The Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II is a carrier-based subsonic light attack aircraft initially entering service during the Vietnam War. The Corsair was also adopted by the United States Air Force, as well as the Air National Guard. The aircraft was exported to Greece in the 1970s, and Portugal and Thailand in the late 1980s.

The A-7 enjoyed the fastest and most trouble free development period of any American combat aircraft since World War II. The YA-7A made its first flight on 27 September 1965, and began to enter Navy squadron service late in 1966. The first Navy A-7 squadrons reached operational status on 1 February 1967, and began combat operations over Vietnam in December of that year with VA-147 Argonauts aboard USS Ranger. The aircraft made their first combat sortie on 4 December 1967. In the following months, VA-147 flew around 1,400 sorties losing only one aircraft.

The Navy and Air Force retired the Corsair in 1991 and the Air National Guard retired it in 1993. It remained in service in the Portuguese Air Force until 1999.

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 46 ft 1.5 in (14.06 m)
• Wingspan: 38 ft 9 in (11.81 m)
• Height: 16 ft 0.75 in (4.90 m)
• Wing area: 375 ft² (34.8 m²)
• Airfoil: NACA 65A007 root and tip
• Empty weight: 19,915 lb (9,033 kg)
• Loaded weight: 29,040 lb (13,200 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 42,000 lb (19,050 kg)
• Powerplant: 1× Allison TF41-A-1 turbofan, 14,500 lbf (64.5 kN)

• Maximum speed: 606 knots (698 mph, 1,123 km/h at sea level)
• Cruise speed: 465 knots (535 mph, 860 km/h)
• Combat radius: 621 NM (715 mi, 1,150 km)
• Ferry range: 2,485 NM (2,860 mi, 4,600 km (with 4-300 gal external tanks. Internal fuel: 1,338 US gal/10,200 lb)
• Service ceiling: 42,000 ft (12,800 m)
• Rate of climb: 15,000 ft/min (76 m/s)
• Wing loading: 77.4 lb/ft² (379 kg/m²)
• Thrust/weight: 0.50

• Guns: 1× 20 mm (0.787 in) M61 Vulcan gatling gun with 1,030 rounds
• Missiles: 2× AIM-9 Sidewinder, on one each side of fuselage
• Bombs: 20,000 lb (9,080 kg) on six external hardpoints, compatible with a wide range of general-purpose bombs, including:
  •  Up to 30× 500 lb (230 kg) Mark 82 bombs
  • Rocket pods
  • Paveway laser-guided bombs
  • AGM-45 Shrike, AGM-62 Walleye, AGM-65 Maverick, AGM-88 HARM, and GBU-15 electro-optical glide bombs
  • Up to 4× B28, B57, or B61 nuclear bomb