VF-31
Encyclopedia
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 original "Felix Cat Squadron" was VF-3. When the two squadrons swapped designations, both squadrons claimed the "Felix" mascot and call sign, which caused controversy for the coming three years. Finally in November 1946, VF-6 was decommissioned and the Chief of Naval Operations
approved the adoption of the Felix the Cat name and call sign for VF-3A’s exclusive use.
The emblem is the famous cartoon character Felix the Cat
, running with a large spherical bomb with a lighted fuse. The yellow field and outline were omitted from the aircraft and four stars at the end of a pair of sweeps were added. This emblem can be seen on the fuselage of the aircraft above the wing.
Several well-known aviators have flown with Felix on their shoulders, including Charles Lindbergh
and Butch O'Hare.
The nickname Tomcatters was adopted in 1948.
(1919).
On 1 July 1937, the squadron combined with VF-8B and was redesignated VF-6, flying the Grumman F3F
. Between the years 1937 and 1943 VF-6 flew the F3F-1 and two variants of the Grumman F4F and ended with the F4F-4.
On 15 July 1943, VF-6 swapped designations with VF-3
and began flying the F6F Hellcat
.
Through the years the Tomcatters and their predecessors have served on many of the Navy's aircraft carriers, including the first, the USS Langley
; the second, USS Lexington
; and the sixth, . They were aboard Enterprise during the bombing of Pearl Harbor
as well as the battles of Wake Island
, Marcus Island, Midway
, Guadalcanal
, and the Eastern Solomon Islands
. The squadron also saw aerial combat over the Philippines
, Formosa
, Okinawa, and China
.
On 7 August 1948, VF-3A was redesignated VF-31 Tomcatters. For almost four years, the Tomcatters flew the F9F Panther
, the squadron's first jet aircraft.
, and then switched to the F3H Demon
in 1957, flying it through 1962.
VF-31 transitioned to the F-4 Phantom in 1964, flying the B model for two years before transitioning to the F-4J.
and in doing so made VF-31 the only Navy fighter squadron to achieve aerial victories in three wars - World War II
, the Korean War
and the Vietnam War
.
In 1980, VF-31 and USS Saratoga
concluded a 24-year period of continuous
service together, the longest in naval history.
VF-31 received the F-14 Tomcat
in early 1981. The squadron's first cruise was on board USS John F. Kennedy. In 1983, VF-31 embarked on its fourth cruise with Kennedy. The cruise took the carrier and its air wing to the southern Mediterranean off the North African coast. VF-31 regularly flew over Lebanese
and Syria
n positions in support of multi-national peacekeeping operations, often being fired at by Syrian AAA
. During a mission in early December 1983, heat-seeking SA-7 SAM
s were launched at two squadron F-14s. Although both Tomcats were able to return safely to Kennedy, this incident led to US Navy retaliatory strikes. On December 4, both carriers in the Mediterranean Sea, Kennedy and USS Independence
, launched strikes against Syrian SAM sites, losing one A-7
and one A-6
.
VF-31 shifted carriers and air wings in April 1985 and was now on board USS Forrestal along with its sister squadron, the VF-11 Red Rippers.
In June 1986, VF-31 and the rest of the Forrestal battle group set sail for the Mediterranean. While deployed the squadron participated in numerous fleet exercises. In August 1986, VF-31 participated in joint exercises with the Egyptian Air-Force and Navy.
In September 1987 VF-31 and the Forrestal battle group participated in North Atlantic exercises above the arctic circle. In April, 1988 VF-31 and the Forrestal battle group set sail for a six month Indian Ocean cruise which lasted for six months. While heading home from the "IO", the battle group once again participated in North Atlantic NATO exercises before coming home to Oceana in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
VF-31 stayed with Forrestal until 1992, when the squadron switched carriers, planes, and home bases at concurrently. VF-31 (and VF-11) moved from NAS Oceana to NAS Miramar and to the USS Carl Vinson, and exchanged its F-14As for the new and improved F-14Ds.
In late 1996, VF-31 returned from its second Western Pacific deployment aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70)
, flying missions in the Persian Gulf and over southern Iraq in support of Operations Southern Watch and Desert Strike.
VF-31 moved back to Oceana in 1997. The squadron then sent a single F-14D and crew to the 1997 Paris
Air Salon, primarily to promote new F-14 LANTIRN
.
In 1998 they made a deployment to the Persian Gulf with USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72)
supporting Operation Southern Watch.
2000 began with a WESTPAC deployment on board the Lincoln.
