Most of the hundreds of United States Navy aircraft squadrons created since World War I no longer exist, having been "disestablished".
A squadron's history and lineage began when it was established and ended when it was disestablished.
This system changed in March 1998 with Chief of Naval Operations Instruction (OPNAVINST) 5030.4E.
A deactivated squadron remains in existence, though only "on paper", awaiting possible future "re-activation".
Most of the squadrons listed in this section were disestablished by the end of World War II.
redesignation[9] Grumman TBM Avenger July 1945 - November 1945 USS Makin Island (CVE-93) The VO designation, one of the U.S. Navy's earliest, first appeared in 1922 to designate "Spotting Squadrons" that spotted targets for naval gunfire from battleships and cruisers.
VT-2(2nd): 1 Jul 1937 After World War II, naval aviation saw great reductions in numbers, while new technologies fostered new types of aircraft squadrons leading to new designations for roles such as nuclear attack, airborne early warning, and "all-weather" (radar-equipped) squadrons.
All weather attack squadrons provided detachments of radar and electronic countermeasure equipped attack aircraft to Carrier Air Groups for night and all weather operations.
Redesignation[9] VA-122 on 29 Jun 1959 The VAH designation was established in 1955 when the Composite (VC) squadrons flying "Heavy Attack" aircraft (nuclear bombers) were redesignated Heavy Attack (VAH) squadrons.
With the end of the Navy's nuclear bomber role, VAH squadrons based on the east coast were redesignated RVAH squadrons and were equipped with the North American RA-5C Vigilante reconnaissance aircraft.
By the late 1960s, electronic jamming equipment had been added to some KA-3B tankers and those "EKA-3B" aircraft led to the creation of VAQ squadrons.
[citation needed] The RVAH designation was created in 1964 when the Navy's nuclear bomber role was ended and the Heavy Attack (VAH) squadrons which were then equipped with the A-5A Vigilante nuclear bombers were converted to Reconnaissance squadrons and their A-5A nuclear bombers were converted to RA-5C reconnaissance aircraft.
Missions included: All-Weather/Night Fighter; Heavy Attack (Nuclear Bombers); Airborne Early Warning; Anti-Submarine Warfare; and Photographic Reconnaissance.
VC-3, a night fighter squadron, became a jet transition unit and then was redesignated VF(AW)-3.
VF(AW)-4 provided night fighter detachments to Carrier Air Groups.
By 1961 the VW squadrons which were still in existence were transitioned to destructive weather early warning or weather reconnaissance as a primary mission while retaining airborne early warning as a secondary role.
In 1955 and 1956 six new VW squadrons were established to operate as early warning squadrons in the Atlantic and Pacific Barriers which were seaward extensions of the nation's Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line.
In 1967 one of the two remaining VW squadrons was renamed a "Weather Reconnaissance Squadron" (while retaining the VW designation) while the other retained the "Airborne Early Warning" name even though its primary role was also weather reconnaissance.
[13] Between 1980 and 2010, the rise of the multi-mission fighter-attack aircraft ended the VF and VA designations.
As well, the end of the Cold War eliminated the need for squadron types, such as VS, geared solely to countering the Soviet Union.
Many squadrons carried multiple designations over the years; some were both VA and VF at various times.
[13] This third and last use of the VC designation was instituted in 1965 as a new designator for VU squadrons: utility units that usually operated more than one type of aircraft for a variety of missions such as aerial target support, missile range support, and fighter training as adversary aircraft.
Some belonged to disestablished squadrons, while others have been deactivated but still exist in an inactive status.
VS-39: 4 Feb 1953 The VXE and VXN designations were created in 1969 for two specialized VX squadrons that were supporting Antarctic and oceanographic research.
Two squadrons (VAW-13 and VAW-33) were equipped for this purpose and provided specialized aircraft detachments to deploying carrier air groups.
[13] Also receiving the new designation were some VAH squadrons whose KA-3 tankers had been fitted with electronic countermeasures equipment.
[9] In 1967, VAW-11 and VAW-12 which were large land based squadrons that provided detachments of Airborne Early Warning aircraft to deploying carrier air wings were redesignated as wings and each of their detachments were established as separate squadrons.
The VFA designation was created in 1980 when the VA squadrons flying the LTV A-7E Corsair II attack aircraft began transitioning to the new McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A Hornet fighter attack aircraft.
In 1969 the designation changed to "Air Test and Evaluation" squadron and it remains as such today.
[13] See: List of inactive United States Navy helicopter squadrons.