Aircraft & UAVs

Cessna A-37 Dragonfly

Also known as
  • A-37 Dragonfly
  • Cessna A-37
  • A-37B Dragonfly
  • Super Tweet
  • OA-37 Dragonfly

The Cessna A-37 Dragonfly was a U.S. light attack aircraft adapted from the T-37 trainer for counterinsurgency, close-air-support, interdiction, and forward-air-control work. Combat Dragon sent A-37As into Vietnam War operations in 1967, and the stronger A-37B added armor, refueling provision, more powerful J85 engines, and expanded South Vietnamese Air Force service.

Cessna A-37 Dragonfly, Light attack aircraft, Aircraft & UAVs
Image source: A-37B Dragonfly.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

Role in Conflicts

1955 Vietnam War
Fire SupportInterdictionTargeting Support
Side
United States and South Vietnam

USAF A-37As flew Combat Dragon close air support, night interdiction, and forward air control missions over South Vietnam and southern Laos; later A-37Bs were supplied to the South Vietnamese Air Force.

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
United States
Type
Light attack aircraft
Service note
1964-1992
Designer
Cessna
Designed
1964-1966
Produced
1967-1977
Number built
577 A-37Bs
Developed from
Cessna T-37 Tweet

Specifications

Crew
2
Power plant
Two General Electric J85-GE-17A turbojets, 2,850 lb thrust each
Max speed
507 mph at 16,000 ft
Range
460 miles with combat payload; up to about 1,012 miles maximum range
Ceiling
41,765 ft
Hardpoints
Eight underwing hardpoints
External stores
Hurlburt Field lists up to 4,800 lb of ordnance; March Field lists pylon capacities for bombs, rocket pods, fire bombs, cluster bombs, and SUU-11/A gun pods
Length
29 ft 3 in
Wingspan
35 ft 10 in
Height
8 ft 10 in
Weight
14,000 lb fully loaded
Armament
One 7.62mm Minigun and up to 3,000 lb of bombs, rockets, and/or missiles
Combat Dragon And A-37B Changes

Combat Dragon tested a compact jet attack aircraft in the same theater that drove the requirement: South Vietnam and the Laos border area. The production A-37B kept the small T-37-derived airframe but added protection, fuel, refueling provision, and stronger structure for sustained attack use.

Combat roles

Close air support, night interdiction, armed and visual reconnaissance, and forward air control.

Supported by the National Museum and Hurlburt Field fact sheets.

Production changes

Cockpit armor, redundant flight controls, aerial-refueling provision, strengthened airframe, and more powerful engines.

These changes distinguish the new-build A-37B from the converted A-37A evaluation aircraft.

South Vietnamese service

The USAF provided 254 A-37Bs to the South Vietnamese Air Force to replace A-1 Skyraiders.

The Royal Australian Air Force heritage page also documents A-37B use supporting Australian ground forces.

Variants

The A-37 family began with two modified T-37 prototype airframes, then moved through converted A-37A combat-evaluation aircraft to newly built A-37B and OA-37B service variants.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
YAT-37DPrototype COIN attack/reconnaissance conversion

The National Museum identifies two modified T-37 trainers evaluated from 1964 to 1966 as YAT-37D prototypes for Southeast Asia use.

Sources: Cessna A-37 Dragonfly - National Museum of the USAF

YA-37APrototype redesignation

The museum aircraft was recalled for final A-37 design testing and retired again in July 1970 as the YA-37A.

Sources: Cessna A-37 Dragonfly - National Museum of the USAF

A-37AT-37B conversion for Combat Dragon

USAF contracted Cessna to modify 39 T-37Bs into A-37As in 1967, then sent 25 to Southeast Asia for Combat Dragon evaluation.

Sources: Cessna A-37 Dragonfly - National Museum of the USAF

A-37BNew-build light attack production model

The A-37B strengthened the airframe, added cockpit armor, redundant flight controls, refueling provision, and more powerful engines; 577 were built.

Sources: Cessna A-37 Dragonfly - National Museum of the USAF, OA-37B Dragonfly - Hurlburt Field

OA-37BObservation and forward-air-control service designation

USAF reserve and Air National Guard aircraft later served as observation/attack aircraft under the OA-37B designation before U.S. retirement in the early 1990s.

Sources: Cessna A-37 Dragonfly - National Museum of the USAF, 911 ARS Red Eagles

Carried Stores

Sources document the Dragonfly's eight underwing hardpoints and representative stores for light attack, interdiction, and armed observation missions.

Carried itemItem typeCarriage evidence
AIM-9 Sidewinder missile, Short-range air-to-air missile family, MunitionsAIM-9 Sidewinder missileAir-to-air missile

The OA-37B Dragonfly fact sheet lists Sidewinder missiles as one of the aircraft's external-store loadout options.

Sources: OA-37B Dragonfly - Hurlburt Field

Mark 81 bomb, 250-pound general-purpose bomb, MunitionsMark 81 bomb250-pound bomb

March Field Air Museum lists the A-37 bomb fit as including the 250 lb Mark 81.

Sources: A-37 Dragonfly - March Field Air Museum

Mk 82 500-pound unguided bomb, Air-delivered 500-pound low-drag general-purpose bomb, MunitionsMk 82 500-pound unguided bomb500-pound bomb

March Field Air Museum lists the A-37 bomb fit as including the 500 lb Mark 82, and Smithsonian reporting describes Vietnam sorties carrying 500-pound bombs.

Sources: A-37 Dragonfly - March Field Air Museum, Legends of Vietnam: Super Tweet - Smithsonian

M117 750-pound unguided bomb, 750-pound unguided general-purpose bomb, MunitionsM117 750-pound unguided bomb750-pound bomb

March Field Air Museum lists the A-37 bomb fit as including the 750 lb M117.

