It was established on 1 March 1983 at the Pacific Missile Test Center, Point Mugu, California, under the Fleet Electronic Warfare Support Group.

The squadron was formed to provide realistic training for ship crews to counter Soviet electronic and cruise-missile threats, and was modeled after its East Coast counterpart, VAQ-33.

[2] Establishing the squadron required the reclamation of aircraft and other equipment from various untraditional sources.

It allowed aircrew and maintenance training to begin while waiting for the ERA-3Bs to be delivered, not to mention serving as an airborne tanker.

[2] In 1991, the ERA-3B and EA-7L aircraft were retired or transferred, and the squadron soon acquired eight F/A-18A Hornet strike fighters fitted with missile simulators, threat detectors, jamming equipment, and chaff dispensers.