Strike Fighter Squadron 14 (VFA-14) "Tophatters" is 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.
History Since its inception, the squadron has flown 23 different type aircraft, had its designation changed 14 times, operated from 20 different aircraft carriers and several battleships, and had 92 commanding officers (the 93rd is now in command).
Over the years, the squadron has been assigned many different missions, including patrol and observation in its early years, and scouting, attack, fighter, bombing, and forward air control missions when it became associated with carrier-based operations. The squadron adopted the classic Top Hat as its squadron patch and called themselves the "High Hats."
The squadron's callsign "Camelot" came about because an old skipper liked King Arthur so his wife suggested that the squadron take the callsign of the King's legendary castle, Camelot.
+VFA-14 squadron lineage Date designation Squadron type Nov 1919 Pacific FleetAir Detachment 15 Jun 1920 VT-5 Torpedo and bombing squadron 7 Sep 1921 VP-4-1 Patrol squadron 23 Sep 1921 VF-4 Fighting squadron 1 Jul 1922 VF-1 Fighting squadron 1 Jul 1927 VF-1B Fighting squadron 1 Jul 1934 VB-2B Bombing squadron 1 Jul 1937 VB-3 Bombing squadron 1 Jul 1939 VB-4 Bombing squadron 15 Mar 1941 VS-41 Scouting squadron 1 Mar 1943 VB-41 Bombing squadron 4 Aug 1943 VB-4 Bombing squadron 15 Nov 1946 VA-1A Attack squadron 2 Aug 1948 VA-14 Attack squadron 15 Dec 1949 VF-14 Fighter squadron 1 Dec 2001 VFA-14 Strike fighter squadron
Early years The squadron began carrier operations on board the Navy's first aircraft carrier in 1926. The squadron, then designated Fighter Plane Squadron One, set the record for carrier landings in a single day. Flying the TS-1, they logged 127 traps by the end of flight operations.
In 1929, the squadron was assigned to , where it began as a fighter squadron and transitioned to a bomber squadron. Throughout the 1930s, it flew the Boeing FB-5, Boeing F2B, Boeing F4B, Curtiss F11C Goshawk, Curtiss SBC Helldiver and the SB2U-1 Vindicator. In 1939, while flying the Vindicator, the squadron was transferred to the Atlantic Fleet and .
1940s
While on Ranger, the squadron provided air support for the Allied invasion of North Africa in November 1942. During the four days of 8 – 11 November, the pilots destroyed 16 enemy aircraft. Flying the Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber, the squadron participated in Operation Leader, the only American naval air strike against German forces in Norway.
In November 1944, the squadron transferred to the Pacific Fleet, and participated in the Leyte Campaign while attached to . After transferring to , the squadron bombed fortifications on Formosa in January 1945, supported the assault on Iwo Jima in February, participated in the first naval carrier strike on Tokyo, and completed Pacific combat operations with strikes on Okinawa in early March 1945.
After the war's end, VB-4 made four cruises aboard , including a world cruise between 28 September 1948 and 21 February 1949, after which the squadron was based on the US East Coast. On 15 November 1946 VB-4 became Attack Squadron 1A (VA-1A), and in August 1948 the squadron was again redesignated Attack Squadron 14 (VA-14) and transitioned from the SB2C-5 Helldiver to the F4U-4 Corsair. In December 1949 VA-14 was redesignated Fighter Squadron 14 (VF-14).
1950s
In 1951 and 1952, VF-14 made two deployments to the Mediterranean Sea aboard the modernized , still flying the F4U Corsair. In 1953, they deployed in on another Med cruise with Air Task Group (ATG-201), (which included VF-11, VA-12, VF-13, AND VA-15). In 1954, VF-14 took on the role of all-weather interceptor when they transitioned to the F3D-2 Skyknight, but only made a three-months deployment aboard in late 1954. As the F3D proved unsuitable for carrier operations, the squadron transitioned to the F3H-2N Demon in 1955. VF-14 made two deployments aboard in 1957. The squadron was then re-equipped with F3H-2s. VF-14 and its parent CVG-1 were then reassigned to Franklin D. Roosevelt and made eight deployments to the Mediterranean Sea up to 1969.
1960s
In May 1963, the squadron transitioned to the F-4B Phantom II and on 23 January 1964 they became the first Phantom squadron to operate onboard Franklin D. Roosevelt. In June 1966, after moving to NAS Oceana, the squadron deployed to the South China Sea to conduct air strikes and support missions against military targets in North Vietnam. During this combat deployment, the squadron flew 1,688 hours on 967 combat sorties and delivered 651,624 pounds of ordnance, in addition to flying its traditional combat air patrol and fighter escort missions. When Franklin D. Roosevelt entered the Norfolk Naval Shipyard for modernization, CVW-1 and VF-14 were reassigned to in 1969 and stayed with it for nine deployments until 1982.
1970s
In January 1974, after four Mediterranean deployments, the squadron transitioned to the Navy's newest fighter, the F-14A Tomcat at NAS Miramar and was teamed with VF-32 as the first two Tomcat squadrons to arrive at NAS Oceana. In June 1975 they became the first Atlantic squadron to deploy with the F-14A alongside VF-32 aboard USS John F. Kennedy. In October 1978, the squadron set an all-time F-14 flight hour record when they flew 977 hours in one month while deployed in the Mediterranean.