VF-31 deployed aboard USS Abraham Lincoln
in July 2002, operating over Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, and again over the skies of Iraq supporting Operation Southern Watch
. During their return home, the entire battle group was turned around on the 1st of January for the commencement of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Flying from the first night of combat, VF-31 was responsible for delivering ordnance to targets in Baghdad
and the southern vicinities in direct support of coalition forces. During that deployment, VF-31 had the dubious distinction of having the longest cruise in the last 30 years of the Navy’s history, returning to Oceana on 2 May 2003. The squadron flew 585 sorties, dropping 239 LGB
/JDAM/MK 82
.
In 2004, VF-31 and CVW-14 embarked on for a WESTPAC cruise. This was the last time the F-14 would fly over the skies of the Pacific. They returned to the US on October 31, 2004. The squadron became the last unit to fly F-14 Tomcats with the Pacific Fleet.
In December 2004, VF-31 transferred from Carrier Air Wing Fourteen
to its current home with Carrier Air Wing Eight
and USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71)
.
In September 2005, the Tomcatters deployed aboard Theodore Roosevelt for the final Tomcat deployment, again to the Persian Gulf. February 7, 2006 marked the last recovery of an F-14 Tomcat from a combat mission. While operating from Theodore Roosevelt in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, VF-31 was credited with being the last F-14 unit to drop a bomb in combat. VF-31 returned to NAS Oceana on March 10, 2006 for the final F-14 fly-in.
VF-31 remained operational aboard Theodore Roosevelt until July 28, 2006 when the last Tomcat trap and catapult launch took place off the Virginia Capes, with journalists from around the world (Mexico, UK, Holland, Germany and US) witnessing. VF-31 was the last Tomcat squadron, with the last F-14 flight occurring on October 4, 2006 as BuNo.164603 flew from NAS Oceana to Republic Airport
. After spending a year at the American Airpower Museum, the aircraft is now on public display outside of Northrop Grumman headquarters in Bethpage, NY.
VF-31 transitioned to F/A-18E Super Hornet and was redesignated VFA-31 in (date) late 2006.
VFA-31, along with CVW-8 and Theodore Roosevelt, participated in Joint Task Force Exercise 08-4 Operation Brimstone off the coast of North Carolina
between July 21 and July 31, 2008. The British carrier , the amphibious assault ship with associated units and the Brazilian Navy
frigate Greenhalgh (F-46)
and the French submarine Améthyste also participated in the event.
On 8 September 2008, VFA-31 and the rest of CVW-8 deployed on board the USS Theodore Roosevelt on a regularly scheduled deployment. On October 4, the Roosevelt Carrier Group arrived in Cape Town
, South Africa
, the first visit by an American aircraft carrier since 1967 and three days later the carrier left Cape Town. CVW-8 and CVN-71 supported Operation Enduring Freedom and flew more than 3,100 sorties and dropped more than 59,500 pounds of ordnance while providing Close Air Support
for ISAF
-forces in Afghanistan. On March 21, 2009 it was reported that USS Theodore Roosevelt was relieved by USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69)
.
Award, which is awarded "to the ship or squadron with the most improved battle efficiency".
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...
strike fighter squadron stationed at Naval Air Station Oceana
Naval Air Station Oceana
Naval Air Station Oceana or NAS Oceana is a military airport located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and is a United States Navy Master Jet Base. It is also known as Apollo Soucek Field, named after Lieutenant Apollo Soucek, a Navy Test Pilot who set the global altitude record in 1930 by flying a...
flying the F/A-18E Super Hornet.
Squadron insignia and nickname
The squadron was originally known as the Shooting Stars.The original "Felix Cat Squadron" was VF-3. When the two squadrons swapped designations, both squadrons claimed the "Felix" mascot and call sign, which caused controversy for the coming three years. Finally in November 1946, VF-6 was decommissioned and the Chief of Naval Operations
Chief of Naval Operations
The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...
approved the adoption of the Felix the Cat name and call sign for VF-3A’s exclusive use.
The emblem is the famous cartoon character Felix the Cat
Felix the Cat
Felix the Cat is a cartoon character created in the silent film era. His black body, white eyes, and giant grin, coupled with the surrealism of the situations in which his cartoons place him, combine to make Felix one of the most recognized cartoon characters in film history...
, running with a large spherical bomb with a lighted fuse. The yellow field and outline were omitted from the aircraft and four stars at the end of a pair of sweeps were added. This emblem can be seen on the fuselage of the aircraft above the wing.
Several well-known aviators have flown with Felix on their shoulders, including Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.Lindbergh, a 25-year-old U.S...
and Butch O'Hare.
The nickname Tomcatters was adopted in 1948.
