Fighter Squadron 114 (VF-114) was a fighter
squadron
Squadron may refer to:
* Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies
* Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...
of the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
that was active from 1945 through 1993. Nicknamed the "Aardvarks", it was based out of
Naval Air Station Miramar
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (MCAS Miramar) , formerly Naval Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS) Miramar and Naval Air Station (NAS) Miramar, is a United States Marine Corps installation that is home to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is the avi ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
. The squadron flew combat missions during the
Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
and
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
. VF-114 was disestablished as part of the post-
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
drawdown of forces on April 30, 1993.
History
1940s
VF-114 was established as Bombing Fighter Squadron (VBF-19) on January 20, 1945, at
NAS Alameda
Naval Air Station Alameda (NAS Alameda) was a United States Navy Naval Air Station in Alameda, California, on San Francisco Bay.
NAS Alameda had two runways: 13–31 measuring and 07-25 measuring . Two helicopter pads and a control tower were ...
, California. Soon thereafter,
Bombing Fighter Squadron, VBF-19 moved to
NAS North Island
Naval Air Station North Island or NAS North Island , at the north end of the Coronado peninsula on San Diego Bay in San Diego, California, is part of the largest aerospace-industrial complex in the United States Navy – Naval Base Coronado (NB ...
, California, where it first flew the
Grumman F6F Hellcat
The Grumman F6F Hellcat is an American Carrier-based aircraft, carrier-based fighter aircraft of World War II. Designed to replace the earlier Grumman F4F Wildcat, F4F Wildcat and to counter the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero, it was the United St ...
and then the
Vought F4U-4 Corsair
The Vought F4U Corsair is an American fighter aircraft which saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Designed and initially manufactured by Chance Vought, the Corsair was soon in great demand; additional production contracts ...
. As with many squadrons after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, VBF-19 made several designation changes. The first change was two years later, on 24 August 1948 when it became
VF-192
Fighter Squadron 192 (VF-192) was used two times in United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the ...
, and its final change was on 15 February 1950 when it became VF-114. At this time, VF-114 was known as the ''Executioners''.
1950s
![F3H VF-114 cat 1960](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/F3H_VF-114_cat_1960.JPG)
VF-114 participated in the
Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
deployed on the on July 5, 1950. It flew its Corsairs for several months and conducted over 1,100 strikes against
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...
n and
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
forces.
After its return from
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
, VF-114 moved from propeller aircraft to jets, first flying the
Grumman F9F Panther
The Grumman F9F Panther is one of the United States Navy's first successful carrier-based jet fighters, as well as Grumman’s first jet fighter. A single-engined, straight-winged day fighter, it was armed with four cannons and could carry a wi ...
. This was soon followed by the
McDonnell F2H Banshee
The McDonnell F2H Banshee (company designation McDonnell Model 24) is an American single-seat carrier-based jet fighter aircraft deployed by the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps from 1948 to 1961. A development of the FH Phant ...
and in 1957 VF-114 transitioned to the
McDonnell F3H Demon
The McDonnell F3H Demon is a subsonic swept-wing United States Navy carrier-based jet fighter aircraft. The successor to the F2H Banshee, the Demon was originally designed to use the Westinghouse J40 engine, but had to be redesigned to acc ...
, the first jet operated by the squadron able to carry air-to-air missiles. Now based at
NAS Miramar
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (MCAS Miramar) , formerly Naval Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS) Miramar and Naval Air Station (NAS) Miramar, is a United States Marine Corps installation that is home to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is the avi ...
, California, VF-114 made two cruises on and one on .
1960s
In 1961, VF-114 transitioned to the
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and Bow ...
, becoming the first deployable Pacific Fleet fighter squadron to do so. At this point, VF-114 also changed its name and insignia to an
Aardvark
The aardvark ( ; ''Orycteropus afer'') is a medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal native to Africa. It is the only living species of the order Tubulidentata, although other prehistoric species and genera of Tubulidentata are known. Unlike ...
, apparently inspired by the resemblance between the F-4 and the cartoon character Aardvark in the
"B.C." comic strip. This change became official in 1963.
At some point the squadron had a 2-foot replica of "B.C." comic's aardvark created, which was named "Zott" (for the sound the aardvark made in the comic) and proudly displayed in the squadron's ready room afloat and ashore. Zott was also said to be the squadron's "Watchvark," guarding against intruders from other squadrons.
VF-114's first cruise with the F-4 began in September 1962 as part of CVW-11 on board the . LT Felix E. Templeton, VF-114, flying an F-4B, made the ship's 16,000th trap, in Aircraft No. 401, on 17 Aug 1963.
