Robert James Flynn (September 15, 1937 – May 15, 2014) was a Commander and Naval Flight Officer bombardier/navigator in the United States Navy.

As a Lieutenant, he was captured by the Chinese in August 1967 after the A-6 Intruder he was flying in on a mission over North Vietnam was shot down.

Flynn and his pilot, along with another A-6 Intruder crew, were evading North Vietnamese jets following their mission over Hanoi when they strayed over the border into Chinese air space.

On 21 August 1967 four A-6A Intruders of VA-196 were launched from USS Constellation for an attack on the Duc Noi railyard in northern Hanoi.

[2] Due to improving US-China relations following President Richard Nixon's historic 1972 visit to China, Flynn and United States Air Force Major Philip E. Smith who was shot down over Hainan in 1965 were released on 15 March 1973, crossing the land border into the British Hong Kong where they were received by a representative of the American Red Cross and U.S. consular officials.

[7] Flynn returned to US Navy duty as an A-6 bombardier/navigator, serving as an A-6 instructor bombardier/navigator with VA-128 at NAS Whidbey Island from November 1973 until February 1975.

He served as executive officer and then commanded NFO Training Squadron 86 at Naval Air Station Pensacola from August 1977 to October 1980.