History
Two US Navy squadrons have held the designation VF-31. The first to be designated VF-31 was in existence from May 1943 to Oct 1945 and is not related to the subject of this article. The second VF-31 has a direct lineage to the current VFA-31 " Tomcatters".Early years
VFA-31, originally established as VF-1B on July 1, 1935 flying the Boeing F4B, is the second oldest active US Navy squadron behind VFA-14VFA-14
The Strike Fighter Squadron 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...
(1919).
On 1 July 1937, the squadron combined with VF-8B and was redesignated VF-6, flying the Grumman F3F
Grumman F3F
|-Popular culture:The F3F was featured as an "experimental fighter" in Warner Bros's Wings of the Navy .The F3F-2 was featured in the 1940 film Flight Command, starring Robert Taylor as a pilot whose work developing instrument landing systems helps his lost squadron return to NAS North...
. Between the years 1937 and 1943 VF-6 flew the F3F-1 and two variants of the Grumman F4F and ended with the F4F-4.
On 15 July 1943, VF-6 swapped designations with VF-3
VF-3
VF-3 or Fighter Squadron 3 was known as the Felix Cat Squadron, was a United States Navy strike fighter squadron now inactive.-History:A number of fighter squadrons have been designated VF-3, most before World War II. Officially, the U.S. Navy does not recognize a direct lineage with disestablished...
and began flying the F6F Hellcat
F6F Hellcat
The Grumman F6F Hellcat was a carrier-based fighter aircraft developed to replace the earlier F4F Wildcat in United States Navy service. Although the F6F resembled the Wildcat, it was a completely new design powered by a 2,000 hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800. Some tagged it as the "Wildcat's big...
.
USS Langley (CV-1)
USS Langley was the United States Navy's first aircraft carrier, converted in 1920 from the collier USS Jupiter , and also the U.S. Navy's first electrically propelled ship...
; the second, USS Lexington
USS Lexington (CV-2)
USS Lexington , nicknamed the "Gray Lady" or "Lady Lex," was an early aircraft carrier of the United States Navy. She was the lead ship of the , though her sister ship was commissioned a month earlier...
; and the sixth, . They were aboard Enterprise during the bombing of 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...
as well as the battles of Wake Island
Wake Island
Wake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...
, Marcus Island, Midway
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
, Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
, and the Eastern Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
. The squadron also saw aerial combat over the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Formosa
Formosa
Formosa or Ilha Formosa is a Portuguese historical name for Taiwan , literally meaning, "Beautiful Island". The term may also refer to:-Places:* Formosa Strait, another name for the Taiwan Strait...
, Okinawa, and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
On 7 August 1948, VF-3A was redesignated VF-31 Tomcatters. For almost four years, the Tomcatters flew the F9F Panther
F9F Panther
|-Popular culture:The Panther played a prominent role in the 1954 movie Men of the Fighting Lady . The F9F was featured in the flying sequences in the 1954 movie The Bridges at Toko-Ri, although in the 1953 James A...
, the squadron's first jet aircraft.
1950s
In 1952, the squadron transitioned to the F2H BansheeF2H Banshee
The McDonnell F2H Banshee was a single-seat carrier-based jet fighter aircraft deployed by the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps from 1948 to 1961. It was one of the primary American fighters used during the Korean War and was the only jet-powered fighter ever deployed by the Royal...
, and then switched to the F3H Demon
F3H Demon
The McDonnell F3H Demon was a subsonic swept-wing United States Navy carrier-based jet fighter aircraft. After severe problems with Westinghouse J40 engine that was ultimately abandoned, the successor to the McDonnell F2H Banshee served starting in 1956 redesigned with the J71 engine...
in 1957, flying it through 1962.
1960s
1970s
In 1972, flying the F-4J Phantom, Tomcatter aircrew shot down a MiG-21 over North VietnamNorth Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
and in doing so made VF-31 the only Navy fighter squadron to achieve aerial victories in three wars - World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
1980s
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...
concluded a 24-year period of continuous
service together, the longest in naval history.
VF-31 received the F-14 Tomcat
F-14 Tomcat
The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy's Naval Fighter Experimental program following the collapse of the F-111B project...
in early 1981. The squadron's first cruise was on board USS John F. Kennedy. In 1983, VF-31 embarked on its fourth cruise with Kennedy. The cruise took the carrier and its air wing to the southern Mediterranean off the North African coast. VF-31 regularly flew over Lebanese
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
and Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n positions in support of multi-national peacekeeping operations, often being fired at by Syrian AAA
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
. During a mission in early December 1983, heat-seeking SA-7 SAM
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
s were launched at two squadron F-14s. Although both Tomcats were able to return safely to Kennedy, this incident led to US Navy retaliatory strikes. On December 4, both carriers in the Mediterranean Sea, Kennedy and 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...
