VAQ-136
Encyclopedia
Electronic Attack Squadron 136 (VAQ-136) also known as "The Gauntlets" is a United States Navy
electronic attack squadron forward-deployed to Naval Air Station Atsugi, Japan
.
The Gauntlets fly the EA-6B Prowler and are attached to Carrier Air Wing 5 (CVW 5), a composite unit made up of a wide array of aircraft performing a variety of combat and support missions. The squadron is currently deployed aboard USS George Washington (CVN-73)
.
. In 1977 the Gauntlets joined CVW-7 aboard the USS Independence
for a cruise to the Mediterranean, after which the squadron changed to the Improved Capability (ICAP) version of the EA-6B. After the transition to their new aircraft, the Gauntlets sailed to the Mediterranean again, this time with CVW-5 on USS Saratoga
.
to their new home in NAF Atsugi, Japan
with Carrier Air Wing Five
and USS Midway
, based in Yokosuka. The 1980s were highlighted by numerous Gauntlet achievements, such as an 8300 mile cross-deck deployment to USS America
in support of Indian Ocean
operations in 1983, and a record-setting 111 day Indian Ocean at sea period in 1984. In 1986, the squadron transitioned to ICAP II aircraft and deployed to support the Summer Olympics in Seoul, Korea. The Gauntlets were awarded the COMNAVAIRPAC Battle Efficiency "E"
, and the Safety “S” in 1989.
exercise, the Gauntlets successfully fired a live High Speed Anti-Radiation Missile
(HARM) at a U.S. Air Force target radar off the coast of the Philippines. It was the first HARM fired in WESTPAC and the missile completely destroyed its target.
On January 16, 1991 the Gauntlets flew strikes against Iraq
in support of Operation Desert Storm. During the 43-day war, the Gauntlets fired 28 HARMs against Iraqi air defenses, ensuring that CVW-5 did not lose any aircraft to enemy fire.
On August 22, 1991, the Gauntlets cross-decked
from the USS Midway (CV-41) with CVW-5 to the in Pearl Harbor
, Hawaii
. In the early 1992, the Gauntlets deployed with Independence in support of Operation Southern Watch
. The Gauntlets received the Pacific Fleet Battle Efficiency "E"
award for 1992.
In addition, the Gauntlets received the Radford Award
for being the best EA-6B squadron in the Navy, the Association of Old Crows Outstanding Unit Award, and a Meritorious Unit Commendation
. In 1993 the Gauntlets sailed to the Persian Gulf
in support of Operation Southern Watch. That summer saw the Gauntlets supporting U.S. policy during intense North Korean Contingency Operations. VAQ-136 was named the “Prowler Squadron of the Year for Tactical Excellence” for 1994.
The Gauntlets began 1995 with operations in the Yellow Sea
before proceeding south to participate in Exercise Cobra Gold off the coast of Thailand
. They then moved to the Middle East yet again participating in Operation Southern Watch. The Gauntlets were awarded the COMNAVAIRPAC Battle Efficiency "E"
, and Safety “S” for 1995.
In 1996 VAQ-136 operated in the Yellow Sea, near the Philippines, and around Taiwan
to deter Chinese aggression. Early in 1997 Independence, with the Gauntlets aboard, commenced a four month cruise, transiting to Guam
, Australia
, Malaysia, Singapore
, Thailand
, and then Hong Kong
, the last U.S. carrier to port there before its reversion to Chinese control.
In January 1998 the Gauntlets once more sailed on an emergency, no-notice deployment to the Persian Gulf. Just fifteen days after receiving the order, the Gauntlets went from holiday routine to fully carrier qualified and underway in support of Operation Southern Watch. The Gauntlets returned home for a brief respite before getting underway again in July, this time to Hawaii to cross-deck onto their new home, USS Kitty Hawk
. The Gauntlets received the Safety “S” for the first half of calendar year 98.
In January 1999, VAQ-136 was awarded the 1998 COMNAVAIRPAC Battle Efficiency "E"
. This significant award is given to the most combat-ready squadron in the Electronic Attack Community. On March 2, 1999, VAQ-136 and the Kitty Hawk Battle group departed Yokosuka, Japan for three months of routine operations and exercises in the Western Pacific. The Gauntlets participated in the multi-national and multi-service exercise Tandem Thrust off the island of Guam before Kitty Hawk was ordered to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch. Over the following eleven weeks, the Gauntlets flew 115 combat sorties over the skies of Iraq. When Kitty Hawk pulled into Dubai
, UAE, for several days of liberty, the Gauntlets were tasked to provide uninterrupted Electronic Warfare support for coalition aircraft flying from Prince Sultan Air Base
(PSAB), Saudi Arabia
.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
electronic attack squadron forward-deployed to Naval Air Station Atsugi, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
The Gauntlets fly the EA-6B Prowler and are attached to Carrier Air Wing 5 (CVW 5), a composite unit made up of a wide array of aircraft performing a variety of combat and support missions. The squadron is currently deployed aboard USS George Washington (CVN-73)
USS George Washington (CVN-73)
USS George Washington is an American nuclear-powered supercarrier, the sixth ship in the Nimitz class and the fourth United States Navy ship to be named after George Washington, the first President of the United States...
