A-3 Skywarrior: The Longest Serving Carrier-Based Aircraft In US Navy History February 27, 2018 Unipro2013main US Navy Longest Serving Carrier-Based AircraftThe Douglas A-3 Skywarrior was designed for the United States Navy and was among the longest serving carrier-based aircraft in history. It entered service in the mid-1950s and was retired in 1991.