The Douglas A3D Skywarrior was the Navy's first twinjet nuclear bomber. Douglas built 282 Skywarriors, the largest and heaviest aircraft ever to operate from an aircraft carrier, earning it the unofficial nickname "The Whale". The Skywarrior evolved from the bomber mission to air refueling tanker, electronic countermeasures, photographic reconnaissance, crew trainer and as a VIP transport. It is one of the longest serving carrier aircraft in history, serving from the mid-1950s until 1991.