Strike Fighter Weapons School Pacific
Encyclopedia
Strike Fighter Weapons School Pacific (SFWSPAC) is the Pacific Fleet Strike Fighter School which duty is to safely teach graduate level tactics, techniques and procedures to Pacific Fleet Strike Fighter squadrons, it is based at NAS Lemoore, California
. Its Atlantic Fleet equivalent is Strike Fighter Weapons School Atlantic which is based at NAS Oceana, Virginia
.
) and Attack Squadron 125 (today VFA-125
). When the A-7 Corsair II
came into service and the intensified tempo of fleet operations and its training requirements expanded, Weapons Training Center was moved to Commander Fleet Air Lemoore (presently Commander, Strike Fighter Wing, US Pacific Fleet). Due to the sophistication in attack weaponry and delivery systems, LAWSPAC was formed as a parallel training component within Weapons Training Center, which was devoted to train Weapons Training Officers.
Soon, the Chief of Naval Operations
recognized the need for postgraduate weapons training and expressed the desire to create a commissioned unit, the stated goal was that “eventually all pilots and every career aviator should have special training in weapons." Commander, Light Attack Wing, US Pacific Fleet, commissioned the Weapons Training Center as LAWSPAC, a permanently shored based command at NAS Lemoore. On July 1, 1988, LAWSPAC was redesignated to Strike Fighter Weapons School, Pacific due to the expanded growth of F/A-18 units in the Navy. In August 1996, the Intelligence Department of the Strike Fighter Wing Pacific was incorporated into SFWSPAC to enhance the strike planning and support training for fleet squadrons.
Today, SFWSPAC is dedicated to provide standardized graduate level training of F/A-18 weapons employment and dedicated to guaranteeing the combat readiness of the Strike Fighter Community by providing the best possible training in mission planning, tactics, weapons systems and ordnance handling. Thirty weapons and tactics courses for strike fighter aircraft are taught on a continuing basis. The total amount of ordnance uploaded in courses totals over 2 ½ million pounds annually.
Currently SFWSPAC is staffed with 23 officers, 29 enlisted personnel and 7 civilians.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Its Atlantic Fleet equivalent is Strike Fighter Weapons School Atlantic which is based at NAS Oceana, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
History
SFWSPAC was established on October 15, 1973 at Naval Air Station Lemoore as Light Attack Weapons School, Pacific (LAWSPAC). In reality, the history of the school dates back ten years when the Weapons Training Center was established under the co-management of Attack Squadron 122 (today VFA-122VFA-122
Strike Fighter Squadron 122 , also known as the "Flying Eagles", are a United States Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and F/A-18 Hornet A/B/C/D Fleet Replacement Squadron stationed at Naval Air Station Lemoore.-History:...
) and Attack Squadron 125 (today VFA-125
VFA-125
Strike Fighter Squadron 125 , also known as the "Rough Raiders", was a United States Navy strike fighter squadron based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California. The "Rough Raiders" were a Fleet Replacement Squadron flying the F/A-18 Hornet.-History:...
). When the A-7 Corsair II
A-7 Corsair II
The Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II is a carrier-based subsonic light attack aircraft introduced to replace the United States Navy's Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, initially entering service during the Vietnam War...
came into service and the intensified tempo of fleet operations and its training requirements expanded, Weapons Training Center was moved to Commander Fleet Air Lemoore (presently Commander, Strike Fighter Wing, US Pacific Fleet). Due to the sophistication in attack weaponry and delivery systems, LAWSPAC was formed as a parallel training component within Weapons Training Center, which was devoted to train Weapons Training Officers.
Soon, the Chief of Naval Operations
Chief of Naval Operations
The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...
recognized the need for postgraduate weapons training and expressed the desire to create a commissioned unit, the stated goal was that “eventually all pilots and every career aviator should have special training in weapons." Commander, Light Attack Wing, US Pacific Fleet, commissioned the Weapons Training Center as LAWSPAC, a permanently shored based command at NAS Lemoore. On July 1, 1988, LAWSPAC was redesignated to Strike Fighter Weapons School, Pacific due to the expanded growth of F/A-18 units in the Navy. In August 1996, the Intelligence Department of the Strike Fighter Wing Pacific was incorporated into SFWSPAC to enhance the strike planning and support training for fleet squadrons.
Today, SFWSPAC is dedicated to provide standardized graduate level training of F/A-18 weapons employment and dedicated to guaranteeing the combat readiness of the Strike Fighter Community by providing the best possible training in mission planning, tactics, weapons systems and ordnance handling. Thirty weapons and tactics courses for strike fighter aircraft are taught on a continuing basis. The total amount of ordnance uploaded in courses totals over 2 ½ million pounds annually.
Currently SFWSPAC is staffed with 23 officers, 29 enlisted personnel and 7 civilians.