Strike Fighter Squadron 195 (VFA-195), also known as the "Dambusters", is a

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 ...

F/A-18E Super Hornet The Boeing F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornet are twin-engine, carrier-capable, multirole fighter aircraft variants based on the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. The F/A-18E single-seat and F/A-18F tandem-seat variants are larger and more adv ...

fighter squadron stationed at

Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni is a United States Marine Corps air station located in the Nishiki river delta, southeast of Iwakuni Station in the city of Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. History The Japanese government bought a large portion of what is today MCAS I ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. They are a part of Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW-5) and their tail code is ''NF''. Their radio callsign is "Chippy".

Squadron insignia and nickname

The squadron, originally known as the ''Tigers'', had its first insignia approved by

Chief of Naval Operations The chief of naval operations (CNO) is the professional head of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office () held by an admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the secretary of the Navy. In a separate capacity as a memb ...

(CNO) on 4 March 1944, consisting of a lion cub riding a torpedo. Bob Burns gave the squadron a lion cub. On the patch the cub is holding the musical "bazooka" that Burns used in his act, while riding a torpedo. The lion went to the Los Angeles Zoo. A new design replaced the cub with a tiger and parrot on the torpedo, and was approved on 18 April 1949. Sometime in the 1950s, the squadron adopted a shield insignia that featured an eagle's head and a torpedo. On 1 May 1951, squadron aircraft disabled the heavily defended

Hwacheon Dam Hwacheon Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the North Han (Pukhan) River in Hwacheon County, Gangwon-do Province, South Korea. The dam was completed in 1944 as a primary source of electricity in southern Korea. It was the focal point of a raid ...

held by North Koreans, earning them the nickname ''Dambusters'', echoing the original Dam Busters of

No. 617 Squadron RAF Number 617 Squadron is a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron, originally based at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire and currently based at RAF Marham in Norfolk. It is commonly known as "''The Dambusters''", for its actions during Operation Chastise ag ...

. Destruction of the dam had been previously attempted by other units many times. In August 1985, the squadron adopted the stylized eagle on green background insignia in use today.

History

1940s

Torpedo Squadron 19 (VT-19) was established at NAAS Los Alamitos, California on 15 August 1943, flying the TBM-1 Avenger. As unit of Carrier Air Group 19 during

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 ...

, it was a part of

Admiral Bull Halsey William Frederick "Bull" Halsey Jr. (October 30, 1882 – August 16, 1959) was an American Navy admiral during World War II. He is one of four officers to have attained the rank of five-star fleet admiral of the United States Navy, the other ...

's Naval Task Force. On 18 July 1944, the squadron flew its first combat mission when it conducted pre-invasion strikes against

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

. The squadron participated in the

Battle of Leyte Gulf The Battle of Leyte Gulf ( fil, Labanan sa golpo ng Leyte, lit=Battle of Leyte gulf; ) was the largest naval battle of World War II and by some criteria the largest naval battle in history, with over 200,000 naval personnel involved. It was fou ...

striking the Japanese Northern Force composed primarily of

aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...

s, resulting in 25

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps' second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is eq ...

awards. The squadron supported the landings at

Palau Palau,, officially the Republic of Palau and historically ''Belau'', ''Palaos'' or ''Pelew'', is an island country and microstate in the western Pacific. The nation has approximately 340 islands and connects the western chain of the Caro ...

Morotai Morotai Island ( id, Pulau Morotai) is an island in the Halmahera group of eastern Indonesia's Maluku Islands (Moluccas). It is one of Indonesia's northernmost islands. Morotai is a rugged, forested island lying to the north of Halmahera. It ha ...

and

Leyte Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census. Since the accessibility of land has be ...

. Squadron pilots also flew strikes against the Carolines,

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 ...

Bonin Islands The Bonin Islands, also known as the , are an archipelago of over 30 subtropical and tropical islands, some directly south of Tokyo, Japan and northwest of Guam. The name "Bonin Islands" comes from the Japanese word ''bunin'' (an archaic readi ...

Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...

Mindanao Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...

Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...

, and

Formosa Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is an island country located in East Asia. The main island of Taiwan, formerly known in the Western political circles, press and literature as Formosa, makes up 99% of the land area of the territorie ...

while embarked on .In October 1944, squadron aircraft participated in strikes against the Central Japanese Task Force in the

Sibuyan Sea The Sibuyan Sea is a small sea in the Philippines that separates the Visayas from the northern Philippine island of Luzon. It is bounded by the island of Panay to the south, Mindoro to the west, Masbate to the east, and to the north Marinduque a ...

, which included the super

battleship A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1880s to describe a type of ...

. Three of the squadron's personnel were awarded the

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...

for their actions during this strike. On 5 November 1944, squadron aircraft participated in the sinking of , a Japanese

heavy cruiser The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range and high speed, armed generally with naval guns of roughly 203 mm (8 inches) in caliber, whose design parameters were dictated by the Washington Naval Tr ...

, which was making a sortie out of

Manila Bay Manila Bay ( fil, Look ng Maynila) is a natural harbor that serves the Port of Manila (on Luzon), in the Philippines. Strategically located around the capital city of the Philippines, Manila Bay facilitated commerce and trade between the Phili ...

. The squadron changed homeports several times during the Second World War, first to

NAS San Diego 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 ...

, then to

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 ...

NAAS Santa Rosa Naval Auxiliary Landing Field (NALF) Santa Rosa, California, also known as Naval Auxiliary Air Station, Santa Rosa, was a military airport located in Santa Rosa, California, in Sonoma County, California, USA. History NALF Santa Rosa was first c ...

, California, and

NAS Barbers Point Naval Air Station Barbers Point , on O'ahu, also called John Rodgers Field (the original name of Honolulu International Airport), is a former United States Navy airfield closed in 1999, and renamed Kalaeloa Airport. Parts of the former air station ...

before finally ending up back at NAS Alameda in August 1946. VT-19 also upgraded their Avengers throughout the war, to the TBM-3 in February 1945, the TBM-3E in April 1945, and finally the TBM-3Q. On 15 November 1946, the squadron was redesignated Attack Squadron 20A (VA-20A). In May 1947, the squadron transitioned to the AD-1 Skyraider. In August 1948, VA-20A upgraded to the AD-2 and was redesignated Attack Squadron 195 (VA-195). In January 1949, the squadron upgraded again to the AD-3.

1950s

VA-195 upgraded to the AD-4 in July 1950, and served 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 ...

while embarked on . On 5 December 1950, the squadron flew its first combat mission since the end of World War II, flying close air support missions for U.S. Marines near

Chosin Reservoir The Chosin Reservoir (), formally known as Lake Changjin () is a lake located in Changjin County, North Korea. It is most famously known for being the site of the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir, which was an important battle in the Korean War. ...

in North Korea. On May 1, 1951, the squadron's Skyraiders, making precise low level runs, delivered

aerial torpedo An aerial torpedo (also known as an airborne torpedo or air-dropped torpedo) is a torpedo launched from a torpedo bomber aircraft into the water, after which the weapon propels itself to the target. First used in World War I, air-dropped torped ...

es on the heavily defended and strategically positioned

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 ...

. Destruction of the dam had been attempted by

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...

and Navy bombers, but was finally accomplished by VA-195, earning them the nickname the ''Dambusters''. The squadron upgraded to the AD-4L, and on 23 June 1952, the squadron conducted coordinated

air strikes An airstrike, air strike or air raid is an offensive operation carried out by aircraft. Air strikes are delivered from aircraft such as blimps, balloons, fighters, heavy bombers, ground attack aircraft, attack helicopters and drones. The offic ...

against the Suiho hydroelectric plant on the

Yalu River The Yalu River, known by Koreans as the Amrok River or Amnok River, is a river on the border between North Korea and China. Together with the Tumen River to its east, and a small portion of Paektu Mountain, the Yalu forms the border between ...

and the Kyosen Number Three hydroelectric plant. Squadron aircraft participated in attacks against other hydroelectric plants the following day. On 11 July 1952, squadron aircraft participated in one of the major joint U.S. Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps air strikes of the war, hitting industrial targets in North Korea's capital city of

Pyongyang Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populatio ...

