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North American A-5 Vigilante Supersonic Carrier Aircraft Family

The North American A-5 Vigilante was a supersonic carrier aircraft that entered service as the A3J/A-5A and evolved into the RA-5C reconnaissance platform. Its high-speed design and sophisticated sensors gave the U.S. Navy a distinctive carrier-based reconnaissance capability during the Vietnam era; a surviving A-5A also supported NASA supersonic-transport research.

North American A-5 Vigilante Supersonic Carrier Aircraft Family
U.S. Navy (via Wikimedia Commons) · Public domain; official-duty U.S. Navy/U.S. federal work, Public Domain Mark 1.0; source metadata preserved. · Source
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Identity

Aliases
A3J VigilanteA-5 VigilanteRA-5C VigilanteVigilante
Family Name
North American A-5 Vigilante
Full Name
North American A-5 Vigilante Supersonic Carrier Aircraft Family
Roles
militaryresearch
Status
retired
Type
aircraft

Details

Aircraft Specs
Configuration
fixed_wing
Operating Modes
land
Takeoff Landing Capabilities
conventional
Description
The North American A-5 Vigilante was a supersonic carrier aircraft that entered service as the A3J/A-5A and evolved into the RA-5C reconnaissance platform. Its high-speed design and sophisticated sensors gave the U.S. Navy a distinctive carrier-based reconnaissance capability during the Vietnam era; a surviving A-5A also supported NASA supersonic-transport research.
First Flight Year
1,958
Manufacturer

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Creation Time
August 7, 2026 at 07:27:13 UTC
Updated Time
August 23, 2026 at 01:30:08 UTC