence critic Constantine Kravchuk notoriously commenting that the deal amounted to "throwing millions at making a white elephant fly." With procurement delayed by budgetary strains, the Aardvark, as yet unbuilt at the time, featured as a niche issue in the 1982 Alban federal election. Upon defeating the long-standing Labour government that had signed the Aardvark contract, the government of incoming Prime Minister Mark Longfield cancelled the Aardvark procurement, citing budgetary considerations and a lack of need for the aircraft.

Longfield, well known for being non-interventionist in comparison to his Liberal contemporaries, viewed the F-111C as suitable mainly for aggressive bombing actions, but recognized the need for an aircraft capable of supporting Alban troops and patrolling the north. The government promptly reopened consideration of replacing the F-105, issuing a request for proposals under the New Strike Aircraft program. The most surprising proposal came from Grumman: The company offered to provide Albion with a dozen surplus A-6E Intruder airframes ordered by the United States Marine Corps but not delivered due to budget constraints. The aircraft would be modified for Alban service by De Havilland Albion in Multnomah, in Longfield's home province.

Initially the proposal was met with doubt that the United States government would authorize export of the Intruder to a foreign buyer; the aircraft's long combat range, exceeding 1,600 kilometres with full payload, classified it as an offensive system, and the US was traditionally reluctant to part with such equipment, particularly that capable of carrying nuclear weapons. However, Albion was granted clearance to receive the A-6Es following a de-nuclearization pass-through by Grumman. The government agreed to the deal in 1983 and received the airframes in 1984, with their nuclear capabilities stripped. De Havilland, with a long history of building under license for Grumman already, worked closely with the company to equip the aircraft for land-based service, including adding de-icers and heaters to allow the Intruders to serve in the High Arctic.

Intruder II program
The A-6Es were considered an interim solution, and the Longfield government ultimately expressed interest in bolstering the fleet by engaging with the advanced A-6F Intruder II program being pursued by Grumman beginning in the mid-1980s. The A-6F would replace the Intruder's older Pratt & Whitney J52 turbojets with non-afterburning versions of the General Electric F404 turbofan, providing enormous improvements in power, fuel economy and range. The aircraft would include new avionics and some air-to-air capability, while adding two additional hardpoints. However, development of the aircraft was slowed due to the US Navy's focus on the A-12 Avenger II, sustained mainly by interest in exporting the Intruder II to Albion, West Germany and a few other potential customers considered vital to American defensive interests.

The Intruder II program received a sudden shot of life in 1990, when the A-12 was abruptly cancelled following reports that the aircraft would consume more than two-thirds of the US Navy's aviation budget. The US military pivoted to focus on the A-6F program, mitigating scrutiny of mounting costs by entering into a joint development contract in 1991 with Albion and West Germany. Five test aircraft had already flown beginning in 1987, but further refinements were made in the ensuing years, and the use of a familiar design resulted in the first A-6Fs being delivered to the US Navy in 1994 and to the RAFA in 1996. These aircraft replaced the older A-6Es and came to dominate perception of the AA-160 appellation. Cost-sharing agreements between Albion and the United States allowed for the Alban airframes to be constructed substantially by De Havilland Albion, utilizing numerous preassembled parts provided by Grumman subcontractors. Under the conditions of the agreement, all Alban aircraft were to be fully de-nuclearized, classified by the USAF as A-6F2.

By the early 2000s, advancing technology saw Grumman enter development of a more advanced version of the Intruder II, featuring an extended fuselage with provision for a third seat to manage a wider suite of electronic warfare systems and sensors. The aircraft was ordered by the RAFA, the Luftwaffe and the Salonika Republic Air Force. Deliveries to Albion began to enter service in 2012.

Advanced Intruder II design
The most current variant is the A-6H/AA-160H Intruder II, classified by Grumman and De Havilland as "Advanced Intruder II."

The AA-160H is derived from late-production EA-6B Prowler airframes retired by the US Marines and stripped of their sensitive electronic equipment, re-winged and re-tailed with the composite parts used in the A-6F. The resulting aircraft shares the A-6F's capabilities, featuring seven hardpoints, smokeless turbofans, air-to-air capability and extended range as well as Boeing-designed epoxy/composite wings. The use of the four-seat Prowler airframes, however, allowed for some features to be added in the form of a scaled-down, export-friendly version of the Prowler's electronics suite. The addition of automation measures implemented in the EA-18G Growler allows the the complement to be reduced by one, with the backseater acting as a dedicated electronic warfare officer, managing a limited suite of jammers and countermeasures. In less complex environments, this officer can be omitted, and functions can be managed in a reduced state by the navigator. The AA-160H's electronic warfare suite is not as comprehensive as that of the EA-6B or EA-18G, but includes a passive jamming system, enabling the aircraft to enter an ultra-reduced detectability mode and elude missile locks.