. In November 1952, the squadron relocated to

NAS Moffett Field Moffett Federal Airfield , also known as Moffett Field, is a joint civil-military airport located in an unincorporated part of Santa Clara County, California, United States, between northern Mountain View and northern Sunnyvale. On November 10, ...

, and upgraded to the AD-4B and AD-4NA in early 1953. VA-195 received AD-6s in May 1954, and finally moved to the jet age with A4D-2 Skyhawks (later designated A-4B) in July 1959.

1960s

In December 1961, the squadron moved to

NAS Lemoore Naval Air Station Lemoore or NAS Lemoore is a United States Navy base, located in Kings County and Fresno County, California, United States. Lemoore Station, a census-designated place, is located inside the base's borders. NAS Lemoore is the Na ...

, California. As the

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 ...

flared in the fall of 1964, the squadron made their fourth consecutive deployments on . During the next five years, while operating various models of the A-4 from the decks of ''Bon Homme Richard'' and , the squadron logged more combat flight hours and sorties than any other squadron in Carrier Air Wing 19 (CVW-19). On 20 April 1967, the squadron's executive officer was awarded the Silver Star for his actions in planning and executing a successful strike against a

Haiphong Haiphong ( vi, Hải Phòng, ), or Hải Phòng, is a major industrial city and the third-largest in Vietnam. Hai Phong is also the center of technology, economy, culture, medicine, education, science and trade in the Red River delta. Haiphong wa ...

thermal power plant, accomplishing the mission without the loss of a single aircraft. In March 1968, VA-195, along with other squadrons in CVW-19, conducted flight operations from USS ''Ticonderoga'' in the

Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it h ...

following the capture of by

. In September 1968, the squadron upgraded to the A-4E.

1970s

In early 1970 VA-195 transitioned to the

A-7E Corsair II The LTV A-7 Corsair II is an American carrier-capable subsonic light attack aircraft designed and manufactured by Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV). The A-7 was developed during the early 1960s as replacement for the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. Its design was ...

. As a unit of

Carrier Air Wing 11 Carrier Air Wing Eleven (CVW-11) is a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California. The air wing is attached to the aircraft carrier .Operation Pocket Money Operation Pocket Money was the title of a U.S. Navy Task Force 77 aerial mining campaign conducted against the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) from 9 May 1972 (Vietnamese time), during the Vietnam War. Its purpose was to halt or s ...

, the mining of North Vietnamese harbours and

Operation Linebacker Operation Linebacker was the codename of a U.S. Seventh Air Force and U.S. Navy Task Force 77 air interdiction campaign conducted against North Vietnam from 9 May to 23 October 1972, during the Vietnam War. Its purpose was to halt or slow the ...

, concentrated air strikes against targets in North Vietnam above the 20th parallel. On July 19, 1972 the squadron delivered the first data link version of the television guided Walleye Glide Bomb into a cave storage area causing its complete destruction. Later the same day, they destroyed the

Ninh Bình Ninh Bình () is a small city in the Red River Delta of northern Vietnam. It is the capital of Ninh Bình Province. Geography Ninh Bình Province is located in northern Vietnam comprising 48 square kilometres; the 2007 city population was 130,517 ...

railroad bridge, also with a single weapon. In November 1973, VA-195 deployed with

CVW-11 Carrier Air Wing Eleven (CVW-11) is a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California. The air wing is attached to the aircraft carrier .Essex-class anti-submarine carriers (CVS) and their ''Anti-Submarine Carrier Air Groups (CVSG)'' were retired. Between 1970 and 1981 VA-195 made seven deployments with CVW-11 aboard USS ''Kitty Hawk''. The 1979 deployment led CVW-11 in unfamiliar waters, as it was deployed to the Mediterranean Sea, followed by the 1981 cruise to the same area and the Indian Ocean.

