The Vought A-7D Corsair is a middle-weight, single-seat, tactical close air support aircraft. It was designed as a replacement for the A-4 Skyhawk and was based on the engineering successes of the F-8 Crusader. Although designed primarily as a ground attack capable of carrier-based operations aircraft, it also has limited air-to-air combat capability. The A-7D first flew on April 5 1968, and deliveries of production models began on Dec. 23, 1968.

The A-7D Corsair was derived from the basic A-7 Corsair II originally developed for the U.S. Navy. When A-7D production ended in 1976, 459 had been delivered to the U.S. Air Force. The A-7D began to arrive in Thailand during the late summer of 1972. By the end of October, the A-7D had taken over the combat close air support mission from the A-1E Skyraider. The A-7D Corsair II was built for the USAF, with one Allison TF41-A-1 turbofan, and a single 20 mm M61 Vulcan gatling cannon. 459 A-7D built.