The addition of new engines was particularly key in meeting Alban requirements. The AA-160H is capable of an extended ferry range of close to 7,000 kilometres, and with its maximum payload it can cover a combat radius of nearly 1,900 kilometres - an extraordinary distance for a twin-engine aircraft, of enormous utility in Albion's vast Arctic holdings. As well, the AA-160H is equipped to carry the AIM-120 AMRAAM missile, allowing it to conduct air-to-air attacks against slower targets. The AA-160H remains a subsonic aircraft but can reach a little closer to 1,100 km/h at maximum speed and can cruise at around 800 km/h. As such, it is more than possible for an AA-160H to intercept Soviet Tu-95 "Bear" bombers, and the aircraft have been photographed doing so on several occasions when AF-144 Tomcats have not been available.

In keeping with US export policies, all license-built De Havilland Intruder IIs lack nuclear weapons compatibility.

Albion
Albion's initial fleet of AA-160Es was the first to see frontline combat. Six of the aircraft were transferred to AFB Baden-Soellingen as part of Albion's contribution to Operation Retain Open, the NATO effort to preserve a safe airspace over Catalonia following the Spanish breakup. While Albion formed a relatively small portion of the NATO task force, the Intruder fleet provided a unique capability in that their combat range allowed them to make it from southern Germany to Madrid with fuel to spare. Alban Intruders operated primarily at night, flying alternatively from Baden-Soellingen or from French airfields at Toulouse-Francazal and Mont-de-Marsan on missions over the Pyrenees to drop ordnance on Spanish positions near the Ebro Valley.

A notable engagement by Alban Intruders came in the middle of the 66-day conflict, when two AA-160Es launched a brazen night attack against the Spanish frigate Canarias. The two Intruders, flying from Mont-de-Marsan, approached the Canarias in the Bay of Biscay and fired Harpoon missiles from range, surprising the Spanish crew. Three of the missiles were successfully intercepted, but the fourth struck Canarias astern and destroyed her helicopter hangar and flight deck. One of the AA-160Es suffered damage from Canarias's anti-aircraft guns, but both Intruders returned to Mont-de-Marsan safely. Canarias was forced to withdraw from its station off Euskadi and drydock for repairs, removing her from the remainder of the conflict.

Alban Intruders saw combat again during the Black Revolution. Six Intruders were stationed aboard HMRAS Princess Royal, barely managing to take off from the old Essex-class carrier with lightened bomb loads to conduct strikes against South African hardline ground forces in support of the Black-led democratic resistance movement. While none were lost to enemy fire, one Intruder was lost and its crew killed after the aircraft's engine ingested a tern shortly after takeoff, causing it to crash into the ocean. The most successful action by RAFA Intruders during the conflict took place in the Northern Cape, when four AA-160Es joined an American task force in attacking South African troops out of Upington to break up force movement into Namibia.

The entry of the AA-160F into service saw the initial AA-160Es largely moved into training roles, while allowing the newly-acquired units to double as patrollers in the north. A dozen AA-160Fs were stationed with 647 Squadron out of Comox to serve as maritime patrol aircraft, with the remaining 12 stationed with 620 Squadron "Snowy Owls" at Baden-Soellingen.

An AA-160F of 647 Squadron flown by Lieutenant Owen Barton and navigator Kelly Schellenberger, operating from AFB Townshend, was largely responsible for sparking off the Shrimp War diplomatic incident between Albion and Denmark in 2000-01. The two overflew the Danish fishing vessel MV Piturnik in a dangerously low buzzing maneuver, to which a Danish sailor responded by firing a shotgun round into their aircraft's underwing. The shot did minimal damage but kicked off a series of events that raised tensions in the Arctic for a period of a few months between the two erstwhile NATO allies.

In 2003, 620 Squadron was deployed to Namibia and stationed at Karibib as part of Albion's contribution to the Angola War. The Intruder II fleet again escaped without loss of airframes, albeit not without occasional battle damage.

AA-160Fs took part in Operation Persistent Vision, bringing with them exceptional bomb carriage capability that enabled them to operate with full load from the allied West African Republic airfield at Tamale and strike targets in the vicinity of Timbuktu easily. The range and load ability of the AA-160Fs enabled them to perform precision strikes against Ansar Dine targets in the Timbuktu Zone and linger in the area to support coalition commando teams, typically requiring only a refuel en route back from tankers orbiting over Mali or Upper Volta. The efforts of AA-160Fs, coupled with those of other land-based attack aircraft from other coalition partners, were vital in breaking Ansar Dine's hold on Timbuktu and pushing the front line back into Azawad.

Operational units
Currently the AF-16- operates with the following units:


 * No. 620 Tactical Strike Squadron "Snowy Owls" - 9 Wing AFB Baden-Soellingen (12 AA-160H)
 * No. 647 Tactical Strike Squadron - 3 Wing AFB Reimer (12 AA-160H)
 * No. 648 Flight Training Squadron - 4 Wing AFB Tampere (12 AA-160F)