, launched strikes against Syrian SAM sites, losing one A-7
A-7 Corsair II
The Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II is a carrier-based subsonic light attack aircraft introduced to replace the United States Navy's Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, initially entering service during the Vietnam War...
and one A-6
A-6 Intruder
The Grumman A-6 Intruder was an American, twin jet-engine, mid-wing attack aircraft built by Grumman Aerospace. In service with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps between 1963 and 1997, the Intruder was designed as an all-weather medium attack aircraft to replace the piston-engined A-1 Skyraider...
.
VF-31 shifted carriers and air wings in April 1985 and was now on board USS Forrestal along with its sister squadron, the VF-11 Red Rippers.
In June 1986, VF-31 and the rest of the Forrestal battle group set sail for the Mediterranean. While deployed the squadron participated in numerous fleet exercises. In August 1986, VF-31 participated in joint exercises with the Egyptian Air-Force and Navy.
In September 1987 VF-31 and the Forrestal battle group participated in North Atlantic exercises above the arctic circle. In April, 1988 VF-31 and the Forrestal battle group set sail for a six month Indian Ocean cruise which lasted for six months. While heading home from the "IO", the battle group once again participated in North Atlantic NATO exercises before coming home to Oceana in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
1990s
In late 1996, VF-31 returned from its second Western Pacific deployment aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70)
USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70)
The USS Carl Vinson is the third United States Navy Nimitz class supercarrier and is named after Carl Vinson, a Congressman from Georgia. Carl Vinson's callsign is "Gold Eagle". It played host to the first NCAA basketball game on an aircraft carrier on 11/11/11 between the University of North...
, flying missions in the Persian Gulf and over southern Iraq in support of Operations Southern Watch and Desert Strike.
VF-31 moved back to Oceana in 1997. The squadron then sent a single F-14D and crew to the 1997 Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
Air Salon, primarily to promote new F-14 LANTIRN
LANTIRN
Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night, or LANTIRN, is a combined navigation and targeting pod system for use on the USAF's premier fighter aircraft — the F-15E Strike Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon...
.
In 1998 they made a deployment to the Persian Gulf with USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72)
USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72)
USS Abraham Lincoln , is the fifth Nimitz-class supercarrier in the United States Navy. She is the second Navy ship named after former president Abraham Lincoln. Her home port is Everett, Washington.-Construction:...
supporting Operation Southern Watch.
2000s
VF-31 deployed aboard USS Abraham Lincoln
USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72)
USS Abraham Lincoln , is the fifth Nimitz-class supercarrier in the United States Navy. She is the second Navy ship named after former president Abraham Lincoln. Her home port is Everett, Washington.-Construction:...
in July 2002, operating over Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, and again over the skies of Iraq supporting 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...
. During their return home, the entire battle group was turned around on the 1st of January for the commencement of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Flying from the first night of combat, VF-31 was responsible for delivering ordnance to targets in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
and the southern vicinities in direct support of coalition forces. During that deployment, VF-31 had the dubious distinction of having the longest cruise in the last 30 years of the Navy’s history, returning to Oceana on 2 May 2003. The squadron flew 585 sorties, dropping 239 LGB
LGB
LGB may refer to:* Long Beach Airport in California* Laser-guided bomb* Lateral geniculate body in human brain, a.k.a. lateral geniculate nucleus* LGB , brand in model railroading...
/JDAM/MK 82
Mark 82 bomb
The Mark 82 is an unguided, low-drag general-purpose bomb, part of the U.S. Mark 80 series. The explosive filling is tritonal.-Development and deployment:...
.
In 2004, VF-31 and CVW-14 embarked on for a WESTPAC cruise. This was the last time the F-14 would fly over the skies of the Pacific. They returned to the US on October 31, 2004. The squadron became the last unit to fly F-14 Tomcats with the Pacific Fleet.
Carrier Air Wing Fourteen
Carrier Air Wing Fourteen , is a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California. The air wing is attached to the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan.-Mission:...
to its current home with Carrier Air Wing Eight
Carrier Air Wing Eight
Carrier Air Wing Eight , is a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia. The air wing is attached to the aircraft carrier USS George H.W...
and USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71)
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71)
USS Theodore Roosevelt is the fourth Nimitz-class supercarrier. Her radio call sign is Rough Rider, the name of President Theodore Roosevelt's volunteer cavalry unit during the Spanish-American War...
.
