VFA-131
Encyclopedia
Strike Fighter Squadron 131 (VFA-131), also known as the "Wildcats", is a United States Navy
F/A-18C Hornet fighter squadron stationed at Naval Air Station Oceana
. Their radio call sign is "Cat" and their aircraft tail code is AG.
on 26 January 1984.
, California
, on 2 October 1983, and trained in the F/A-18 Hornet
under VFA-125
. The squadron received their first FA-18A in May 1984. In January 1985, the Wildcats moved to Naval Air Station Cecil Field
, Florida
, becoming the Atlantic Fleet’s first FA-18 squadron.
As a part of Carrier Air Wing 13 (CVW-13), the squadron deployed to the Mediterranean Sea
in October 1985 aboard USS Coral Sea (CV-43)
.
In March 1986 during Freedom of Navigation
exercises in the Gulf of Sidra
, the squadron’s aircraft flew Combat Air Patrols during which a Libya
n SA-5 Gammon missile was fired against an American aircraft operating in international waters. On 14–15 April 1986, squadron aircraft participated in Operation El Dorado Canyon
, along with other units of CVW-13 and A-7 Corsair II
s from CVW-1, providing air-to-surface Shrike and HARM
strikes against Libyan surface-to-air missile sites at Benghazi
. This was the first use of the F/A-18 in combat.
In October 1988, the squadron joined Carrier Air Wing 7 and deployed to the Mediterranean Sea aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69)
in March 1990. In August 1990, they were among the units to respond to the Iraq
i invasion of Kuwait
as part of Operation Desert Shield.
The Wildcats embarked in USS Independence (CV-62)
from 15 August–8 October 1988 for the carrier’s transit from NS Norfolk to its new home port at NAS North Island via Cape Horn
.
In August 1990 while embarked in USS Eisenhower (CVN-69), squadron’s F/A-18s flew missions in the Red Sea
in support of Operation Desert Shield, the build-up of American and Allied forces to counter a threatened invasion of Saudi Arabia
by Iraq
and as part of an economic blockade of Iraq to force its withdrawal from Kuwait
. The Eisenhower task force was the first U.S. force in position to deter Iraqi incursion into Saudi Arabia.
Upon return from deployment in September 1990, the squadron transitioned to FA-18C Lot XIII Night Strike Hornets. One year later, the squadron again deployed aboard Eisenhower to the Red Sea
and North Persian Gulf
in support of Operation Desert Storm.
In May 1994, the squadron was part of the maiden deployment
of USS George Washington (CVN-73)
. They flew sorties in support of Operation Deny Flight
over Bosnia-Herzegovina and Operation Southern Watch
over Southern Iraq. In October 1994, they returned to the Persian Gulf and participated in Operation Vigilant Warrior
, in response to Iraqi aggression.
In April 1996 the Wildcats once again deployed aboard Washington to the Mediterranean, Adriatic Sea
, and the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Decisive Endeavor and Operation Southern Watch. In February 1998, the squadron deployed for the “Around the World”, maiden deployment of USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74)
, again supporting Operation Southern Watch in Iraq. Upon return to the United States in December 1998, they relocated from NAS Cecil Field, Florida, to NAS Oceana in Virginia Beach, Virginia
.
On September 11, 2001, the squadron was underway aboard USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67)
off the Virginia Capes. Within hours of the attacks, armed Wildcat Hornets were conducting air patrols over the Washington D.C. and New York City
as part of Operation Noble Eagle
. In February 2002, the squadron deployed to the North Arabian Sea
to take part in Operation Enduring Freedom, flying combat sorties over Afghanistan
. From January to July 2004, VFA-131 deployed aboard USS George Washington (CVN-73)
in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The squadron last deployed from October 2006 to June 2007 aboard "Eisenhower" in support of OIF
, OEF
, and operations in Somalia
.
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...
F/A-18C Hornet fighter squadron stationed 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...
. Their radio call sign is "Cat" and their aircraft tail code is AG.
