VFA-87
Encyclopedia
The Strike Fighter Squadron 87 (VFA-87) is a United States Navy
strike fighter squadron based at Naval Air Station Oceana
. Nicknamed the Golden Warriors, its call sign is War Party (or simply Party), its tail code is AJ, and it flies the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. The squadron was established in 1968 and has seen combat during the Vietnam War
, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan
and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
on 29 July 1968 and have remained essentially unchanged.
. Established on July 1, 1944, the squadron flew Grumman F6F Hellcats from USS Ticonderoga
. It was disbanded on November 2, 1945 as US forces demobilized.
A former pilot of the squadron, James W. Vernon, published his memoirs in 2000 as Writes of Flight: The Making of a World War II Naval Aviator.
In June 1968, the squadron was reestablished as VA-87, an attack aircraft squadron and the first fleet squadron to fly the LTV A-7 Corsair II, at NAS Cecil Field, Florida
. In March 1969, the squadron flew its first combat missions from the USS Ticonderoga, striking targets in South Vietnam
.In April 1969 following the shoot down of a Navy EC-121 Constellation aircraft by the North Korea
ns, Ticonderoga, with VA-87 embarked, was ordered to the Sea of Japan
.
, the USS America
and the USS Independence
.
In 1973, the squadron protected U.S. interests during the Yom Kippur War
. Transitioning to the improved A-7E Corsair II, the squadron returned in October 1975 to the Middle East
following the assassination of the American ambassador to Lebanon
, assisting in the evacuation of U.S. citizens, while embarked on America.
and the Israeli-Syria
n disputes of 1981, VA-87 deployed to the region for 195 days aboard Independence. One year later the squadron returned, supporting U.S. peacekeeping operations in Lebanon.
In October 1983, the squadron participated in Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada
. During the same deployment, VA-87 participated in strikes against Syria in response to hostile fire against U.S. reconnaissance aircraft from Syrian positions in
Lebanon.
On October 24, 1986, the squadron transitioned to the F/A-18A Hornet and was redesignated Strike Fighter Squadron 87 (VFA-87).
i invasion of Kuwait
, the squadron deployed for Operation Desert Storm, flying 629 sorties over 43 days of intense combat.
The squadron, equipped with the newer F/A-18C, deployed to the Adriatic Sea
and Red Sea
from March to September 1993, flying hundreds of missions in support of United Nations
Operation Deny Flight
, Operation Provide Comfort
and Operation Southern Watch
. Embarked for the last time on Theodore Roosevelt, VFA-87 returned in March 1995 to Southwest Asia
for a month to participate in Operation Southern Watch.
Following a hasty transit to the Adriatic, the squadron spent four months flying combat sorties over the increasingly embattled former Yugoslavia
. On August 30, 1995, squadron jets were the first to strike Bosnian
Serb
targets as the Operation Deliberate Force campaign commenced.
VFA-87 again headed to the Adriatic to fly over Bosnia-Herzegovina in support of Operation Deliberate Guard and again in Operation Southern Watch.
In April 2001, VFA-87 deployed on a Persian Gulf
cruise enforcing the no fly zone over Southern Iraq aboard the USS Enterprise
until the September 11 attacks occurred. The squadron was then held on station along with the entire Enterprise battle group, to conduct first strike combat missions over Afghanistan
against embedded Taliban targets. VFA-87 returned to NAS Oceana in November 2001.
In January 2003, the USS Theodore Roosevelt
battle group along with VFA-87 conducted combat operations over Iraq, initiating Operation Iraqi Freedom.
VFA-87 deployed again in September 2005 aboard Theodore Roosevelt, returning in March 2006, and received the Atlantic Fleet "Battle E" award later that year.
In September 2006, the squadron transitioned from the F/A-18C to the F/A-18A+ and was again named the "Battle E" squadron for the Atlantic Fleet in March 2007. It deployed again in September 2008 to the North Arabian Sea, in support of the conflict in Afghanistan.