.
1970s
Since establishment in 1973, VAQ-136 has been associated with several Carrier Air Wings. The Gauntlets’ first two deployments were with CVW-11 aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63)USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63)
The supercarrier USS Kitty Hawk , formerly CVA-63, was the second naval ship named after Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the site of the Wright brothers' first powered airplane flight...
. In 1977 the Gauntlets joined CVW-7 aboard the USS Independence
USS Independence (CV-62)
The fifth USS Independence is a of the United States Navy. It was the fourth and final member of the Forrestal-class conventional-powered Supercarrier...
for a cruise to the Mediterranean, after which the squadron changed to the Improved Capability (ICAP) version of the EA-6B. After the transition to their new aircraft, the Gauntlets sailed to the Mediterranean again, this time with CVW-5 on USS Saratoga
USS Saratoga (CV-60)
USS Saratoga , was one of four Forrestal- class supercarriers built for the US Navy in the 1950s. Saratoga was the sixth US Navy ship, and the second aircraft carrier, to be named for the Battle of Saratoga in the American Revolutionary War.Commissioned in 1956, she spent most of her career in...
.
1980s
In 1980 the Gauntlets flew across the Pacific OceanPacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
to their new home in NAF Atsugi, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
with Carrier Air Wing Five
Carrier Air Wing Five
Carrier Air Wing Five , is a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan. The air wing is attached to the aircraft carrier USS George Washington .-Mission:...
and USS Midway
USS Midway (CV-41)
USS Midway was an aircraft carrier of the United States Navy, the lead ship of her class, and the first to be commissioned after the end of World War II...
, based in Yokosuka. The 1980s were highlighted by numerous Gauntlet achievements, such as an 8300 mile cross-deck deployment to USS America
USS America (CV-66)
The USS America was one of four Kitty Hawk-class super carriers built for the United States Navy in the 1960s. Commissioned in 1965, she spent most of her career in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, but did make three Pacific deployments serving in the Vietnam War. She also served in operations...
in support of Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
operations in 1983, and a record-setting 111 day Indian Ocean at sea period in 1984. In 1986, the squadron transitioned to ICAP II aircraft and deployed to support the Summer Olympics in Seoul, Korea. The Gauntlets were awarded the COMNAVAIRPAC Battle Efficiency "E"
Battle Efficiency Award
The Battle Effectiveness Award , commonly known as the Battle "E", is awarded annually to the small number of U.S...
, and the Safety “S” in 1989.
1990s
On April 16, 1990, as part of the Cope ThunderRed Flag - Alaska
RED FLAG-Alaska is a realistic, 10-day air combat United States Air Force training exercise held up to four times a year. It is held at Eielson Air Force Base and Elmendorf Air Force Base in the State of Alaska...
exercise, the Gauntlets successfully fired a live High Speed Anti-Radiation Missile
AGM-88 HARM
The AGM-88 High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile is a tactical, air-to-surface missile designed to home in on electronic transmissions coming from surface-to-air radar systems. It was originally developed by Texas Instruments as a replacement for the AGM-45 Shrike and AGM-78 Standard ARM system...
(HARM) at a U.S. Air Force target radar off the coast of the Philippines. It was the first HARM fired in WESTPAC and the missile completely destroyed its target.
On January 16, 1991 the Gauntlets flew strikes against Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
in support of Operation Desert Storm. During the 43-day war, the Gauntlets fired 28 HARMs against Iraqi air defenses, ensuring that CVW-5 did not lose any aircraft to enemy fire.
On August 22, 1991, the Gauntlets cross-decked
Cross-deck (naval terminology)
For the component of an aircraft carrier arresting gear , see Cross deck pendantCross-deck is United States Navy jargon which may refer to either informal, ad-hoc sharing of resources between naval vessels , or the use of carrier decks to host aircraft of foreign allies, aircraft from other ships...
from the USS Midway (CV-41) with CVW-5 to the in Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. In the early 1992, the Gauntlets deployed with Independence in support of Operation Southern Watch
Operation Southern Watch
Operation Southern Watch was an operation conducted by Joint Task Force Southwest Asia with the mission of monitoring and controlling airspace south of the 32nd Parallel in Iraq, following the 1991 Gulf War until the 2003 invasion of Iraq.-Summary:Operation Southern Watch began on 27 August 1992...