Mission
The mission of VFA-131 is combat readiness as a part of U.S. Atlantic Fleet Carrier Strike Forces, utilizing the F/A-18 aircraft to project power ashore and at sea, to defend the fleet against air and sea threats and to carry out all other missions which may be assigned by cognizant authority.Squadron Insignia and Nickname
The squadron’s insignia was 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 26 January 1984.
1980s
VFA-131 was established at Naval Air Station LemooreNaval Air Station Lemoore
Naval Air Station Lemoore or NAS Lemoore is a United States Navy base, located in Kings County and Fresno County, California. Lemoore Station, California, a census-designated place, is located inside the base's borders....
, California
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...
, on 2 October 1983, and trained in the F/A-18 Hornet
F/A-18 Hornet
The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is a supersonic, all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to dogfight and attack ground targets . Designed by McDonnell Douglas and Northrop, the F/A-18 was derived from the latter's YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and...
under 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:...
. The squadron received their first FA-18A in May 1984. In January 1985, the Wildcats moved to Naval Air Station Cecil Field
Naval Air Station Cecil Field
Naval Air Station Cecil Field or NAS Cecil Field was a United States Navy base, located in Duval County, Florida. NAS Cecil Field was the largest military base in the Jacksonville, Florida, area....
, Florida
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...
, becoming the Atlantic Fleet’s first FA-18 squadron.
As a part of Carrier Air Wing 13 (CVW-13), the squadron deployed to the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
in October 1985 aboard USS Coral Sea (CV-43)
USS Coral Sea (CV-43)
USS Coral Sea , a , was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the Battle of the Coral Sea. She earned the affectionate nickname "Ageless Warrior" through her long career...
.
In March 1986 during Freedom of Navigation
Freedom of Navigation
Freedom of Navigation is a principle of customary International Law that, apart from the exceptions provided for in international law, ships flying the flag of any state shall not suffer interference from other states. This right is now also codified as article 87a of the 1982 United Nations...
exercises in the Gulf of Sidra
Gulf of Sidra
Gulf of Sidra is a body of water in the Mediterranean Sea on the northern coast of Libya; it is also known as Gulf of Sirte or the Great Sirte or Greater Syrtis .- Geography :The Gulf of Sidra has been a major centre for tuna fishing in the Mediterranean for centuries...
, the squadron’s aircraft flew Combat Air Patrols during which a Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
n SA-5 Gammon missile was fired against an American aircraft operating in international waters. On 14–15 April 1986, squadron aircraft participated in Operation El Dorado Canyon
Operation El Dorado Canyon
The 1986 United States bombing of Libya, code-named Operation El Dorado Canyon, comprised the joint United States Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps air-strikes against Libya on April 15, 1986. The attack was carried out in response to the 1986 Berlin discotheque bombing.-Origins:Shortly after his...
, along with other units of CVW-13 and 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...
s from CVW-1, providing air-to-surface Shrike and HARM
AGM-88 HARM
The AGM-88 High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile is a tactical, air-to-surface missile designed to home in on electronic transmissions coming from surface-to-air radar systems. It was originally developed by Texas Instruments as a replacement for the AGM-45 Shrike and AGM-78 Standard ARM system...
strikes against Libyan surface-to-air missile sites at Benghazi
Benghazi
Benghazi is the second largest city in Libya, the main city of the Cyrenaica region , and the former provisional capital of the National Transitional Council. The wider metropolitan area is also a district of Libya...
. This was the first use of the F/A-18 in combat.
In October 1988, the squadron joined Carrier Air Wing 7 and deployed to the Mediterranean Sea aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69)
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69)
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower is an aircraft carrier currently in service with the United States Navy. Commissioned in 1977, the ship is the second of the ten Nimitz-class supercarriers currently in service, and is the first ship named after the thirty-fourth President of the United States, Dwight D....
in March 1990. In August 1990, they were among the units to respond to the Iraq
Iraq
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...
as part of Operation Desert Shield.
The Wildcats embarked in USS Independence (CV-62)
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...
from 15 August–8 October 1988 for the carrier’s transit from NS Norfolk to its new home port at NAS North Island via Cape Horn
Cape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
.
