Cessna A-37 Dragonfly

A-37 Dragonfly
An OA-37B Dragonfly aircraft from the Illinois Air National Guard during Exercise GRANADERO I, 14 May 1984
General information
Type	Light ground-attack aircraft
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Cessna
Status	Limited service in Central American and South American air forces
Primary users	United States Air Force (historical) Republic of Vietnam Air Force (historical) Chilean Air Force (historical) Peruvian Air Force
Number built	577[1]
History
Manufactured	1963–1975
First flight	October 1964
Developed from	Cessna T-37 Tweet

The Cessna A-37 Dragonfly, or Super Tweet, is a light attack aircraft designed and produced by the American aircraft manufacturer Cessna.

It was developed during the Vietnam War in response to military interest in new counter-insurgency (COIN) aircraft to replace aging types such as the Douglas A-1 Skyraider. A formal United States Air Force (USAF) evaluation of the T-37 Tweet basic trainer for the COIN mission was conducted in late 1962, after which it was concluded that it could be modified to effectively perform the role. The attack-orientated A-37 was directly derived from the T-37, roughly doubling in both all-up weight and engine thrust to permit considerable quantities of munitions to be carried along with extended flight endurance and additional mission avionics. The prototype YAT-37D performed its maiden flight during October 1964.

While test results were positive, a production contract was not immediately forthcoming until an uptick in combat intensity and aircraft losses became apparent. An initial batch of 25 A-37As was deployed to Vietnam under the "Combat Dragon" evaluation program in August 1967, flying from Bien Hoa Air Base on various missions, including close air support, helicopter escort, FAC, and night interdiction. The type proved itself to be effective in the theater, leading to the USAF issuing a contract to Cessna for an improved Super Tweet, designated the A-37B, in early 1967. It was largely operated over South Vietnam, as well as in neighboring Laos and Cambodia, typically flying close air support missions in coordination with US ground forces. The A-37 proved to be relatively low-maintenance, accurate, and suffered relatively few combat losses.

Following the end of the conflict, the USAF's A-37Bs were transferred from the Tactical Air Command (TAC) to TAC-gained units in the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve. The type was assigned to the FAC (Forward Air Control) role and given the designation OA-37B. The type were eventually phased out in the 1980s and 1990s, having been replaced in the FAC mission by the more formidable Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II in American service. Various international operators, many of which being South American countries, also operated the A-37; it saw active use during the Salvadoran Civil War. Over 200 aircraft were also supplied to the Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF), and numerous A-37Bs would be captured by North Vietnamese forces near the conflict's end.