VX-1, Air Test and Evaluation Squadron One, (''AIRTEVRON ONE'') 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 ...

air test and evaluation squadron based at

Naval Air Station Patuxent River Naval Air Station Patuxent River , also known as NAS Pax River, is a United States naval air station located in St. Mary’s County, Maryland, on the Chesapeake Bay near the mouth of the Patuxent River. It is home to Headquarters, Naval Air Sys ...

, Maryland.

Operations

Operational aircraft are assigned to VX-1 including the P-8A Poseidon, E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, MH-60R and MH-60S. Additionally, VX-1 provides test and evaluation support for aircraft such as the KC-130J Hercules, E-6B Mercury, MQ-8B Fire Scout, and MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. The squadron operated two specially equipped P-3 aircraft that were equipped to collect data from the large sonobuoy fields used by the Sonobuoy

Missile Impact Location System The Missile Impact Location System or Missile Impact Locating System (MILS)Both full names are found in references. is an ocean acoustic system designed to locate the impact position of test missile nose cones at the ocean's surface and then the pos ...

(SMILS) which supported the Navy's fleet ballistic missile program testing. The aircraft modifications enabled the aircraft to receive and record more sonobuoys, had a special timing system and a data monitoring and quick look capability. The Air Force

Advanced Range Instrumentation Aircraft The Boeing EC-135 is a retired family of command and control aircraft derived from the Boeing C-135 Stratolifter. During the Cold War, the EC-135 was best known for being modified to perform the Looking Glass mission where one EC-135 was alway ...

could also operate with SMILS.

Mission statement

The principal mission of VX-1 is to test and evaluate airborne anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and maritime anti-surface warfare (SUW) weapon systems, airborne strategic weapon systems, as well as support systems, equipment and materials in an operational environment. The squadron also develops, reviews and disseminates new ASW/SUW tactics and procedures for fleet use.

History

167955 Boeing P-8A Poseidon US Navy VX-1 (14676673471)

VX-1 formed during WWII in response to the German submarines threat. The response by the United States was the commissioning of the Air Antisubmarine Commander Air Force, Atlantic Fleet, on 1 April 1943 at Quonset Point, Rhode Island. The squadron left

NAS Key West Naval Air Station Key West , is a naval air station and military airport located on Boca Chica Key, four miles (6 km) east of the central business district of Key West, Florida, United States., effective 2007-10-25 NAS Key West is an air- ...

, Florida on 15 September 1973 when the squadron moved to its current home at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland.

Commanding officer

Current Commanding Officer of VX-1 is Captain William Selk, an E-2 Naval Flight Officer and

United States Naval Test Pilot School The United States Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS), located at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River in Patuxent River, Maryland, provides instruction to experienced United States Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, and foreign military experi ...

graduate.

References

External links