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...
strike fighter squadron based at Naval Air Station Oceana
Naval Air Station Oceana
Naval Air Station Oceana or NAS Oceana is a military airport located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and is a United States Navy Master Jet Base. It is also known as Apollo Soucek Field, named after Lieutenant Apollo Soucek, a Navy Test Pilot who set the global altitude record in 1930 by flying a...
. Nicknamed the Golden Warriors, its call sign is War Party (or simply Party), its tail code is AJ, and it flies the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. The squadron was established in 1968 and has seen combat during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Insignia and Nickname
The squadron’s insignia and nickname were approved by CNOCNO
CNO is a three-letter initialism. It can mean:* "chartay nahi o??" BFSF, abbreviated CNO in the context of the GPS* Chief of Naval Operations* Chief Networking Officer* Chief Nuclear Officer* Chief Nursing Officer* Chino Airport IATA symbol: CNO...
on 29 July 1968 and have remained essentially unchanged.
Pre-history: The War Years
VF-87 was a fighter aircraft squadron of the United States Navy during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Established on July 1, 1944, the squadron flew Grumman F6F Hellcats from USS Ticonderoga
USS Ticonderoga (CV-14)
USS Ticonderoga was one of 24 s built during World War II for the United States Navy. The ship was the fourth US Navy ship to bear the name, and was named for historic Fort Ticonderoga, which played a role in the American Revolutionary War...
. It was disbanded on November 2, 1945 as US forces demobilized.
A former pilot of the squadron, James W. Vernon, published his memoirs in 2000 as Writes of Flight: The Making of a World War II Naval Aviator.
1960s
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. In March 1969, the squadron flew its first combat missions from the USS Ticonderoga, striking targets in South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
.In April 1969 following the shoot down of a Navy EC-121 Constellation aircraft by the North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
ns, Ticonderoga, with VA-87 embarked, was ordered to the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
.
1970s
In the 1970s, VA-87 made 12 deployments aboard three different carriers—the USS Franklin D. RooseveltUSS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CV-42)
USS Franklin D. Roosevelt was the second of three Midway class aircraft carriers. To her crew, she was known as the "Swanky Franky," "Foo-De-Roo," or "Rosie," with the last nickname probably the most popular. Roosevelt spent most of her active deployed career operating in the Mediterranean Sea as...
, the USS America
USS America (CV-66)
The USS America was one of four Kitty Hawk-class super carriers built for the United States Navy in the 1960s. Commissioned in 1965, she spent most of her career in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, but did make three Pacific deployments serving in the Vietnam War. She also served in operations...
and the USS Independence
USS Independence (CV-62)
The fifth USS Independence is a of the United States Navy. It was the fourth and final member of the Forrestal-class conventional-powered Supercarrier...
.
In 1973, the squadron protected U.S. interests during the Yom Kippur War
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War , also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria...
. Transitioning to the improved A-7E Corsair II, the squadron returned in October 1975 to the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
following the assassination of the American ambassador to Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, assisting in the evacuation of U.S. citizens, while embarked on America.
1980s
During the Iran hostage crisisIran hostage crisis
The Iran hostage crisis was a diplomatic crisis between Iran and the United States where 52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days from November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981, after a group of Islamist students and militants took over the American Embassy in Tehran in support of the Iranian...
and the Israeli-Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n disputes of 1981, VA-87 deployed to the region for 195 days aboard Independence. One year later the squadron returned, supporting U.S. peacekeeping operations in Lebanon.
In October 1983, the squadron participated in Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada
Grenada
Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...
. During the same deployment, VA-87 participated in strikes against Syria in response to hostile fire against U.S. reconnaissance aircraft from Syrian positions in
Lebanon.
On October 24, 1986, the squadron transitioned to the F/A-18A Hornet and was redesignated Strike Fighter Squadron 87 (VFA-87).
1990s
On December 28, 1990, following the IraqIraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i invasion of Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
, the squadron deployed for Operation Desert Storm, flying 629 sorties over 43 days of intense combat.
