Designed to combat guerilla warfare, the A-37 Dragonfly was designed as a counter-insurgency (COIN) aircraft. It was based on the T-37, a prototype jet trainer first flown in 1954.
The trainer was converted into the A-37A turbojet, which, beginning in 1967 saw extensive action in Vietnam. These aircraft were all subsequently converted into the more advanced A-37B. Powered by twin J85-GE-17A engines, the Dragonfly seats two pilots side-by-side and protects them with a nylon flak curtain. To guide the pilots, the A-37B boasts a wealth of navigation and communication instruments.
Eight underwing pylons carry over 5,000 pounds of rockets, bombs, and napalm, and a GAU-2 7.62mm minigun serves as fixed armament. Noted for its light weight and ability to fly low-altitude missions, the A-37B can also take off and land on very short airstrips. Most of the Dragonflies produced were sold to the U.S. Air Force, who retired the last one in 1992.
