Airborne Command & Control Squadron 120 (VAW-120) is a United States Navy
Fleet Replacement Squadron responsible for training crews on the
E-2 Hawkeye and the
C-2A(R) Greyhound.
Squadron history
The squadron was originally established on 6 July 1948 as Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron TWO (VAW-2) at
NAS Oceana
Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana or NAS Oceana is a United States Navy Naval Air Station located in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Nowadays, the station is located on 23.9 km2. It has total of 250 aircraft deployed and buildings valued at $800 mil ...
. It later relocated to
NAS Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk is a United States Navy base in Norfolk, Virginia, that is the headquarters and home port of the U.S. Navy's Fleet Forces Command. The installation occupies about of waterfront space and of pier and wharf space of the Hampt ...
.
1960s
In July 1966,
VAW-12 received the first E-2A Hawkeye and was supplying detachments utilizing two different aircraft aboard ten Atlantic Fleet aircraft carriers in addition to training personnel for those detachments. With over 200 officers and 800 enlisted personnel, VAW-12 was reorganized as an Air Wing, and on 1 April 1967, Admiral T.E. Moore, Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, commissioned Carrier Airborne Early Warning Wing Twelve with six operating squadrons. Later renamed RVAW-120, it became the Atlantic Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS).
1970s
The squadron received the E-2B Hawkeye aircraft in 1970, followed by the arrival of the E-2C on 31 May 1973. With the delivery of the first Advanced Radar Processing System (ARPS) aircraft in 1978, RVAW-120 trained
Naval Flight Officers (NFO), Flight Technicians and maintenance personnel in both the APS-120 and APS-125 radars. This continued until 1980 when all east coast VAW squadrons completed the transition to the APS-125.
1980s
In 1983, RVAW-120 officially became VAW-120, reflecting the task load of a fleet squadron and a training squadron. NFO training was moved to a new site in April 1983. Pilot training was also moved to the new E-2 Training Building in late 1984 for consolidation of the training mission.
In June 1985, VAW-120 received the first re-procured C-2As delivered to the Navy. This delivery marked the commencement of a long-range procurement program designed to greatly enhance the
Carrier onboard delivery
Carrier onboard delivery (COD) is the use of aircraft to ferry personnel, mail, supplies, and high-priority cargo, such as replacement parts, from shore bases to an aircraft carrier at sea. Several types of aircraft, including helicopters, have ...
(COD) capability for Carrier Battle Groups. The addition of the re-procured C-2A Greyhound brought the added responsibility of creating a new training program for the pilots and aircrew of Fleet Logistics Support Squadrons
VRC-30 and
VRC-40
Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 40 (VRC-40), also known as the "Rawhides", is a United States Navy fleet logistics support squadron based at NS Norfolk. Commissioned in 1960, it is one of only two active fleet logistics squadrons in the Navy, th ...
which included the first ever C-2A night carrier qualifications.
1990s
In November 1993, VAW-120 received its first E-2C+ aircraft. The E-2C continued its technological growth and in February 1994 the command took custody of its first E-2C (Group II) aircraft. This version of the E-2C introduced the APS-145 radar and
Global Positioning System
The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of the global navigation satellite sy ...
(GPS) to aid in navigation. VAW-120 became the single site Fleet Replacement Squadron in September 1994 when
VAW-110, its west coast counterpart, was decommissioned.
2000s
In response to the
September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...
, VAW-120 launched aircraft in support of homeland defense operations. their missions included airborne surveillance, ground
communication relay, and track management along the east coast.
2010s
In 2010, VAW-120 received its first C-2A Greyhound aircraft upgraded with a new 8-bladed propeller. In addition, VAW-120 received the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye.
See also
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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 notable for innovation in the use of ironclads during the American Civil War, and the "New Navy" the ...
*
List of United States Navy aircraft squadrons
This is a list of active United States Navy aircraft squadrons. ''Deactivated'' or ''disestablished'' squadrons are listed in the List of inactive United States Navy aircraft squadrons.
Navy aircraft squadrons are composed of several aircraft (fr ...
References
External links
VAW-120's official websiteWhy I serve - VAW-120 - Youtube
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vaw-120
Early warning squadrons of the United States Navy