1990s
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...
in support of Operation Desert Shield, the build-up of American and Allied forces to counter a threatened invasion of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
by Iraq
Iraq
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....
and as part of an economic blockade of Iraq to force its withdrawal from 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 Eisenhower task force was the first U.S. force in position to deter Iraqi incursion into Saudi Arabia.
Upon return from deployment in September 1990, the squadron transitioned to FA-18C Lot XIII Night Strike Hornets. One year later, the squadron again deployed aboard Eisenhower to the 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...
and North Persian Gulf
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...
in support of Operation Desert Storm.
In May 1994, the squadron was part of the maiden deployment
Maiden voyage
The maiden voyage of a ship, aircraft or other craft is the first journey made by the craft after shakedown. A number of traditions and superstitions are associated with it....
of USS George Washington (CVN-73)
USS George Washington (CVN-73)
USS George Washington is an American nuclear-powered supercarrier, the sixth ship in the Nimitz class and the fourth United States Navy ship to be named after George Washington, the first President of the United States...
. They flew sorties in support of 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...
over Bosnia-Herzegovina 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...
over Southern Iraq. In October 1994, they returned to the Persian Gulf and participated in Operation Vigilant Warrior
Operation Vigilant Warrior
Operation Vigilant Warrior was a military operation from 8 October 1994 to 15 December 1994 by the United States in response to two divisions of Iraqi Republican Guard troops moving toward the Kuwaiti border...
, in response to Iraqi aggression.
In April 1996 the Wildcats once again deployed aboard Washington to the Mediterranean, 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 the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Decisive Endeavor and Operation Southern Watch. In February 1998, the squadron deployed for the “Around the World”, maiden deployment of USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74)
USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74)
USS John C. Stennis is the seventh Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarrier in the United States Navy, named for Senator John C. Stennis of Mississippi. She was commissioned on 9 December 1995...
, again supporting Operation Southern Watch in Iraq. Upon return to the United States in December 1998, they relocated from NAS Cecil Field, Florida, to NAS Oceana in Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay...
.
2000's
USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67)
USS John F. Kennedy is a John F. Kennedy class aircraft carrier, the last conventionally powered carrier built for the United States Navy. The ship is named after the 35th President of the United States, John F...
off the Virginia Capes. Within hours of the attacks, armed Wildcat Hornets were conducting air patrols over the Washington D.C. and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
as part of Operation Noble Eagle
Operation Noble Eagle
Operation Noble Eagle is the name given to military operations related to homelandsecurity and support to federal, state, and local agencies...
. In February 2002, the squadron deployed to the North Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
to take part in Operation Enduring Freedom, flying combat sorties 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...
. From January to July 2004, VFA-131 deployed aboard USS George Washington (CVN-73)
USS George Washington (CVN-73)
USS George Washington is an American nuclear-powered supercarrier, the sixth ship in the Nimitz class and the fourth United States Navy ship to be named after George Washington, the first President of the United States...
in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The squadron last deployed from October 2006 to June 2007 aboard "Eisenhower" in support of OIF
OIF
-Geoengineering:*Ocean Iron Fertilization, the practice of adding iron or iron compounds to the ocean to stimulate phytoplankton growth-Formats:*Object Interchange Format, a database management protocol developed by the Object Data Management Group-Foundations:...
, OEF
OEF
OEF may refer to:*Operation Enduring Freedom*Operational efficiency factor*Order of Ecumenical Franciscans*Obscene Extreme Festival...
, and operations in Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
.
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...
- 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 military aircraft of the United States (naval) / List of US Naval aircraft
- 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...
- United States Marine Corps AviationUnited States Marine Corps AviationUnited States Marine Corps Aviation is the air component of the United States Marine Corps. Marine aviation has a very different mission and operation than its ground counterpart, and thus, has many of its own histories, traditions, terms, and procedures....
- Military aviationMilitary aviationMilitary aviation is the use of aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling warfare, including national airlift capacity to provide logistical supply to forces stationed in a theater or along a front. Air power includes the national means of conducting such...
- List of United States Navy aircraft squadrons