In September 2005, the Tomcatters deployed aboard Theodore Roosevelt for the final Tomcat deployment, again to the Persian Gulf. February 7, 2006 marked the last recovery of an F-14 Tomcat from a combat mission. While operating from Theodore Roosevelt in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, VF-31 was credited with being the last F-14 unit to drop a bomb in combat. VF-31 returned to NAS Oceana on March 10, 2006 for the final F-14 fly-in.
Republic Airport
Republic Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located in East Farmingdale, Suffolk County, New York, United States. The airport is on Long Island, one mile east of the central business district of Farmingdale....
. After spending a year at the American Airpower Museum, the aircraft is now on public display outside of Northrop Grumman headquarters in Bethpage, NY.
VF-31 transitioned to F/A-18E Super Hornet and was redesignated VFA-31 in (date) late 2006.
VFA-31, along with CVW-8 and Theodore Roosevelt, participated in Joint Task Force Exercise 08-4 Operation Brimstone off the coast of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
between July 21 and July 31, 2008. The British carrier , the amphibious assault ship with associated units and the Brazilian Navy
Brazilian Navy
The Brazilian Navy is a branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces responsible for conducting naval operations. It is the largest navy in Latin America...
frigate Greenhalgh (F-46)
HMS Broadsword (F88)
HMS Broadsword was the lead ship and first Batch 1 unit of the Type 22 frigates of the Royal Navy.-Service:While on sea trials, Broadsword was called into service as the command ship during the large rescue operation required after storms struck the 1979 Fastnet race.Broadsword took part in the...
and the French submarine Améthyste also participated in the event.
On 8 September 2008, VFA-31 and the rest of CVW-8 deployed on board the USS Theodore Roosevelt on a regularly scheduled deployment. On October 4, the Roosevelt Carrier Group arrived in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, the first visit by an American aircraft carrier since 1967 and three days later the carrier left Cape Town. CVW-8 and CVN-71 supported Operation Enduring Freedom and flew more than 3,100 sorties and dropped more than 59,500 pounds of ordnance while providing Close Air Support
Close air support
In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...
for ISAF
International Security Assistance Force
The International Security Assistance Force is a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan established by the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2001 by Resolution 1386 as envisaged by the Bonn Agreement...
-forces in Afghanistan. On March 21, 2009 it was reported that USS Theodore Roosevelt was relieved by USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69)
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69)
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower is an aircraft carrier currently in service with the United States Navy. Commissioned in 1977, the ship is the second of the ten Nimitz-class supercarriers currently in service, and is the first ship named after the thirty-fourth President of the United States, Dwight D....
.
2010's
On May 11, 2011, the squadrons of CVW-8 embarked on USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77)'s maiden deployment, scheduled to conduct operations in the US 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operations.Awards
During its long history, the Tomcatters have received the Commander Naval Air Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet Battle "E" Award for the best fighter squadron in the Atlantic Fleet, the prestigious Admiral Joseph Clifton Award for the top fighter squadron in the Navy, the prestigious Admiral C. Wade McClusky Award for the top attack squadron in the Navy, the Chief of Naval Operations Safety "S" award, and the Arleigh BurkeArleigh Burke
Admiral Arleigh Albert '31-knot' Burke was an admiral of the United States Navy who distinguished himself during World War II and the Korean War, and who served as Chief of Naval Operations during the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations.-Early life and naval career:Burke was born in Boulder,...
Award, which is awarded "to the ship or squadron with the most improved battle efficiency".
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...
- 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 military aircraft of the United States (naval) / List of US Naval aircraft
- 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...
- United States Marine Corps AviationUnited States Marine Corps AviationUnited States Marine Corps Aviation is the air component of the United States Marine Corps. Marine aviation has a very different mission and operation than its ground counterpart, and thus, has many of its own histories, traditions, terms, and procedures....
- Military aviationMilitary aviationMilitary aviation is the use of aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling warfare, including national airlift capacity to provide logistical supply to forces stationed in a theater or along a front. Air power includes the national means of conducting such...
- List of United States Navy aircraft squadrons
- List of Inactive United States Navy aircraft squadrons
External links
- VF-31 in WW II (1943-1945)
- Tomcatters Association
- Official VF-31 Web Site
- VF-31 History
- Fighter Squadron THREE ONE (VF-31) Tomcatters
- TR Traps Last Tomcat from Combat Mission
- Last Cats Standing, Fence Check Aviation Photography
- Tony Holmes (2005). US Navy F-14 Tomcat Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Osprey Publishing Limited.
- U.S. Navy Retires 'Top Gun' Jets
- VFA-31 Tomcatters F/A-18E (AJ-110)
- Tomcat Squadron Earns Arleigh Burke Award
- Timmeh!'s VFA-31 Tomcatters pictures