Vietnam War
![F-4J VF-114 CAG CVW-11 1970](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/F-4J_VF-114_CAG_CVW-11_1970.jpg)
Between 1963 and 1975, VF-114 made nine cruises to Vietnam and the Western Pacific, all aboard the USS ''Kitty Hawk'' as follows:
*From 17 October 1963 to 20 July 1964, VF-114 equipped with F-4Bs.
*From 19 October 1965 to 13 June 1966. On 2 December F-4B BuNo 152220 was lost over
North Vietnam
North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; vi, Việt Nam Dân chủ Cộng hòa), was a socialist state supported by the Soviet Union (USSR) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Southeast Asia that existed f ...
, both crewmen CDR C Austin and LTJG J Logan were killed in action, body not recovered.
On 31 January F-4B BuNo 152233 was hit by antiaircraft fire over Laos, both crewmen ejected successfully and were rescued.
[ On 5 March F-4B #152224 was hit by target debris over ]South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...
, both crewmen ejected successfully and were rescued.[ On April 3, Lt. Felix Templeton of VF-114, flying an F4B Phantom, became Kitty Hawk's first triple Centurion by making his 300th arrested landing aboard ship. On 26 April F-4B BuNo 152255 was hit by target debris over North Vietnam, both crewmen ejected successfully and were rescued.][
*From 5 November 1966 to 19 June 1967. On 20 December a squadron aircraft with an F-4B from ]VF-213
Strike Fighter Squadron 213 (VFA-213) ''Blacklions'' is an aviation unit of the United States Navy based at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia. It was established in 1955 and is currently equipped with the F/A-18F Super Hornet. The squadron is ...
shot down two Vietnam People's Air Force
The Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF, ), formally refers itself as the Air Defence - Air Force (ADAF, ) or the Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF, ), is the Air force, aerial warfare service branch of Vietnam. It is the successor of the former North V ...
(VPAF) Antonov An-2
The Antonov An-2 ("kukuruznik"—corn crop duster; USAF/DoD reporting name Type 22, NATO reporting name Colt) is a Soviet mass-produced single-engine biplane utility/agricultural aircraft designed and manufactured by the Antonov Design Bure ...
with AIM-7 Sparrow
The AIM-7 Sparrow (Air Intercept Missile) is an American, medium-range semi-active radar homing air-to-air missile operated by the United States Air Force, United States Navy, and United States Marine Corps, as well as other various air forces ...
missiles. On 19 January F-4B BuNo 153029 was lost and both crewmen were killed.[ On 6 April F-4B BuNo 152999 was lost, both crewmen ejected successfully and were rescued.][ On 24 April squadron aircraft shot down two VPAF MiG-17s with ]AIM-9 Sidewinder
The AIM-9 Sidewinder (where "AIM" stands for "Air Intercept Missile") is a short-range air-to-air missile which entered service with the US Navy in 1956 and subsequently was adopted by the US Air Force in 1964. Since then the Sidewinder has prov ...
missiles, while one of the F-4Bs was hit by antiaircraft fire, both crewmen ejected successfully and were rescued.[ On 8 May F-4B suffered an engine loss on launch, the pilot ejected successfully and was rescued but the Radar Intercept Officer LTJG Thomas Steimer was killed in action, body not recovered.][ On 14 May F-4B BuNo 153001 was lost due to a defective Zuni rocket, both crewmen, LCDR C Southwick and LT D Rollins ejected successfully, were captured and released on 4 March 1973.] On 19 May F-4B BuNo 153004 was hit by an SA-2
The S-75 (Russian: С-75; NATO reporting name SA-2 Guideline) is a Soviet-designed, high-altitude air defence system, built around a surface-to-air missile with command guidance. Following its first deployment in 1957 it became one of the most w ...
, both crewmen, LT C Plumb and LCDR G Anderson ejected successfully, were captured and respectively released on 18 February and 4 March 1973.[ On 21 May F-4B BuNo 153040 was lost, both crewmen ejected successfully and were rescued.][
*From 18 November 1967 to 28 June 1968. On 27 December F-4B BuNo 153005 was lost over North Vietnam, both crewmen LCDR L Lee and LTJG R Innes were killed, their remains were identified in July 1997.][ On 15 April F-4Bs BuNo 153002 and BuNo 153043 were lost in a mid-ar collision, all crewmen ejected successfully and were rescued.][ On 20 April F-4B BuNo 153003 was lost, both crewmen ejected successfully and were rescued.][
*From 30 December 1968 to 4 September 1969. On 13 March F-4B BuNo 153018 was lost, both crewmen ejected successfully and were rescued.][
*From 6 November 1970 to 17 July 1971, reequipped with F-4Js.