1980s

In 1981, the squadron made back-to-back deployments aboard . In 1983/84 VA-195 made its last deployment with the A-7 Corsair II, this time being reassigned to the Pacific Fleet

CVW-9 Carrier Air Wing Nine (CVW-9) is a United States Navy aircraft carrier Carrier air wing, air wing based at Naval Air Station Lemoore. The Air Wing is currently assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72). The Tail Code of aircr ...

aboard . From July to August 1983, USS ''Ranger'' was ordered to operate off the coast of

Nicaragua Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the cou ...

in response to an unstable situation in Central America. Then, from October 1983 to January 1984, during a 122-day line period in the Indian Ocean, USS ''Ranger'' was extended on station in the

Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea ( ar, اَلْبَحرْ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Bahr al-ˁArabī) is a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel ...

due to the Iranian threat to block oil exports from the Persian Gulf. F-18A VA-195 CVW-10 1986

VA-195 was redesignated Strike Fighter Squadron 195 (VFA-195) on 1 April 1985 and commenced transition to the

F/A-18A Hornet The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather, twinjet, twin-engine, supersonic aircraft, supersonic, carrier-based aircraft, carrier-capable, Multirole combat aircraft, multirole combat aircraft, designed as both a Fighter aircraft, ...

. The first of 12 new Lot 8 F/A-18As were delivered to the squadron in October, 1985. In 1986 VFA-195 was assigned to the newly established CVW-10. This wing was to deploy on CV-62, and it was given the old CVW-19 tail code "NM". However, ''CVW-10'' was never deployed. VFA-195 was the only squadron of this wing that was not disestablished in 1987. Instead, VFA-195 was reassigned to

CVW-5 Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW-5) is a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni. The air wing is attached to the aircraft carrier . It was initially formed in 1943. It has participated in the Second Wor ...

aboard CV-41, when CVW-5's fighter squadrons transitioned from the F-4S Phantom II and the A-7E Corsair to the F/A-18 Hornet. VFA-195 joined the Forward Deployed Naval Forces in

U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka or is a United States Navy base in Yokosuka, Japan. Its mission is to maintain and operate base facilities for the logistic, recreational, administrative support and service of the U.S. Naval Forces Japan, Seventh Fleet and other operatin ...

with the first aircraft arriving at

NAF Atsugi is a joint Japan-US naval air base located in the cities of Yamato and Ayase in Kanagawa, Japan. It is the largest United States Navy (USN) air base in the Pacific Ocean and once housed the squadrons of Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW-5), which dep ...

on November 14, 1986. In 1987, the squadron completed two short Westpac cruises aboard USS ''Midway'', from January to March 20 and April 23 to July 13, with port calls in Subic Bay, Philippines, Hong Kong, and Sydney, Australia. From November 1987 to February 1988, the squadron participated in

Operation Earnest Will Operation Earnest Will (24 July 1987 – 26 September 1988) was the American military protection of Kuwaiti-owned tankers from Iranian attacks in 1987 and 1988, three years into the Tanker War phase of the Iran–Iraq War. It was the largest nav ...

, the escorting of reflagged Kuwaiti

tankers Tanker may refer to: Transportation * Tanker, a tank crewman (US) * Tanker (ship), a ship designed to carry bulk liquids ** Chemical tanker, a type of tanker designed to transport chemicals in bulk ** Oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanke ...

through the Persian Gulf. In late 1988 and again in 1989, the squadron embarked aboard USS ''Midway'' and made deployments to 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 ...

