VFA-83: Difference between revisions

|dates= April, 1950 - present

| role = [[Close air support]]<br/>[[Air interdiction]]<br/>[[Aerial reconnaissance]]

| size =

| command_structure = {{nowrap|[[File:CVW-3 Emblem.svg|30px|]][[Carrier Air Wing 7Three]]}}

| garrison = {{nowrap|[[NavalFile:NAS AirOceana StationEmblem.svg|30px|]][[NAS Oceana]]}}

|battles=[[Gulf '''War]]<br>[[Operation DesertSouthern StormWatch]]'''<br>[[Iraq War]]<br />'''[[Operation SouthernEnduring WatchFreedom]]'''<br />'''[[Operation IraqiInherent FreedomResolve]]<br />[[Operation Prosperity Guardian]]<br />[[2024 missile strikes in Yemen]]'''

'''Strike Fighter Squadron 83''' (VFA-83), also known as the "Rampagers", are a [[United States Navy]] [[Boeing F/A-18C18E/F Super Hornet|F/A-18E Super Hornet]] fighter squadron stationed at [[Naval Air Station Oceana]]. They are a part of [[Carrier Air Wing 73]], their tailcode is ''AGAC'' and their radio callsign is ''Ram''.

[[File:F7U-3Grumman CVAF9F-115 NAN4-57.jpg|thumb|An F7U-3MPanther of VAVF-83 taxiing to theon catapult onof USS ''Intrepid''Coral Sea (CVA-43), in 19561953.jpg|thumb|left|F9F-5 Panther of VF-83, 1953.]]

[[File:A4DF7U-23M of VA-83 squadronon USS persIntrepid (CVA-911) NAN11-58in 1956.jpg|thumb|VA-83 [[Vought F7U Cutlass|F7U-3M]] on {{USS ''Essex''|Intrepid|CV-11|6}} in 1958.1956]]

VFA-83The squadron was originally formedestablished as '''Naval Reserve Fighter Squadron 916 (VF-916)''' at [[NAS Squantum]] in [[Massachusetts]] in April 1950. VF-916 was called to active duty inat [[NAS Jacksonville]] on 11 February 1951 and moved to [[NAS Oceana]], [[Virginia]] in September 1951. The squadron was assigned to [[Carrier Air Wing Eight|Carrier Air Group 8 (CVG-8)]] and was equipped with the [[Vought F4U Corsair|Vought F4U-4 Corsair]]. CVG-8 was deployed aboard the aircraft carrier [[{{USS |Tarawa (|CV-40)|USS ''Tarawa'']]6}} to the Mediterranean Sea from November 1951 to June 1952. Afterwards VF-916 transitioned to the [[Grumman F9F Panther|Grumman F9F-5 Panther]]. They also flew the [[Grumman F8F Bearcat|F8F Bearcat]] for a short time in 1952. On 4 February 1953, the squadron was redesignated fighter'''Fighter squadronSquadron Eighty Three (VF-83)'''. In the same year VF-83 made a deployment aboard the [[{{USS |Coral Sea (|CV-43)|USS ''Coral Sea'']]6}} to the Mediterranean Sea. In August 1954, VF-83 transitioned to the [[Vought F7U Cutlass|Vought F7U-3M Cutlass]] equipped with the [[AIM-7 Sparrow|Sparrow I]] air-to-air missile, and on 1 July 1955 was re-designated as attack squadron VA-83. VA-83 made another deployment to the Mediterranean Sea aboard the [[{{USS |Intrepid (|CV-11)|USS ''Intrepid'']]6}} in 1956, this being the first overseas deployment of a naval missile squadron.

The squadron received the [[Douglas A-4 Skyhawk|Douglas A4D-1 Skyhawk]] in March 1957 and then in December 1957, was the first fleet squadron to receive the A4D-2 version, which was the first to be equipped with an [[aerial refueling]] capability.

From July to August 1958 following continued [[1958 Lebanon crisis|civil violence in Lebanon]], VA-83 was deployed as part of Air Task Group 201 (ATG-201) aboard the [[{{USS |Essex (|CV-9)|USS ''Essex'']]6}}. The squadron flew sorties during the U.S. Marine Corps landings in Lebanon, and two of its aircraft were hit by hostile small arms fire receiving minor damage. In September 1958 the squadron conducted flight operations from theUSS ''Essex'' while operating in the [[Taiwan Straits]] in response to the [[Second Taiwan Strait Crisis|People’s Republic of China]] shelling of the [[Kinmen|Quemoy Islands]].