*From 17 February to 20 November 1972. On 14 April F-4J BuNo 157252 was hit by antiaircraft fire over South Vietnam, the pilot LTJG J Greenleaf was killed in action, body not recovered, while the remains of the Radar Intercept Officer LT C McKinney were identified in August 1985.][ On 6 May, squadron aircraft shot down 2 VPAF MiG-21s with AIM-9s.][ On 16 August F-4J BuNo 157262 was hit by an SA-2, both crewmen CDR J Pitzen and LT O Pender were killed and their remains were identified in November 1994.][
*From 23 November 1973 to 9 July 1974.
*From 21 May to 15 December 1975.
]
1970s
On 15 December 1975, VF-114 transitioned to the Grumman F-14 Tomcat
The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is an American carrier-capable supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, twin-tail, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy's Naval Fighter Experimental (VFX) program after the ...
along with its sister squadron VF-213
Strike Fighter Squadron 213 (VFA-213) ''Blacklions'' is an aviation unit of the United States Navy based at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia. It was established in 1955 and is currently equipped with the F/A-18F Super Hornet. The squadron is ...
. This transition took a little more than a year and in October 1977 the squadron deployed with its F-14s for the first time, once again to the Western Pacific on the USS ''Kitty Hawk'' with CVW-11 and VF-213.
In March 1979, CVW-11 deployed aboard the in a Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...
cruise, which was something of an oddity for a west coast-based carrier air wing, and a second cruise followed in 1981. On both these deployments VF-114 captured the Golden Tailhook award, which is given to the squadron that has the highest landing score for a cruise. VF-114 also won the west coast “High Noon” aerial gunnery competition and the "Mutha" trophy in 1982, which signified it as the best Pacific Fleet squadron.
1980s
After its two Mediterranean cruises, VF-114 returned to the Pacific Fleet in September 1982 aboard the . During this cruise, VF-114 participated in one of the largest naval exercises since World War II when it joined up with the carrier groups of and in the Northern Pacific for two weeks. After its return to NAS Miramar, VF-114 once again won the “High Noon” and "Mutha" trophies, the first time that an F-14 squadron had won both these awards two years in a row.
The squadron returned to sea on May 30, 1984, under the leadership of CDR Lyle "Ho Chi" Bien and returned home on December 20. During the cruise, the squadron and the air wing participated in several exercises, such as the "Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC
RIMPAC, the Rim of the Pacific Exercise, is the world's largest international maritime warfare exercise. RIMPAC is held biennially during June and July of even-numbered years from Honolulu, Hawaii, with the exception of 2020 where it was held i ...
) exercise off of Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
and exercise Beacon Flash in the northern Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. Once again, the Aardvarks took part in yet another Fleet exercise in the Northern Pacific, this time with the carriers USS ''Midway'' and .
In 1985, VF-114 conducted its Inter-Deployment Training Cycle (IDTC) at NAS Miramar
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (MCAS Miramar) , formerly Naval Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS) Miramar and Naval Air Station (NAS) Miramar, is a United States Marine Corps installation that is home to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is the avi ...
in preparation for its next overseas deployment. During this period, in addition to regular at sea periods in the Southern California (SOCAL) Operational Area, the squadron also conducted extensive air combat training against other Navy squadrons as well as various United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
fighter and United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
fighter attack squadrons. On 24 January 1986, under the leadership of CDR Pat "Killa" Kilkenny, the squadron's next overseas deployment began on board USS ''Enterprise'' which ventured out to the Western Pacific, including stops at Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...
and Subic Bay
Subic Bay is a bay on the west coast of the island of Luzon in the Philippines, about northwest of Manila Bay. An extension of the South China Sea, its shores were formerly the site of a major United States Navy facility, U.S. Naval Base Subi ...
in the Philippines. Continuing into the Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...
, VF-114 often intercepted and shadowed Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
and Indian aircraft. During this time, with operations against Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
by the National Command Authority taking center stage, the decision was made to move the Enterprise carrier battle group to the Mediterranean Sea. To do this, the battle group transited through the Suez Canal
The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...
, making USS ''Enterprise'' the first nuclear powered aircraft carrier to do so. Upon arrival in the Gulf of Sidra
The Gulf of Sidra ( ar, خليج السدرة, Khalij as-Sidra, also known as the Gulf of Sirte ( ar, خليج سرت, Khalij Surt, is a body of water in the Mediterranean Sea on the northern coast of Libya, named after the oil port of Sidra or ...
and in the vicinity of the “Line of Death”, so named by Libyan strongman Muammar al-Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi, . Due to the lack of standardization of transcribing written and regionally pronounced Arabic, Gaddafi's name has been romanized in various ways. A 1986 column by ''The Straight Dope'' lists 32 spellin ...
