Aviation News - February 2016 UK

that resulted in dictator Manuel Noriega

being deposed. They were one of a number

of ANG units that went to Panama over

the next few years as part of Coronet Cove

exercises.

The last American combat service for the

A-7 Corsair II was during Operation Desert

Storm in 1991 when US Navy A-7Es  ew from

the carrier USS John F Kennedy. By this

time most of the other carriers in the US Navy

inventory had replaced the A-7Es with the

McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. During

the short con ict A-7s were used in both day

and night missions deep inside Iraqi territory

and for targets in Kuwait; squadrons VA-46

and VA-72 having the distinction of carrying

out the last combat missions with the A-7E.

The USAF started to dispose of its

inventory of A-7Ds in 1974, passing the

aircraft to various ANG units across America.

However, the regular Air Force had another

somewhat special mission for the A-7. The

4450th Tactical Group headquartered at

Nellis AFB, Nevada, holds the distinction

of being the last active duty USAF unit to

operate the A-7 Corsair II. Its role was to

assist in the development of the Lockheed

F-117 Nighthawk particularly for pilot training

at Tonopah Test Range about 30 miles

(48km) southeast of the town of Tonopah in

Nevada.

Technicians and engineers in charge of

the stealth planes would use 20 A-7Ds in

place of the F-117s on the apron for orbiting

Soviet satellites to detect, while the precious

and highly classi ed F-117s were safely inside

the hangars during daylight hours. The ruse

was to convince the Soviets that Tonopah

operated nothing more exciting than old

54 Aviation News incorporating Classic Aircraft February 2016

Royal Thai Navy A-7E 160859 makes its approach to U-Tapao International Airport. The Thai A-7s were

operated by the 104th White Shark Squadron, 1st Wing before being placed in reserve in July 2007.

Marc van Zon

The YA-7F never made it into production with

its intended role  lled by the F-16 Fighting

Falcon. Two A-7Ds were converted into YA-

7Fs during development, including 71-0344.

LTV Aircraft

Oklahoma ANG A-7D 70-0976 at RAF Coningsby in June 1988. Cliff Knox

48-55_a7DC.mfDC.mfDC.mfDCDC.mf.indd 54 07/01/2016 16:18