In 1976, VF-14 launched the 100th AIM-54 Phoenix missile against a simulated cruise missile at a range of , killing it at a range of from John F. Kennedy. During the same cruise, VF-14 intercepted a Soviet Tu-95 on 21 July. VF-14 escorted the bomber for around 45 minutes, during which the Soviet bomber made two passes over John F. Kennedy.
1980s In August 1980, the squadron deployed to the Mediterranean Sea on John F Kennedy. During this deployment, VF-14 won the Silver Anchor Award and the Battle "E" Award for combat readiness, for the second year in a row. The achievements that contributed to the awards included 3 missile firing exercises with a 100% kill ratio, first East Coast TCS installations and 26,500 accident free flying hours over the space of 8 years.
In June 1982 VF-14 was reassigned to Carrier Air Wing 6 aboard , and in July was named the "Best Fighter Squadron" for its performance in the Fleet Fighter Air Combat Readiness Program (FFARP).
In October and early November 1983 the squadron supported Operation Urgent Fury the American-led Invasion of Grenada to protect approximately 1,000 American medical students following a violent Marxist coup, eliminate a growing Cuban/Soviet military presence in the Caribbean, and restore political stability after the assassination of Prime Minister Maurice Bishop.
Following this, VF-14 proceeded east to the Mediterranean to participate in contingency operations off the coast of Lebanon. In early December 1983, the Tophatters were again called upon to provide combat air support for the elements of the multi-national forces in Beirut.
On 1 April 1985, the squadron returned to John F. Kennedy, where they spent the rest of the year on a turnaround-training schedule, which included eleven detachments to various parts of the United States and Canada. Although again aboard John F. Kennedy, VF-14 was now assigned to Carrier Air Wing 3.
On 18 April 1986, the squadron departed for the Mediterranean once again and were extended on deployment due to the Lebanon hostage crisis. Upon their return to the United States, the squadron was again proclaimed the "Best Fighter Squadron" by winning the 1987 FFARP award.
In 1989, VF-14 was presented with the "Grand Slam" award in recognition of their perfect missile firing record. The squadron entered 1990 conducting workups for deployment and making portcalls in Portland, Mayport, New York City and Boston. During exercises off Puerto Rico, the squadron operated against French Super Étendard and F-8 Crusaders from the .
1990s
On 10 August 1990, eight days after the Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait, the squadron was ordered to emergency deploy to the Red Sea aboard John F. Kennedy to take part in Operation Desert Shield. During the months leading up to the war, the squadron assisted in enforcing the Iraqi embargo flying combat air patrol (CAP) and standing alert duty continuously. On the morning of 17 January 1991, the squadron once again flew into combat when they joined United Nations forces in the air assault on Iraq. VF-14 and VF-32 flew CAP and fighter escort missions for CVW-3 strike and support aircraft throughout Desert Storm operating in Western and Central Iraq initially and then conducting long range barrier CAP missions in eastern Iraq near the Iranian border with other Tomcat squadrons from the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf that lasted an unprecedented 7–8 hours. After combat operations ended, John F. Kennedy remained briefly in the Red Sea stopping off the coast of Egypt for a portcall before returning to NAS Oceana after eight months at sea.
In December 1991, VF-14 became one of the first squadrons to begin training for the Tomcat's new air-to-ground mission. After low altitude flight training and several strike-related schools, the squadron put their new skills to the test during Air Wing work-ups in Fallon, Nevada.
In October 1992, the squadron again headed east for a Mediterranean deployment. Once past the Rock of Gibraltar, VF-14 began flying air superiority and reconnaissance missions in the Adriatic Sea in support of UN policies in the former Yugoslavia. During this deployment, the squadron also participated in several exercises with Egypt, Morocco and Turkey, while continuing to support operations off the coast of the former Yugoslavia and Operation Provide Comfort in Iraq.
In 1995, the squadron was the test bed for the Tomcat air-to-ground rockets program. The squadron was awarded the Fighter Fling Banner Blaster award for their superior performance in the air-to-air gunnery arena.
In late 1995, the squadron was detached from CVW-3 when the Navy began reducing the number of Tomcat squadrons to carrier air wings from two to one and retaining the TARPS-capable squadrons. As a non-TARPS squadron, VF-14 was originally slated for disestablishment and temporarily assigned to Fighter Wing One at NAS Oceana. The following year saw much uncertainty for many Tomcat squadrons, but a grassroots campaign to continue the lineage of the Navy's oldest squadron was successful in saving the squadron from extinction and the squadron was assigned to Carrier Air Wing 8, which was losing VF-84, with sister squadron VF-41.
In January 1996, the squadron once again rejoined John F. Kennedy. In March, the squadron deployed on . In June the squadron took a 40-day cruise aboard John F. Kennedy to Ireland and England. Next, VF-14 visited the Mediterranean and other areas.
During March 1998, VF-14 changed its home to . In 1999, the squadron participated in NATO's Operation Allied Force and in Operation Southern Watch. VF-14 dropped more than 395,000 pounds of ordnance on various targets in support of Operation Allied Force, and guided 190 different weapons fired from other aircraft onto targets, including laser guided bombs and laser guided AGM-65 Maverick missiles, scoring a 100% success rate while guiding AGM-65 Maverick missilesTony Holmes (2015), p. 57
2000s