New U.S. Bomber Has Wide Range

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30901, 6 November 1965, Page 21

New U.S. Bomber Has Wide Range

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

DALLAS, Nov. 5.

America’s new Navy bomber, the A 7 Corsair 11, could hit the Communists nearly anywhere they stirred up a war, the Secretary of the Navy, Mr Paul Nitze, said yesterday.

Mr Nitze was speaking at the first public viewing of the plane at Dallas naval air station.

He said the powerful plane, which could carry bigger bomb loads over longer distances than current jet attack aircraft, should be delivered to the fleet by the second half of next year.

The bomber can fly to any point in the world from fleet aircraft carriers. “The A 7, when combined with the A 6, gives the Navy a long-legged day-night team,” Mr Nitze said. “This team will give carrier striking forces conventional attack coverage over 90 per cent of the non-Soviet land mass of the earth. “This area includes every spot likely to involve a challenge to the peace of the world.

“In recent years the nuclear superiority of the United States has caused the Communists to pursue their imperialistic aims by the manipulations of force involving limited means.

“The war they have created In Vietnam is typical. The Communists have explicitly

warned the world that this is to be their pattern for the future.

“The A 7 is a tangible and direct response to that challenge. It is, in addition, a demonstration of our decisionmaking capacity and our industrial capabilities.” Mr Nitze said the fan-jet powered plane had already been flown on 39 successful flights and 38.2 flight hours. The plane was designed, built and flown by Ling-Temco-Vought, Inc., 26 days ahead of schedule.