, CVW-11 fighter and strike fighter aircraft flew combat air patrols for two months, although encounters with Libyan aircraft were rare. The carrier group made subsequent port visits to Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
and Toulon
Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...
, and instead of returning through the Suez Canal, transited through the Strait of Gibraltar
The Strait of Gibraltar ( ar, مضيق جبل طارق, Maḍīq Jabal Ṭāriq; es, Estrecho de Gibraltar, Archaic: Pillars of Hercules), also known as the Straits of Gibraltar, is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Medi ...
into the Atlantic, and then past the Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope ( af, Kaap die Goeie Hoop ) ;''Kaap'' in isolation: pt, Cabo da Boa Esperança is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa.
A common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is t ...
before continuing on to Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
, Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
for another port visit before continuing across the Pacific to its home port at Naval Air Station Alameda.
1987 was devoted to training which included deployments to NAF El Centro, California and NAS Fallon
Naval Air Station Fallon or NAS Fallon is the United States Navy's premier air-to-air and air-to-ground training facility. It is located southeast of the city of Fallon, east of Reno in western Nevada. Since 1996, it has been home to the U.S. Na ...
, Nevada. VF-114 again won the "Mutha" trophy and also the Naval Air Force Pacific Fleet Battle “E” battle efficiency award as the top F-14 squadron in the Pacific Fleet. In January 1988, the squadron's next cruise began, a portion of which was spent in the Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Persis, Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a Mediterranean sea (oceanography), me ...
escorting reflagged tankers through March, April and May due to the ongoing tanker war. In April 1988, VF-114 participated in Operation Praying Mantis
Operation Praying Mantis was an attack on 18 April 1988, by the United States Armed Forces within Iranian territorial waters in retaliation for the Iranian naval mining of the Persian Gulf during the Iran–Iraq War and the subsequent damage t ...
. By February 1989, the carrier had returned to port and VF-114 began a compressed turnaround schedule, due to its next cruise beginning in September 1989. Even with the restricted time period, VF-114 was able to fit in significant training, deploying to NAF El Centro for FFARP (Fleet Fighter ACM Readiness Program) and as part of the air wing to NAS Fallon. Once on board the USS ''Enterprise'', an around-the-world cruise began as the battle group took part in exercises around the globe concurrent with the ''Enterprises transfer from the Pacific Fleet to the Atlantic Fleet and new homeport in Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...
. October saw VF-114 set a new flight record for an F-14 squadron, logging more than 811 hours in a single month. The end of this cruise saw the end of CVW-11's long attachment to the USS ''Enterprise'', for its next cruise was to be on the Pacific Fleet's newest carrier, the .
1990s
VF-114 arrived on board the USS ''Abraham Lincoln'' on September 25, 1990, while she was making her maiden voyage from Norfolk
Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...
to Alameda, due to become her new home. The trip took six weeks and saw the carrier cruise round the tip of South America, arriving at her new home in late November 1990. The first long-term deployment on Lincoln began in the middle of 1991, during the early part of the cruise the carrier and air wing were involved in the evacuation of thousands of military personnel and dependents from the Philippine Islands in the wake of the Mount Pinatubo eruption. Once this was complete the ''Lincoln'' headed for the Persian Gulf.
Although the initial plans had been for the ''Lincoln'' to be among the first relief carriers for those involved in Operation 'Desert Storm
The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
', by the time of her arrival the conflict was over and VF-114, along with the rest of CVW-11, was redirected to conduct post-ceasefire combat air patrols.
Commanded by CDR J.R. Barnett with his exec, LCDR (CDR sel) J.S. Colvard, VF-114's final flight took place on 30 November 1992.[Navy Times, 22 February 1993.] Like almost half of the F-14 community following Operation 'Desert Storm
The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
', VF-114 was disestablished as part of post-Cold War reductions in Naval Aviation. VF-114 was officially disestablished in a final ceremony at NAS Miramar on 30 April 1993.
See also
*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 inactive United States Navy aircraft squadrons
There are hundreds of US Navy aircraft squadrons which are not currently active dating back to before World War II (the U.S. Navy operated aircraft prior to World War I, but it did not organize them in squadrons until after that war). To be mo ...
*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 squadron (aviation), squadrons are composed of ...
References
VF-114 History
VF-114 association website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vf-114
FS0114
Strike fighter squadrons of the United States Navy