Strike Fighting Squadron

The VFA designation was created in 1980 to designate "Fighter Attack Squadron". The designation was assigned to squadrons equipped with the new F/A-18A Hornet fighter attack aircraft. In 1983 the designation was changed to "Strike Fighter Squadron" and all VFA squadrons in existence at the time were renamed from "Fighter Attack Squadron" to "Strike Fighter Squadron". An active component Strike Fighter Squadron consists of either ten or twelve F/A-18E Super Hornets, twelve F/A-18F Super Hornets or ten F-35C Lightning IIs. There is one reserve component VFA squadron equipped with the F/A-18C Hornet. Training squadrons (known as Fleet Replacement Squadrons) have many more aircraft. The Hornet and Super Hornet are all-weather aircraft used for attack and fighter missions. In fighter mode, they are used as a fighter escort and for fleet air defense; in attack mode, they are used for force projection, interdiction and close and deep air support. The Hornet and Super Hornet are also used for SEAD and the Super Hornet for aerial refueling.

The F-35C is a fifth-generation strike fighter that was originally planned to replace the F/A-18C Hornet, but expiring F/A-18C service life and delays in F-35C procurement forced the Navy to increase its buy of F/A-18E and F Super Hornets to replace F/A-18C Hornets while awaiting the arrival of the F-35C. The last active component F/A-18C Hornet squadron began its transition to the super hornet in February 2019, leaving only a single reserve component F/A-18C Hornet squadron. The first deployable squadron to transition to the F-35C was a Super Hornet squadron. Ultimately each Carrier Air Wing will be equipped with two Super Hornet squadrons and two F-35C squadrons.

VFA squadrons are home-ported at NAS Lemoore, CA or NAS Oceana, VA when not deployed except for the squadrons of CVW-5 which are forward deployed to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan

last update 1. October  2019

written 24. April 2005

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