, along with several shorter deployments in the Western Pacific.

1990s

VFA-195 was deployed aboard USS ''Midway'' when Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990. During

Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a Coalition of the Gulf War, 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Ba'athist Iraq, ...

the squadron flew 564 combat missions, delivering 356 tons of ordnance. During the war (possibly on January 24, 1991) VFA-195 became the first Hornet squadron and first CVW-5 squadron to deliver a Walleye II glide bomb in combat during an air strike against the Iraqi Navy's HQ at

Umm Qasr Umm Qasr ( ar, أم قصر, also transliterated as ''Um-qasir'', ''Um-qasser, Um Qasr'') is a port city in southern Iraq. It stands on the canalised Khawr az-Zubayr, part of the Khawr Abd Allah estuary which leads to the Persian Gulf. It is sep ...

. During the strike, LCDR. Jeffery S. Ashby guided his Walleye II into the T shaped building at Umm Qasr Naval Base. The next day, F-14s equipped with TARPS confirmed the Walleye hit was a success and a strike that was planned the next day was cancelled.''The Pursuit of Precision - AGM-62 Walleye - The TV-Guided Glide Bomb'' (2009) ''USN Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division'' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPgVsz_TnkEAbout three to four weeks into the war, LCDR. Ashby was about to lead a major six to eight plane strike against a communications building in the northern end of Basra, Iraq. Intelligence had been alerted by the presence of an Iraqi Super Frelon Helicopter fitted with Exocet ASM missiles. On February 13, 1991, LCDR. Ashby flying ''NF-104'' and another Hornet from VFA-195 found the helicopter in the desert, with Ashby destroying it with a Walleye I. ''NF-104'' would later have a kill marking of the Super Frelon applied to the aircraft when it was displayed at the WINGS 1991 airshow in Japan. On 10 August 1991, ''CVW-5'' sailed with USS ''Midway'' for the last time, arriving in Hawaii on August 22 to swap with the new forward deployed carrier, USS ''Independence'' which had CVW-14. During the 'Great Carrier Air Wing SwapEx', VFA-195 transitioned to the F/A-18C Hornet and stayed with CVW-5. On April 15, 1992, VFA-195 deployed to the Persian Gulf with CVW-5 on the ''Independence''. Along the way, in June, VFA-195 sent one of the Hornets to

Doha Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor, it is home to most of the coun ...

, Qatar as well as conducting

DACT Dissimilar air combat training (DACT) was introduced as a formal part of US air combat training after disappointing aerial combat exchange rates in the Vietnam War. Traditionally, pilots would undertake air combat training against similar aircr ...

with the

Qatar Air Force The Qatar Emiri Air Force ( ar, القوات الجوية الأميرية القطرية , Al-Quwwat Al-Jawiyah Al-Amiriyah Al-Qatariyah) (QEAF) is the air arm of the armed forces of the state of Qatar. It was established in 1974 as a small aer ...

. On August 23, 1992, Operation Southern Watch began as CVW-5 was the first US Navy unit to take part. On October 11, 1992, VFA-195 returned back to Atsugi, with one of their F/A-18C's (''NF-403'') being painted with a special white eagle on the tail. In February 1993, VFA-195 took part in Exercise Team Spirit '93 with South Korea while in the Sea of Japan. In September, they also participated in ANNUALEX '93 with the

JMSDF , abbreviated , also simply known as the Japanese Navy, is the maritime warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. The JMSDF was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) ...

. In March 1996, CVW-5 and VFA-195 deployed to calm tensions in the Taiwan Strait over Taiwan's first direct presidential elections. On March 27, VFA-195 and CVW-5 returned back to Atsugi after the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis. On May 18, VFA-195 along with CVW-5 departed with the ''Independence'' to take part in RIMPAC 1996 which ended on June 18. From March 10 to March 22, 1997, VFA-195 and the ''Independence'' took part in Exercise Tandem Thrust '97 with the Australian military. Between October 16 and 20, 1997, VFA-195 also took part in Foal Eagle '97 with South Korea before taking part in ANNUALEX 09G between November 6 and 12, 1997 with the

JSDF The Japan Self-Defense Forces ( ja, 自衛隊, Jieitai; abbreviated JSDF), also informally known as the Japanese Armed Forces, are the unified ''de facto''Since Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution outlaws the formation of armed forces, the ...

