IIRC, the canceled A-12 Avenger was supposed to fill the medium attack role. I’m woefully ignorant of the various F-18 configurations. Not sure if any really qualify as medium attack.
Among the great sailors I worked with, Aviation Bosun’s were the best.
Correct as regards the A-12.
Yes, ABs were among the best, hardest working sailors with whom I had the pleasure to serve.
It was ironic that we could keep them relatively safe around the dangers of carrier ops, but they would get torn up on liberty. In the Air Dept., we had a chief lose a leg in a highway accident, an airman struck & killed by a bus, an airman kill himself in a motorcycle accident, four ABs in a car miss the turn for the main gate and instead plow through the perimeter wall. All involved motor vehicles, but only the last incident involved alcohol.