The VT-9 Tigers is one of four
U.S. 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 o ...
strike jet training squadrons and one of two based at
Naval Air Station Meridian
Naval Air Station Meridian or NAS Meridian is a military airport located 11 miles northeast of Meridian, Mississippi in Lauderdale County and Kemper County, and is one of the Navy's two jet strike pilot training facilities.
History
On July 16 ...
in Mississippi (The other two being based at
Naval Air Station Kingsville
Naval Air Station Kingsville or NAS Kingsville (NASK) is a United States Navy Naval Air Station located approximately 3 miles east of Kingsville, Texas in Kleberg County. NAS Kingsville is under the jurisdiction of Navy Region Southeast and i ...
in Texas).
History
Training Squadron NINE (VT-9) is the third squadron, and second training squadron, to be designated VT-9. The first VT-9 was established in 1927 as Torpedo Squadron NINE flying the Curtis T-3M Convertible Land/Seaplane. The first Training Squadron NINE was established on December 15, 1961 at McCain Field,
U.S. Naval Air Station, Meridian, Mississippi flying the
T2J-1 Buckeye and calling themselves the "Tigers" when they were split out of Training Squadron SEVEN. In September 1962 the squadron's aircraft were redesignated to
T-2A by the
1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system. In 1969 the squadron was the first to upgrade to the
T-2C Buckeye.
On August 2, 1971, the second and current Training Squadron NINE was established as Training Squadron NINETEEN (VT-19) "Frogs" when it was split out of the first Training Squadron NINE forming two "sister" squadrons, the original Training Squadron NINE and the new Training Squadron NINETEEN. Both squadrons then assumed the intermediate jet training role at Meridian in the
T-2C Buckeye. The first Training Squadron NINE was disestablished in July 1987 and its aircraft and personnel were consolidated into VT-19. On October 1, 1998, VT-19 was re-designated VT-9 (becoming the second Training Squadron to use the VT-9 designation) and assumed the name "Tigers" from the original Training Squadron NINE. In June 2004, the squadron completed the last Student Naval Aviator flight in the T-2C "Buckeye" and completed its transition to the
T-45C Goshawk.
Mission
U.S. Navy and Marine
Student Naval Aviators are trained by the Tigers, along with aviators of the British, Spanish and Italian Navies. The squadron flies the
T-45C Goshawk, a U.S. Naval derivative of the British
BAE Hawk
The BAE Systems Hawk is a British single-engine, jet-powered advanced trainer aircraft. It was first flown at Dunsfold, Surrey, in 1974 as the Hawker Siddeley Hawk, and subsequently produced by its successor companies, British Aerospace and B ...
jet aircraft. The students, selected from the very top performing students graduated from primary flight training in the
T-6B, are trained in the T-45C over a 12 month long syllabus consisting of systems, weapons, aerodynamics, emergency procedures, and other academic course-work; dynamic simulator training; navigation and
instrument flying, and progress through extensive formation and tactical flying,
low-level navigation, bombing, and
air combat maneuvering
Air combat manoeuvring (also known as ACM or dogfighting) is the tactical art of moving, turning and/or situating one's fighter aircraft in order to attain a position from which an attack can be made on another aircraft. Air combat manoeuvres ...
("dog fighting"). Student Naval Aviators normally complete the syllabus by performing a series of scrutinized
arrested landings on an
aircraft carrier. The syllabus is high-paced, difficult, and highly competitive; notable training attrition is expected. With this
tailhook
A tailhook, arresting hook, or arrester hook is a device attached to the empennage (rear) of some military fixed-wing aircraft. The hook is used to achieve rapid deceleration during routine landings aboard aircraft carrier flight decks at sea, ...
prerequisite complete, graduating students become
"winged Naval Aviators", and then move on to fly a fighter-attack jet or E-2 Airborne Early Warning,
with additional post-winging training in
Fleet Replacement Squadrons of their respective service.
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 ...
*
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 ...
References
External links
Official HomepageNAS Meridian
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vt-9
Training squadrons of the United States Navy
Military units and formations in Mississippi