From 1960 to 1966 VA-83 made five deployments with Carrier Air Wing 8 (CVW-8) aboard the [[{{USS |Forrestal (|CV-59)|USS ''Forrestal'']]6}} to the Mediterranean Sea, the first still flying the A-4B, then two with the A-4C, and two with the A-4E. In 1961 and 1962 they won the COMNAVAIRLANT [[Battle Efficiency Award|Battle “E”]]. In AugAugust 1962, a squadron A4D-2N Skyhawk crossdeckedcross-decked aboard the British carrier [[{{HMS |Hermes (|R12)|HMS ''Hermes'']]6}}. In late 1963 a detachment of VA-83 also operated from the [[{{USS |Lake Champlain (|CV-39)|USS ''Lake Champlain'']]6}} providing fighter cover for Anti-Submarine Carrier Air Group 52 (CVSG-52). On 15 JunJune 1966 they re-located to [[NAS Cecil Field]] in [[Florida]]. In 1966-67 and 1967-68 CVW-8 and VA-83 were deployed on the [[{{USS |Shangri-La (|CV-38)|USS ''Shangri-La'']]6}}, and in 1969 on the [[{{USS |John F. Kennedy (|CV-67)|USS ''John F. Kennedy'']]6}}. During the last two deployments the squadron flew again A-4Cs.

[[ImageFile:LTV Corsair II 158025 VA-83 Cecil 19.07.76 edited-3.jpg|thumb|right|ThreeVA-83 [[LTV A-7 Corsair II|A-7E Corsair IIs of VA-83,]] wearing the colourful ''Rampagers'' 1970s paint scheme, after service aboard the USS Forrestal.]]

In June 1970, VA-83 transitioned to the [[LTV A-7 Corsair II|A-7 Corsair II]] and was reassigned to [[Carrier Air Wing Seventeen|Carrier Air Wing Seventeen]] (CVW-17)]]. From January 1971 to November 1982 VA-83 deployed eight times aboard theUSS ''Forrestal'' to the Mediterranean Sea. In 1973, the squadron won its third [[CNO Aviation Safety Award]] and in March 1974 they began their 14th [[Mediterranean Sea]] deployment.

From July to August 1974, the squadron operated in the vicinity of [[Cyprus]] following a [[1974 Cypriot coup d'état|coup in that country]] and its [[Turkish invasion of Cyprus|invasion by Turkish forces]]. In 1975 they completed their 25th year as an active squadron, and had amassed 20,000 accident free flight hours which earned them another CNO Safety Award. Between 1975 and 1982 they made three deployments, including training operations with [[NATO]] allies in the [[North Atlantic]].

In the summer of mid-1990 they made their first Hornet deployment aboard theUSS ''Saratoga'' in support of [[Gulf War#Operation Desert Shield|Operation Desert Shield]] and [[Operation Desert Storm]]. For 43 days they flew 237 combat missions over [[Iraq]] and [[Kuwait]], they were awarded the 1990 COMNAVAIRLANT Battle “E” and the 1991 CNO Aviation Safety Award.

In 1992 they deployed to the [[Adriatic Sea]] supporting [[United Nations]] operations in former [[Yugoslavia]]. In 1994 they made a second deployment to the area, which also marked the first ever detachment to [[Jordan]]. They were awarded their sixth CNO Aviation Safety Award in 1994. In 1996 the Rampagerssquadron deployed to the Mediterranean Sea, the Adriatic Sea and the [[Persian Gulf]] on board the [[{{USS |Enterprise (|CVN-65)|USS ''Enterprise'']]6}} in support of [[Operation Southern Watch]]. In 1996 they were awarded the Battle “E” and [[Michael J. Estocin]] Award, as the best F/A-18 squadron in the US Navy. The squadron was then equipped with the F/A-18C(N). In April 1998 VFA-83 was relocated to NAS Oceana, Virginia (USA). During the same year the squadron was deployed aboard the [[{{USS |Dwight D. Eisenhower (|CVN-69)|USS ''Dwight D. Eisenhower'']]6}} to the Mediterranean Sea.

[[File:Boeing FA-18C18E Super Hornet of VFA-83 landing onaboard USS HarryDwight SD. TrumanEisenhower (CVN-7569) in Novemberthe 2015Atlantic Ocean, 13 December 2022 (221213-N-HE057-1149).JPG|thumb|Aright|VFA-83 F/A-18C of VFA-8318E landing on {{USS|HarryDwight SD. TrumanEisenhower|CVN-7569|6}}, in NovemberDecember 2015.2022]]

CVW-17 was then reassigned to the carrier [[{{USS |George Washington (|CVN-73)|USS ''George Washington'']]6}} and made two deployments to the Mediterranean Sea and the Arabian Sea in 2000 and 2002, supporting [[Operation Enduring Freedom]] and [[Operation Iraqi Freedom]]. These operations continued in 2004 during the last deployment of theUSS ''John F. Kennedy''.

{{Commons category|Strike Fighter Squadron 83|VFA-83 (United States Navy)}}

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110722211733/http://www.vfa83.navy.mil/ VFA-83's official website]