. After a visit by U.S. Secretary of Defense

William Cohen William Sebastian Cohen (born August 28, 1940) is an American lawyer, author, and politician from the U.S. state of Maine. A Republican, Cohen served as both a member of the United States House of Representatives (1973–1979) and Senate (1979� ...

to the ''Independence'' while in-port on January 21, 1998, the Carrier along with VFA-195 and CVW-5 deployed on January 23 to take part in

Operation Southern Watch Operation Southern Watch was an air-centric military operation conducted by the United States Department of Defense from Summer 1992 to Spring 2003. United States Central Command's Joint Task Force Southwest Asia (JTF-SWA) had the mission of mon ...

, as announced by Cohen when he visited. This deployment would however be the last deployment made with the ''Independence''. VFA-195 arrived in the Persian Gulf on February 5, before engaging in OSW. After four months, VFA-195 returned to NAF Atsugi on June 5, 1998. On July 7, 1998, the ''Independence'', CVW-5 and VFA-195 left Japan to swap with the ''Kitty Hawk'', which was to become the new home of CVW-5. The ''Independence'' arrived 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 ...

on July 17. During the cross-deck, VFA-195 replaced its F/A-18Cs with the F/A-18C (N) Night Attack Hornet. At 7:00AM on July 24, 1998, VFA-195 and CVW-5 along with the ''Kitty Hawk'' departed Pearl Harbor for Japan while the ''Independence'' went into retirement in the

Puget Sound Puget Sound ( ) is a sound of the Pacific Northwest, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean, and part of the Salish Sea. It is located along the northwestern coast of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected ma ...

, Washington State. VFA-195 arrived back on August 11.

2000s

VFA-195 flew in support of

Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used synonymously by the U.S. government for both the War in Afghanistan (2001–2014) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response to the September 11 at ...

in 2001, striking targets deep in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

. VFA-195 called on for duty when on January 23, 2003, VFA-195 deployed off the coast of North Korea in the face of tensions over the latter's nuclear weapons program, as well as preventing North Korea from taking advantage of the deployment of US forces to the Persian Gulf that year. In February, VFA-195 and the ''Kitty Hawk'' headed to the Persian Gulf to take part in Southern Watch for the last time. On March 19, 2003, as part of the first night attacks of

Operation Iraqi Freedom {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...

, eight F/A-18C (N)s from VFA-195 along with F-14As from

VF-154 Strike Fighter Squadron 154 (VFA-154), also known as the "Black Knights", is a United States Navy strike fighter squadron stationed at Naval Air Station Lemoore. The Black Knights are an operational fleet squadron flying the F/A-18F Super Hornet. ...

and Night Attack Hornets from

VFA-192 Strike Fighter Squadron 192 (VFA-192), also known as the "World Famous Golden Dragons", are a United States Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter squadron stationed at NAS Lemoore. Squadron Insignia and Nickname The squadron's first insignia was app ...

attacked SAM sites in Western Iraq. On April 2, 2003, ''NF-405'', an F/A-18C (N) from VFA-195; was shot down by a Patriot PAC-2 SAM Site in a

Friendly Fire incident In military terminology, friendly fire or fratricide is an attack by belligerent or neutral country, neutral forces on friendly troops while attempting to attack enemy/hostile targets. Examples include misidentifying the target as hostile, cro ...

while in support of Coalition Forces approaching Baghdad, killing the pilot. The squadron would go on to fly 278 combat sorties in support of Iraqi Freedom, delivered 179,000 pounds of precision guided munitions against military targets over the course of a single month. On April 23, 2003, Iraqi Freedom was over for VFA-195, CVW-5 and the ''Kitty Hawk'', heading back to Japan from then on. Starting on May 7, 2004, as a result of VFA-27 transitioning to the F/A-18E Super Hornet,

VFA-27 Strike Fighter Squadron 27 (VFA-27), also known as the "Royal Maces", are a United States Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter squadron stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni. They are a part of Carrier Air Wing 5 and are attached to the airc ...

