VAW-115
Encyclopedia
Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 115 (VAW-115), also known as the "Liberty Bells", is a United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 squadron based at Naval Air Facility Atsugi
Naval Air Facility Atsugi
is a naval air base located in the cities of Yamato and Ayase in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is the largest United States Navy air base in the Pacific Ocean and houses the squadrons of Carrier Air Wing 5, which deploys with the aircraft carrier...

 that flies the E-2C Hawkeye 2000. The "Liberty Bells" are the Navy's only forward deployed Airborne Early Warning squadron and is the oldest and only original squadron in Carrier Air Wing Five
Carrier Air Wing Five
Carrier Air Wing Five , is a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan. The air wing is attached to the aircraft carrier USS George Washington .-Mission:...

 (CVW-5).

History

Since being established on 20 April 1967, VAW-115 has patrolled the skies of the Pacific Ocean and the Middle East. Originally flying the E-1B "Willie Fudd" with Attack Carrier Wing Two
Carrier Air Wing Two
Carrier Air Wing Two is a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Naval Air Station Lemoore. The air wing is attached to the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln .-Mission:...

 aboard the , the squadron has witnessed the evolution of carrier-based Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft, transitioning to the E-2B in 1970, the E-2C in 1985, the E-2C Group II Navigation Upgrade in 1998, and most recently the eight-bladed NP2000 variant in January 2007. They joined CVW-5 in 1970 and made two combat deployments to the Gulf of Tonkin between May 1971 and April 1973 onboard the . In September 1973, CVW-5 moved to Yokosuka, Japan as a component of the Forward Deployed Naval Forces, and the only air wing home ported outside the continental United States.

VAW-115 E-2B Hawkeyes played a significant command and control role in Operation Frequent Wind, supporting the evacuation of Saigon
Fall of Saigon
The Fall of Saigon was the capture of Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, by the People's Army of Vietnam and the National Liberation Front on April 30, 1975...

 in 1975. From the late 1970's throughout the 1980's, VAW-115 made eleven deployments to the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...

 and North Arabian Sea, a period which saw such tumultuous events as the Iranian seizure of the American Embassy in Tehran. In 1983, VAW-115 participated in rescue and salvage operations following the tragic shoot-down of Korean Airlines Flight 007. Two years later, the Liberty Bells supported Freedom of Navigation operations, both for the in the Sea of Japan and for Operation Earnest Will
Operation Earnest Will
Operation Earnest Will was the U.S. military protection of Kuwaiti owned tankers from Iranian attacks in 1987 and 1988, three years into the Tanker War phase of the Iran–Iraq War. It was the largest naval convoy operation since World War II.The U.S. Navy warships that escorted the tankers, part of...

, protecting Kuwaiti re-flagged tankers through the Straits of Hormuz. During the 1989-90 deployments with the Midway Battle Group, the Liberty Bells and their E-2C Hawkeyes participated in Operation Classic Resolve, supporting the democratic government of the Philippines against a coup attempt. In response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, VAW-115 deployed to the Persian Gulf in October 1990 as part of Operation Desert Shield. In January 1991, Desert Shield transitioned to Desert Storm and saw VAW-115 flying 179 combat sorties. In August 1991, the was decommissioned and CVW-5 embarked on the . During the ensuing years, the squadron deployed to the Persian Gulf four times in support of Operation Southern Watch, enforcing a No-Fly Zone over the skies of southern Iraq. In January 1998, VAW-115 and the Independence Battle Group were called upon to participate in various Persian Gulf contingency operations in support of United Nations sanctions. After transitioning to the E-2C Group II Navigation Upgrade aircraft, VAW-115 cross-decked with CVW-5 to the in the Summer of 1998. In February 2003, the Liberty Bells were once again called to the Persian Gulf to support Operation Southern Watch and flew 46 combat sorties until the commencement of Operation Iraqi Freedom in March 2003. During that operation, the Liberty Bells flew 363.8 hours in support of Army and Marine Corps units on the ground.

In the years that followed, VAW-115 continued to maintain a high level of readiness and promoted US strategic interests overseas by participating in exercises such as Valiant Shield, Malabar
Malabar 2007
Exercise Malabar is a multilateral naval exercise involving the United States, India, Japan, Australia, and Singapore. The annual MALABAR series began in 1992, and includes diverse activities, ranging from fighter combat operations from aircraft carriers, through Maritime Interdiction Operations...

, and Talisman Saber as well as Exercises Annualex and Keen Sword with the Japanese Air and Maritime Self Defense Forces
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
The , or JMSDF, is the naval branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. It was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy after World War II....

. Most recently, VAW-115 took part in joint and multi-national Exercise RIMPAC 2008, providing Airborne Battlespace Command and Control to 49 naval vessels, 150 aircraft, and 29 other foreign and U.S. units from 10 participating countries. Again, the Liberty Bells demonstrated a high degree of combat readiness and professionalism in this most challenging and dynamic environment.

VAW-115 has an amazing record with more than 23 years and 46,000 hours of Class-A mishap-free flight hours. In its distinguished history, VAW-115 also boasts eight Battle Efficiency “E” awards
Battle Effectiveness Award
The Battle Effectiveness Award , commonly known as the Battle "E", is awarded annually to the small number of U.S...

, seven AEW Excellence awards, and six Safety “S” awards. The sky is the limit for the Liberty Bells as they continue operations aboard America’s first forward-deployed nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the . As always, VAW-115 will continue to be a potent part of “America’s 911 Air Wing” in the highly demanding forward-deployed environment.

See also

  • History of the United States Navy
    History of the United States Navy
    The history of the United States Navy divides into two major periods: the "Old Navy", a small but respected force of sailing ships that was also notable for innovation in the use of ironclads during the American Civil War, and the "New Navy", the result of a modernization effort that began in the...

  • List of United States Navy aircraft squadrons
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