Development speed was also increased by sticking to subsonic speeds, which was a further advantage. By foregoing a supersonic capability, the airframe could be smaller, cheaper, and easier to manufacture considerably larger quantities of such an attack platform could be procured over a supersonic counterpart. According to Gunston and Gilchrist, a major finding from these studies was that a subsonic aircraft would achieve superior performance to a supersonic one. The group analyzed a total of 144 hypothetical aircraft to support their findings. In December 1962, the Sea-Based Air Strike Forces (SBASF) study group started examining detailed performance and cost evaluations on the topic. Proponents of a new attack aircraft included Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, who urged the Navy's consideration on the matter. At that time, it was not clear that the A-4 would eventually remain in production until 1979 furthermore, according to aviation authors Bill Gunston and Peter Gilchrist, some figures believed there to be an unmet requirement for a more capable attack platform that could routinely attain supersonic speeds, carry heavier payloads, and fly further than its predecessors. In 1960, officials within the United States Navy (USN) began to consider the need to replace its existing fleet of Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, a light attack aircraft. The final operator, the Hellenic Air Force, withdrew the last A-7s during 2014. The A-7 was largely replaced by newer generation fighters such as the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon and the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. The USAF and USN opted to retire their remaining examples of the type in 1991, followed by the ANG in 1993 and the Portuguese Air Force in 1999. The A-7 was also exported to Greece in the 1970s and to Portugal in the late 1980s. The type was also used to support the development of the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk. American A-7s would be used in various major conflicts, including the Invasion of Grenada, Operation El Dorado Canyon, and the Gulf War.
Improved models of the A-7 would be developed, typically adopting more powerful engines and increasingly capable avionics. Initially adopted by USN, the A-7 proved attractive to other services, soon being adopted by the United States Air Force (USAF) and the Air National Guard (ANG) to replace their aging Douglas A-1 Skyraider and North American F-100 Super Sabre fleets. Development was rapid, first flying on 26 September 1965 and entering squadron service with the USN on 1 February 1967 by the end of that year, A-7s were being deployed overseas for the Vietnam War. Following a competitive bid by Vought in response to the United States Navy's (USN) VAL (Heavier-than-air, Attack, Light) requirement, an initial contract for the type was issued on 8 February 1964. Its design was derived from the Vought F-8 Crusader in comparison with the F-8, the A-7 is both smaller and restricted to subsonic speeds, its airframe being simpler and cheaper to produce. The A-7 was developed during the early 1960s as replacement for the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. The LTV A-7 Corsair II is an American carrier-capable subsonic light attack aircraft designed and manufactured by Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV).
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