Sources: A-37 Dragonfly - March Field Air Museum

SUU-11 7.62 mm machine-gun pod, Self-contained underwing gun pod, Aircraft & UAVsSUU-11 7.62 mm machine-gun podSUU-11/A gun pod

March Field Air Museum lists provision for SUU-11/A gun pods under the wings.

Sources: A-37 Dragonfly - March Field Air Museum

2.75-inch rocket pod, Aircraft rocket pod, Munitions2.75-inch rocket pod2.75-inch rocket pod

Hurlburt Field lists a rocket configuration for the A-37, and March Field identifies LAU-3/A rocket pods among the Dragonfly's stores.

Sources: OA-37B Dragonfly - Hurlburt Field, A-37 Dragonfly - March Field Air Museum

Timeline

Cessna A-37 Dragonfly Key Events

  1. Prototype evaluation

    The National Museum says the Air Force evaluated modified T-37 trainers as YAT-37D counter-insurgency prototypes between 1964 and 1966.

    Sources: Cessna A-37 Dragonfly - National Museum of the USAF

  2. Combat Dragon goes to Southeast Asia

    The Air Force sent 25 A-37As to Southeast Asia under Combat Dragon, where they flew close air support, night interdiction, and forward air control missions over South Vietnam and southern Laos.

    Sources: Cessna A-37 Dragonfly - National Museum of the USAF, OA-37B Dragonfly - Hurlburt Field

  3. Vietnamese transfer and training

    The National Museum says the USAF provided 254 A-37Bs to the South Vietnamese Air Force, while Hurlburt Field notes that A-37B training supported the military assistance program.

    Sources: Cessna A-37 Dragonfly - National Museum of the USAF, OA-37B Dragonfly - Hurlburt Field, Cessna A-37B Dragonfly - Royal Australian Air Force

  4. Panama support mission

    A Seymour Johnson Air Force Base fact sheet says an OA-37 Dragonfly flew close air support sorties during Operation Just Cause in Panama.

    Sources: 911 ARS Red Eagles

  5. Last U.S. retirement

    The National Museum says the last A-37 in Air Force Reserve or Air National Guard use was retired in 1992.

    Sources: Cessna A-37 Dragonfly - National Museum of the USAF

Media

Cessna A-37 Dragonfly Videos

Cessna A-37 Dragonfly Images

Cessna A-37 Dragonfly, Light attack aircraft, Aircraft & UAVs - view 1
Source: Cessna A-37 Dragonfly weapon load display, circa in 1968.jpg - Wikimedia Commons
Cessna A-37 Dragonfly, Light attack aircraft, Aircraft & UAVs - view 2
Source: Cessna A-37 with Minigun.jpg - Wikimedia Commons
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Sources

The World Air Forces - Internet ArchivePublisher: Internet Archive | Note: Supports the A-37's underwing carriage of Sidewinder missiles, 220-lb bombs, 7.62 mm machine-gun pods, and air-to-surface rockets. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Cessna A-37 Dragonfly - National Museum of the USAFPublisher: National Museum of the United States Air Force | Note: Supports 1955 Vietnam War direct use: USAF A-37As flew Combat Dragon close air support, night interdiction, and forward air control missions in South Vietnam and southern Laos; also supports variants, specs, A-37B changes, VNAF transfer, and U.S. retirement. | Accessed: 2026-07-04OA-37B Dragonfly - Hurlburt FieldPublisher: Hurlburt Field | Note: Supports 1955 Vietnam War direct use: the 604th Air Commando Squadron tested A-37s from Bien Hoa, flew support and interdiction sorties, and expanded to armed reconnaissance in Laos; also supports specs, hardpoints, stores, A-37B training, and production context. | Accessed: 2026-07-04911 ARS Red EaglesPublisher: Seymour Johnson Air Force Base | Note: Supports later U.S. OA-37 service context by documenting close air support sorties during Operation Just Cause in Panama; not used as a conflictUsage source because the catalog does not currently publish a matching pre-1995 conflict record. | Accessed: 2026-07-04A-37 Dragonfly - March Field Air MuseumPublisher: March Field Air Museum | Note: Supports A-37B stores and specifications, including SUU-11/A gun pods, LAU-3/A rocket pods, Mark 81, Mark 82, M117, BLU fire bombs, CBU-22/CBU-24 cluster bombs, hardpoint capacities, and J85-17A engines. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Legends of Vietnam: Super Tweet - SmithsonianPublisher: Smithsonian Air & Space Magazine | Note: Supports 1955 Vietnam War direct use: A-37 aircraft flew Combat Dragon and later Vietnam War missions in South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, including close-support sorties with bomb loads; also supports A-37B development changes and broader service history. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Cessna A-37B Dragonfly - Royal Australian Air ForcePublisher: Royal Australian Air Force | Note: Supports 1955 Vietnam War direct use: A-37s were used during the Vietnam War in support of Australian ground forces, with many missions directed by Australian Forward Air Controllers; also supports A-37B production count, Cessna origin, COIN role, and the 254-aircraft transfer to the Vietnam Air Force. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Cessna A-37 Dragonfly - WikipediaPublisher: Wikipedia | Note: Supports the type's broader operator history and later export use in several Latin American and Asian air forces. | Accessed: 2026-07-04A-37B Dragonfly.jpg - Wikimedia CommonsPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and public-domain status for the primary A-37B photo. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Cessna A-37 Dragonfly weapon load display, circa in 1968.jpg - Wikimedia CommonsPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and public-domain status for the weapon-load display photo. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Cessna A-37 with Minigun.jpg - Wikimedia CommonsPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and public-domain status for the A-37 minigun photo. | Accessed: 2026-07-04