How might US naval aviation have evolved if the A-5 could conduct large conventional or anti-ship strikes?
Short answerA capable conventional or missile-armed A-5 could have produced an exceptionally long-range carrier strike option and retained valuable specialist capabilities.
NotesThe failed nuclear delivery system was a design problem rather than the end of the Vigilante's potential. A redesigned conventional bay or provision for anti-ship and land-attack missiles could preserve the airframe's speed and range. Combining its roughly 1,000-nautical-mile combat radius with a weapon of similar reach suggests an aggregate strike radius approaching 2,000 nautical miles. That distance would complicate an opponent's search problem and let a carrier attack without presenting an obvious position from which the defender could answer.