Why an A-6 cannot be judged apart from its air wing

Would slow A-6 Intruders be easy targets for MiG-25, MiG-31, or Su-27 interceptors?

An isolated Intruder would be vulnerable, but a carrier strike brings fighter cover, airborne warning, and electronic support; any proposed stand-off weapon changes the interception problem too.

An A-6 Intruder can be vulnerable to a fast interceptor that locates it without protection. A carrier strike, however, brings F-14 fighter cover, E-2 warning aircraft, and electronic-warfare support. The argument therefore depends on the whole air wing and how its missions are coordinated. Alex Clarke also considers a hypothetical Intruder launching a Tomahawk from hundreds of miles offshore, which would force the interceptor to search much farther out to sea. This is a proposed stand-off attack, with different demands from a bomber flying directly over a defended target. A participant maintains that a MiG-31 which actually finds the Intruder would still be dangerous.