VFA-81

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= Strike Fighter Squadron 81


caption= VFA-81 Insignia
dates= July 1, 1955
country= United States
allegiance=
branch= United States Navy
type= Fighter/Attack
role= Close air support
Air interdiction
Aerial reconnaissance
size=
command_structure=
current_commander= CDR Patrick J. Hannifin
garrison= Naval Air Station Oceana
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname= Sunliners
patron=
motto= “Anytime, Anyplace”
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles= Operation Desert Storm
Operation Deny Flight
Operation Southern Watch
Operation Deliberate Force
Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Iraqi Freedom
anniversaries=

Strike Fighter Squadron 81 (VFA-81), also known as the "Sunliners", is a United States Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet strike fighter squadron stationed at Naval Air Station Oceana. They are a part of Carrier Air Wing Seventeen, their radio callsign is "Zapper", and their tail code is "AA".

Mission

To conduct prompt and sustained combat operations from the sea, putting fuzed ordnance on target, on time...

Insignia and nickname

The squadron was originally called "Crusaders" and their first insignia was approved by CNO on 16 December 1955. The original insignia consisted of a black cougar on a light blue background.

On 21 November 1963, the squadron was renamed the "Sunliners" and a new insignia was approved consisting of a black background with the international orange "mach wave" design. They also adopted the motto "Anytime, Anyplace" at this time.

When the squadron was redesignated VFA, a modification to the current design was made on 30 March 1988.

History

1950s

The "Sunliners" of VFA-81 were originally commissioned as Attack Squadron SIXTY SIX (VA-66) on 1 July 1955. On the same day, they were redesignated Fighter Squadron EIGHTY ONE (VF- 81), an all weather fighter interceptor squadron flying the Grumman F9F-8B "Cougar". Their first deployment was with CVG-17 in late 1956 aboard the USS "Franklin D. Roosevelt" in response to the Suez Crisis. In 1958 VF-81 made a deployment as part of "Air Task Group 181 (ATG-181)" aboard USS "Lake Champlain" to the Mediterranean Sea. In the next year VF-81 went to sea with "ATG-182" to the North Atlantic aboard USS "Intrepid".On 04 Mar 1959 VF-81 was reequipped with the Douglas A4D-2 "Skyhawk" and redesignated attack squadron VA-81 on 1 July 1959.

1960s

VA-81 was assigned to CVG-8 and made five deployments to the Mediterranean Sea aboard the aircraft carrier USS "Forrestal" between 1960 and 1966. From Oct 1961 to Feb 1962, a detachment of VA-81 Skyhawks deployed to the North Atlantic embarked in USS Essex (CV-9). The detachment was provided air cover for antisubmarine units embarked in "Essex" with their AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles. The detachment was the first jet unit to function as part of an antisubmarine killer force. In Apr 1963 the squadron transitioned from the A-4B (A4D-2) to the A-4E "Skyhawk".

In 1966/67, VA-81 was deployed with CVG-8 to the Mediterranean, this time aboard USS "Shangri-La". For the 1967/68 deployment aboard the same carrier, VA-81 flew the A-4C. In 1969 VA-81 A-4Cs made a single deployment to the Med aboard the USS "John F. Kennedy" as part of CVW-1, operating for a time off the coast of Libya following a coup that overthrew the Libyan monarchy on 1 September 1969.

1970s

In February 1970, the "Sunliners" won the Navy Battle "E" for East Coast A-4 squadrons. In May 1970, VA-81 transitioned to the Vought A-7E "Corsair II" and was reassigned to CVW-17.

Between 1971 and 1982 VA-81 made eight deployments to the 6th Fleet aboard USS "Forrestal".

In Dec 1972, squadron’s A-7Es conducted cross-deck operations with the British carrier HMS Ark Royal.

From July to August 1974, VA-81 operated from USS Forrestal (CV-59) in the vicinity of Cyprus following a coup in that country and its invasion by Turkish forces. Surveillance and cover missions were flown by the squadron during the crisis.

1980s

VA-81 embarked in "Forrestal" from May to June 1981, operating in the eastern Mediterranean following Israeli reprisal raids against Syrian missile batteries located in southern Lebanon. In August 1981, the squadron participated a Freedom of Navigation Exercise in the Gulf of Sidra. During this exercise on 18 August, two F-14 Tomcats from USS Nimitz (CVN-68) shot down two Libyan SU-22 Fitters. Tensions escalated, and VA-81 flew reconnaissance missions over potentially hostile Libyan ships.

Between 1984 and 1987 VA-81 made three deployments with the "Saratoga".

On 23 March 1986, while operating off coast of Libya, aircraft from "Saratoga", USS "Coral Sea", and USS "America" crossed what Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi had called the "Line of Death."

The very next day, three U.S. Navy warships crossed the same 32° 30' North latitude line. Two hours later, Libyan forces fired SA-5 "Gammon" surface-to-air missiles from the coastal town of Surt. The missiles missed their F-14 Tomcat targets and fell harmlessly into the water. Later that afternoon, U.S. aircraft turned back two Libyan MiG-25 fighter planes over the disputed Gulf of Sidra. In response a Grumman A-6E "Intruder" attacked a Libyan missile patrol boat operating on the "Line of Death." Later that night, VA-81 aircraft acted as the decoy group for VA-83’s HARM strike against the Libyan missile radar site at Surt. At the conclusion, three Libyan patrol boats and a radar site were destroyed by Navy aircraft.

On 4 February 1988, VA-81 transitioned to the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C "Hornet" and was redesignated Strike Fighter Squadron 81 (VFA-81).

1990s

The squadron made three deployments with "Saratoga" between 1990 and 1994. On its first cruise in the FA-18, VFA-81 participated in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. On 17 January 1991, LCdr. Scott Speicher's F/A-18C was shot down on the first night of the Persian Gulf War while flying a mission west of Baghdad. It is disputed whether he was shot down by a SAM, or by a MiG-25.

Before the war's end, the "Sunliners" had scored the Navy's only two aerial victories by downing two Iraqi MiG-21s. VFA-81 returned to NAS Cecil Field on 27 March 1991, following the swift coalition victory. They participated in the last Mediterranean deployment of "Saratoga", which was decommissioned in August 1994.

In 1996 VFA-81 made a cruise with CVW-17 aboard the USS "Enterprise", followed by a deployment aboard the USS "Dwight D. Eisenhower" in 1998.

2000s

In 2000 and 2002 VFA-81 made two deployments aboard USS "George Washington" to the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf. In 2004 VA-81 made a single deployment aboard the USS "John F. Kennedy".

In 2007 VFA-81 was reassigned to CVW-11 in the Pacific Fleet and deployed aboard USS "Nimitz" to the Western Pacific and the Persian Gulf. Its last deployment ended on 3 June 2008, and the squadron began transition training to the F/A-18E Super Hornet.

=External links=
* [http://www.nol.navy.mil/homepages/vfa-81/ VFA-81's Official Webpage]
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/navy/vfa-81.htm]

= See also =
*Naval aviation
*Modern US Navy carrier air operations
*List of military aircraft of the United States (naval) / List of US Naval aircraft
*United States Naval Aviator
*Military aviation
*List of United States Navy aircraft squadrons
*List of Inactive United States Navy aircraft squadrons