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Strike Fighter Wing Atlantic | |
---|---|
Active | 1 September 1993 - Present |
Country | United States |
Branch | United States Navy |
Type | Fighter/Attack |
Role | Type Wing |
Part of | Naval Air Force Atlantic |
Garrison/HQ | NAS Oceana |
Commanders | |
Commodore | CPT. Peter Shoemaker |
Deputy Commodore | CPT. Christopher Dentzer |
Command Master Chief | CMDCM. Daniel Arroyo |
Aircraft flown | |
Fighter | F/A-18C/D Hornet F/A-18E/F Super Hornet |
Strike Fighter Wing, U.S. Atlantic Fleet (SFWL) (aka Strike Fighter Wing Atlantic, SFWL, STRKFIGHTWINGLANT) is the U.S. Navy's largest type wing with 18 squadrons flying more than 300 aircraft composed of six different variants of the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet and Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. The wing, based at NAS Oceana, is also home to the east coast F/A-18 Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) which trains pilots and Weapon Systems Officers (WSOs) in the Hornet and Super Hornet before they are assigned to operational fleet squadrons. The fleet squadrons deploy as part of carrier air wings (CVWs) on aircraft carriers on both the east and west coasts.
The wing was established in 1970 as Commander, Light Attack Wing One (CLAW One) at NAS Cecil Field, Florida. With the introduction of the F/A-18 in the late 1980s, the command was redesignated as SFWL on 1 September 1993. [1] As a result of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) decision to close NAS Cecil Field in 1999, the wing relocated to NAS Oceana, Virginia in 1998. In 2006, SFWL subsumed the staff of Commander, Fighter Wing Atlantic upon the retirement of the Grumman F-14 Tomcat and that wing's disestablishment.
Strike Fighter Wing's mission is to provide U.S. Atlantic Fleet commanders with combat-ready Strike Fighter squadrons which are fully trained, properly manned, well maintained and supported. The wing is responsible for the readiness, training, administration, and maintenance support of all Atlantic Fleet F/A-18A-F Hornet and Super Hornet squadrons. Although this basic responsibility extends throughout the deployment cycle of individual units, direct operational control of fleet squadrons is generally retained by Carrier Air Wing commanders, whether deployed or not. The Wing is also the lead advocate for issues, maintenance developments and operational readiness factors impacting the VFA community.
SFWL is commanded by a captain, who is also known as the Wing "Commodore". The wing staff consists of approximately 50 officer, enlisted and civilian personnel. CSFWL reports directly to Commander Naval Air Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet in Norfolk, Va.
Strike Fighter Wing Atlantic exercises administrative and operational command over one Fleet Replacement Squadron (VFA-106) and administrative command over 16 operational fleet F/A-18 squadrons.
Each Strike Fighter squadron normally consists of 10-12 aircraft, 22 officers and approximately 190 enlisted personnel.
Additionally, CSFWL exercises command over Strike Fighter Weapons School Atlantic.
Strike Fighter Squadron 211 (VFA-211), nicknamed the "Fighting Checkmates", is an aviation unit of the United States Navy established in 1945. The squadron is based at Naval Air Station Oceana and is equipped with the Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet.
The Strike Fighter Squadron 14 (VFA-14) "Tophatters" are a United States Navy fighter attack squadron based at Naval Air Station Lemoore. They fly the F/A-18E Super Hornet, and are the Navy's oldest active squadron, having formed in 1919. Their callsign is Camelot, and their tail code is NG.
VFA-31 or Strike Fighter Squadron 31 is known as the Tomcatters, callsign "Felix", a United States Navy strike fighter squadron stationed at Naval Air Station Oceana flying the F/A-18E Super Hornet. The Tomcatters are the second oldest Navy Fighter Attack squadron operating today.
Fighter Squadron 213 (VF-213)
The Strike Fighter Squadron 87 (VFA-87) is a United States Navy strike fighter squadron based at Naval Air Station Oceana. The squadron is equipped with the Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet and is nicknamed the Golden Warriors, its call sign is War Party. Currently, the squadron is assigned to Carrier Air Wing 8.