The squadron, equipped with the newer F/A-18C, deployed to the Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
and Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
from March to September 1993, flying hundreds of missions in support of United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Operation Deny Flight
Operation Deny Flight
Operation Deny Flight was a North Atlantic Treaty Organization operation that began on April 12, 1993 as the enforcement of a United Nations no-fly zone over Bosnia and Herzegovina...
, Operation Provide Comfort
Operation Provide Comfort
Operation Provide Comfort and Provide Comfort II were military operations by the United States and some of its Gulf War allies, starting in April 1991, to defend Kurds fleeing their homes in northern Iraq in the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War and deliver humanitarian aid to them.-Operation...
and Operation Southern Watch
Operation Southern Watch
Operation Southern Watch was an operation conducted by Joint Task Force Southwest Asia with the mission of monitoring and controlling airspace south of the 32nd Parallel in Iraq, following the 1991 Gulf War until the 2003 invasion of Iraq.-Summary:Operation Southern Watch began on 27 August 1992...
. Embarked for the last time on Theodore Roosevelt, VFA-87 returned in March 1995 to Southwest Asia
Southwest Asia
Western Asia, West Asia, Southwest Asia or Southwestern Asia are terms that describe the westernmost portion of Asia. The terms are partly coterminous with the Middle East, which describes a geographical position in relation to Western Europe rather than its location within Asia...
for a month to participate in Operation Southern Watch.
Following a hasty transit to the Adriatic, the squadron spent four months flying combat sorties over the increasingly embattled former Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
. On August 30, 1995, squadron jets were the first to strike Bosnian
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
Serb
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
targets as the Operation Deliberate Force campaign commenced.
VFA-87 again headed to the Adriatic to fly over Bosnia-Herzegovina in support of Operation Deliberate Guard and again in Operation Southern Watch.
2000s
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
cruise enforcing the no fly zone over Southern Iraq aboard the USS Enterprise
USS Enterprise (CVN-65)
USS Enterprise , formerly CVA-65, is the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and the eighth US naval vessel to bear the name. Like her predecessor of World War II fame, she is nicknamed the "Big E". At , she is the longest naval vessel in the world...
until the September 11 attacks occurred. The squadron was then held on station along with the entire Enterprise battle group, to conduct first strike combat missions over Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
against embedded Taliban targets. VFA-87 returned to NAS Oceana in November 2001.
In January 2003, the USS Theodore Roosevelt
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71)
USS Theodore Roosevelt is the fourth Nimitz-class supercarrier. Her radio call sign is Rough Rider, the name of President Theodore Roosevelt's volunteer cavalry unit during the Spanish-American War...
battle group along with VFA-87 conducted combat operations over Iraq, initiating Operation Iraqi Freedom.
VFA-87 deployed again in September 2005 aboard Theodore Roosevelt, returning in March 2006, and received the Atlantic Fleet "Battle E" award later that year.
In September 2006, the squadron transitioned from the F/A-18C to the F/A-18A+ and was again named the "Battle E" squadron for the Atlantic Fleet in March 2007. It deployed again in September 2008 to the North Arabian Sea, in support of the conflict in Afghanistan.
See also
- Naval aviationNaval aviationNaval aviation is the application of manned military air power by navies, including ships that embark fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters. In contrast, maritime aviation is the operation of aircraft in a maritime role under the command of non-naval forces such as the former RAF Coastal Command or a...
- United States Naval AviatorUnited States Naval AviatorA United States Naval Aviator is a qualified pilot in the United States Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard.-Naming Conventions:Most Naval Aviators are Unrestricted Line Officers; however, a small number of Limited Duty Officers and Chief Warrant Officers are also trained as Naval Aviators.Until 1981...
- Modern US Navy carrier air operationsModern US Navy carrier air operationsModern United States Navy aircraft carrier air operations include the operation of fixed wing and rotary aircraft on and around an aircraft carrier for performance of combat or non-combat missions. Modern United States Navy aircraft carrier flight operations are highly evolved, based on experiences...
- List of United States Navy aircraft squadrons
- List of military aircraft of the United States (naval) / List of US Naval aircraft
External links
- http://www.public.navy.mil/airfor/vfa87