VFC-111

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For previous US Navy fighter squadrons designated "Sundowners", see
VF-111 (1956-1995)
.

Fighter Squadron Composite 111
F-5N Tiger II at NAS Key West in 2020
Active1 November 2006 – present[1]
Country United States
Branch United States Navy
TypeAdversary Squadron
Part of United States Navy Reserve
Garrison/HQNAS Key West Insignia Naval Air Station Key West
Nickname(s)"Sun Downers"
Motto(s)Semper Confidens, Numquam Elatus[citation needed]
(Latin: "Always Confident, Never Excited")
Mascot(s)Omar[citation needed]
Insignia
VFC-111 insignia
Aircraft flown
FighterF-5N/F Tiger II

Fighter Squadron Composite 111 (VFC-111), also known as the "Sun Downers", is a United States Navy Reserve adversary squadron based at Naval Air Station Key West, Florida. Currently, it operates Northrop F-5N/F Tiger-IIs, of which most are single-seater F-5Ns and one twin-seater F-5F, the "FrankenTiger".

The squadron is composed of experienced active duty junior officers, full-time active duty Training and Administration of the Reserve (TAR) personnel, and mid-grade part-time Selected Reservists (SELRES), with the SELRES pilots having extensive past active duty experience in Navy strike fighter squadrons. This gives the squadron cutting edge real-world experience, as well as leveraging off that experience by retaining talented instructor fighter pilots that have left active service but transitioned to the Navy Reserve.[2]

History

VFC-111 was originally known as Fighter Composite Squadron 13 (VFC-13) Detachment Key West, which was established in January 2006. VFC-13 Det Key West was redesignated as VFC-111 in November 2006.

VFC-111 assumed its 'Sun Downer' insignia, callsign, and traditions from the Fighter Squadron One Eleven (

U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy does not recognize a direct lineage with disestablished squadrons.[3]
However, unofficially, the Naval Aviation community strives to retain traditions and history whenever a squadron designation and name is resurrected in a new unit.

Mission

VFC-111 F-5N at NAS Key West with a USAF U-2S landing in the background, 2008

VFC-111 operates as part of the U.S. Navy Reserve's fleet adversary program, providing dissimilar air combat training (DACT) to fleet strike fighter and Marine fighter attack squadrons, as well as

Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard
fighter squadrons.

Ostensibly assigned to the

Fighter Squadron 45 (VF-45). VFC-111's unique location at NAS Key West, Florida, home of the Navy's Strike Fighter Air Readiness Program (SFARP), eliminates costly adversary detachments and provides an on-site resource for carrier air wings
conducting SFARP training at NAS Key West and on the adjacent Key West Tactical Air Combat Training System (TACTS) Range.

VFC-111 also provides a significant portion of adversary support to all

MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (11 April 2012). OPNAV INSTRUCTION 5030.4G (PDF). Washington, D.C.: Department of the Navy. p. 15. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  2. ISSN 0955-7091
    . Retrieved: 10 October 2011.
  3. ^ "Naval Aviation Squadron Lineages". history.navy.mil. Archived from the original on 26 May 2000.
  4. ^ "Navy F-35Cs to Train at NAS Key West". KONK Life. 29 October 2016. Archived from the original on 27 September 2022.

External links

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