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Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana or NAS Oceana is a United States Navy Naval Air Station located in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Fighter Squadron Composite 12 (VFC-12), also known as the "Fighting Omars", is a United States Navy Reserve fighter squadron based at NAS Oceana. It provides adversary training to East Coast Navy air wings. VFC-12 reports to Tactical Support Wing, a component of the Naval Air Force Reserve. The "Fighting Omars" are manned by selected reservists, full-time reservists (FTS) and active duty personnel.
A carrier air wing is an operational naval aviation organization composed of several aircraft squadrons and detachments of various types of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. Organized, equipped and trained to conduct modern US Navy carrier air operations while embarked aboard aircraft carriers, the various squadrons in an air wing have different but complementary missions, and provide most of the striking power and electronic warfare capabilities of a carrier battle group (CVBG). While the CVBG term is still used by other nations, the CVBG in US parlance is now known as a carrier strike group (CSG).
Strike Fighter Squadron 2 (VFA-2) also known as the "Bounty Hunters" is a United States Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet strike fighter squadron based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California. Their tail code is NE and their callsign is "Bullet". They are attached to Carrier Air Wing 2 (CVW-2), a composite unit made up of a wide array of aircraft performing a variety of combat and support missions that deploy aboard the Carl Vinson.
Strike Fighter Squadron 101 (VFA-101), also known as the "Grim Reapers", was a United States Navy Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) based at Eglin AFB, Florida. After the West Coast FRS for the F-14 Tomcat, VF-124, was disestablished in the mid-1990s, VF-101 became the sole F-14 FRS. At the time it was based at NAS Oceana in Virginia. With the retirement of the F-14, VF-101 was deactivated in 2005. It was reactivated in 2012 and redesignated Strike Fighter Squadron 101 (VFA-101). It was one of two F-35C Lightning II FRS before being deactivated in 2019. It was based at Eglin AFB, Florida with the joint 33d Fighter Wing, as a subordinate unit of the U.S. Navy's Strike Fighter Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet.
Fighter Squadron 124 or VF-124Gunfighters was a fleet replacement squadron (FRS) of the United States Navy. Originally established on 16 August 1948 as VF-53, it was redesignated VF-124 at NAS Moffett Field on 11 April 1958 due to a need for an increased number of flight training squadrons, itself necessary because of introduction of swept wing fighters into Navy service. In 1961, the squadron relocated to NAS Miramar, California, which would become the U.S. Pacific Fleet's Master Jet Base for fighter aircraft.
Strike Fighter Squadron 143 (VFA-143), also known as the "Pukin Dogs," is a United States Navy strike fighter squadron based at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia. The Pukin Dogs are an operational fleet squadron and flying the F/A-18E Super Hornet. They are currently attached to Carrier Air Wing One and USS Harry S Truman. They are currently at their homeport of NAS Oceana. Their radio callsign is Taproom.
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The Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic is the aviation Type Commander (TYCOM) for the United States Naval aviation units operating primarily in the Atlantic under United States Fleet Forces Command. Type Commanders are in administrative control (ADCON), and in some cases operational control (OPCON) of certain types of assets assigned to the Pacific and Atlantic Fleets. AIRLANT is responsible for the material readiness, administration, training, and inspection of units/squadrons under their command, and for providing operationally ready air squadrons and aircraft carriers to the fleet.
Strike Fighter Weapons School Atlantic (SFWSLANT), is a US Navy Atlantic Fleet weapons school based at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The school provides standardized, post-graduate level training for F/A-18 strike fighter tactics, mission planning, strike intelligence and air-launched weapons handling, loading and mission employment to Navy, Marine Corps, and Naval Reserve units. Strike Fighter Weapons School Pacific at Naval Air Station Lemoore in California is the United States Pacific Fleet equivalent. NAS Oceana is where the Navy’s Atlantic and Pacific Fleet force of strike-fighter aircraft and joint/inter-agency operations are located. The airfields of NAS Oceana and NALF Fentress have five carrier air wings and 17 squadrons that conducted 128,675 flight operations.