The A-4E Early (A4D-5) was part of the revision that improved the previous Skyhawk variants. It featured the J52-P-6A engine, which had better fuel consumption while also providing much more thrust. Other improvements included more hardpoints and new computers for navigation, bomb dropping, and more. The A-4E also marked the beginning of the new naming system for the Skyhawk. The "Early" versions of the A-4E lack the iconic "humpback" behind the cockpit, which houses more electronics. It also lacks the improved J52-P-8 engine. During the Yom Kippur War, Israel was losing Skyhawks at an astonishing rate, which led to 25+ A-4E Skyhawks being transferred over.

The A-4E Early (M) (Israel) Skyhawk was introduced in Update "Winged Lions" and can be seen as a worse version of the premium A-4E. The A-4E Early most importantly, lacks the J52-P-8A engine found in the A-4E, which provides an 8% increase in thrust. Other than that, it is very similar to the regular A-4E. The A-4E Early comes armed with the standard two 30 mm DEFA cannons mounted in the chin as well as two AIM-9B Sidewinders. The Sidewinders are quite useful for forcing opponents to lose energy/speed and picking off slow targets. The A-4E Early also has 60 countermeasures, which allow for 30 drops. It's very useful against Sea Vixens, and in uptiers where missiles like the AIM-9G and R-60 are prevalent.