's F/A-18C (N)s were given to VFA-192. As a result, VFA-195 received VFA-192 Night Attack Hornets as well as

VMFA-212 Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 212 (VMFA-212) was a United States Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet squadron. Most recently known as the "Lancers", the squadron was last based at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan and fell under the command of Mar ...

at MCAS Iwakuni. On July 19, VFA-195 and the rest of CVW-5 as well as the ''Kitty Hawk'' deployed to the Western Pacific to take part in Summer Pulse 2004, a Naval Exercise involving 7 Carrier Battle Groups including the ''Kitty Hawk CVBG''. During the Exercise, VFA-195 and CVW-5 worked alongside the '' John C. Stennis'' and

CVW-14 Carrier Air Wing Fourteen (CVW-14), was a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California. Mission To conduct carrier air warfare operations and assist in the planning, control, coordination and integr ...

, taking part in JASEX 04, 600 nm east of Ioshima. Departing on June 8, 2006 for another deployment in the Pacific, VFA-195 took part in Exercise Valiant Shield 2006 between June 19 and 23, 2006 with the USMC and USAF (including the

B-2A Spirit The Northrop (later Northrop Grumman) B-2 Spirit, also known as the Stealth Bomber, is an American heavy strategic bomber, featuring low-observable stealth technology designed to penetrate dense anti-aircraft defenses. A subsonic flying ...

). Around a year later, the squadron took part in Valiant Shield 2007. That same year, they also took part in Exercise Malabar 07-2 with CVW-11, the

Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...

, JSMDF, The Republic of Singapore Navy and the

Indian Navy The Indian Navy is the maritime branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy. As a blue-water navy, it operates sig ...

, which ended on September 9. On May 28, 2008 USS ''Kitty Hawk'' left Yokosuka for the last time, heading for Pearl Harbor along with CVW-5 and VFA-195, the latter two of which were preparing to move to USS ''George Washington'' CVN-73. The ''Kitty Hawk'', CVW-5 and VFA-195 firstly arrived at Hawaii on July 1, before taking part in RIMPAC 2008 on July 8. They then returned back to Hawaii before departing for San Diego on August 1, 2008. VFA-195 and the rest of CVW-5 flew off the ''Kitty Hawk'' on August 6 before it arrived on August 7 in San Diego. This was the first time since 1986 that VFA-195 had been on the Mainland US. VFA-195 and the rest of CVW-5 then transitioned to the ''George Washington'' and left on August 20 for Yokosuka. On September 25, 2008, VFA-195 arrived back in Japan. In March 2009, VFA-195 sent six of their aircraft along with VFA-27, who sent eight of theirs to take part in Cope Tiger 2009 in Thailand with the Thai Armed Forces, Singapore and USAF.

2010s

During late 2010 the squadron transitioned to the

. In late 2015, CVW-5 was scheduled to be transferred to which replaced USS ''George Washington'' as the U.S. Navy's forward deployed aircraft carrier at Yokosuka, Japan.Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker, commander of Naval Air Forces
29 May 2015, www.navy.mil, retrieved 2 June 2015
''Navy Aircraft Carrier Moves Underscore Pacific Rebalance Strategy''
from U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs story number NNS140114-15, 14 January 2014, retrieved 2 June 2015.

References

;Web
VFA-195's official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vfa-195 Military units and formations established in 1943 FS0195 Strike fighter squadrons of the United States Navy