. The Gauntlets received the Pacific Fleet Battle Efficiency "E"
Battle Efficiency Award
The Battle Effectiveness Award , commonly known as the Battle "E", is awarded annually to the small number of U.S...
award for 1992.
In addition, the Gauntlets received the Radford Award
Arthur W. Radford
Arthur William Radford was a United States Navy Admiral, Commander-in-Chief of the United States Pacific Command and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.Arthur Radford was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1896...
for being the best EA-6B squadron in the Navy, the Association of Old Crows Outstanding Unit Award, and a Meritorious Unit Commendation
Meritorious Unit Commendation
The Meritorious Unit Commendation is a mid-level unit award of the United States military which is awarded to any military command which displays exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service, heroic deeds, or valorous actions....
. In 1993 the Gauntlets sailed to the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
in support of Operation Southern Watch. That summer saw the Gauntlets supporting U.S. policy during intense North Korean Contingency Operations. VAQ-136 was named the “Prowler Squadron of the Year for Tactical Excellence” for 1994.
The Gauntlets began 1995 with operations in the Yellow Sea
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea is the name given to the northern part of the East China Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. Its name comes from the sand particles from Gobi Desert sand storms that turn the surface of the water golden...
before proceeding south to participate in Exercise Cobra Gold off the coast of Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. They then moved to the Middle East yet again participating in Operation Southern Watch. The Gauntlets were awarded the COMNAVAIRPAC Battle Efficiency "E"
Battle Efficiency Award
The Battle Effectiveness Award , commonly known as the Battle "E", is awarded annually to the small number of U.S...
, and Safety “S” for 1995.
In 1996 VAQ-136 operated in the Yellow Sea, near the Philippines, and around Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
to deter Chinese aggression. Early in 1997 Independence, with the Gauntlets aboard, commenced a four month cruise, transiting to Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Malaysia, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, and then Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, the last U.S. carrier to port there before its reversion to Chinese control.
In January 1998 the Gauntlets once more sailed on an emergency, no-notice deployment to the Persian Gulf. Just fifteen days after receiving the order, the Gauntlets went from holiday routine to fully carrier qualified and underway in support of Operation Southern Watch. The Gauntlets returned home for a brief respite before getting underway again in July, this time to Hawaii to cross-deck onto their new home, USS Kitty Hawk
USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63)
The supercarrier USS Kitty Hawk , formerly CVA-63, was the second naval ship named after Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the site of the Wright brothers' first powered airplane flight...
. The Gauntlets received the Safety “S” for the first half of calendar year 98.
In January 1999, VAQ-136 was awarded the 1998 COMNAVAIRPAC Battle Efficiency "E"
Battle Efficiency Award
The Battle Effectiveness Award , commonly known as the Battle "E", is awarded annually to the small number of U.S...
. This significant award is given to the most combat-ready squadron in the Electronic Attack Community. On March 2, 1999, VAQ-136 and the Kitty Hawk Battle group departed Yokosuka, Japan for three months of routine operations and exercises in the Western Pacific. The Gauntlets participated in the multi-national and multi-service exercise Tandem Thrust off the island of Guam before Kitty Hawk was ordered to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch. Over the following eleven weeks, the Gauntlets flew 115 combat sorties over the skies of Iraq. When Kitty Hawk pulled into Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, UAE, for several days of liberty, the Gauntlets were tasked to provide uninterrupted Electronic Warfare support for coalition aircraft flying from Prince Sultan Air Base
Prince Sultan Air Base
Prince Sultan Air Base is an air base located at Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia.There was formerly a large United States presence there during Operations Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. The U.S. presence was predominantly that of multiple U.S. Air Force flying units, augmented by a...
(PSAB), Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
.
2000s
In 2010, VAQ-136 was awarded the "Battle E" for combat efficiency and the "Golden Wrench" Award for maintenance excellence by Commander, Naval Air Forces.See also
- Naval aviationNaval aviationNaval aviation is the application of manned military air power by navies, including ships that embark fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters. In contrast, maritime aviation is the operation of aircraft in a maritime role under the command of non-naval forces such as the former RAF Coastal Command or a...
- United States Naval AviatorUnited States Naval AviatorA United States Naval Aviator is a qualified pilot in the United States Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard.-Naming Conventions:Most Naval Aviators are Unrestricted Line Officers; however, a small number of Limited Duty Officers and Chief Warrant Officers are also trained as Naval Aviators.Until 1981...
- Modern US Navy carrier air operationsModern US Navy carrier air operationsModern United States Navy aircraft carrier air operations include the operation of fixed wing and rotary aircraft on and around an aircraft carrier for performance of combat or non-combat missions. Modern United States Navy aircraft carrier flight operations are highly evolved, based on experiences...
- List of United States Navy aircraft squadrons
- List of Inactive United States Navy aircraft squadrons
- List of military aircraft of the United States (naval) / List of US Naval aircraft