USS Constellation CV-64 · America’s Flagship Open the Book
1994–95 Western Pacific & Persian Gulf Deployment 435 pages · searchable by name, division, squadron, and port
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VAW-116 “Sun Kings” squadron insignia
Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) · CVW-2

VAW-116 — “Sun Kings”

The eyes of the battle group, flying the E-2C Hawkeye.

Designation
VAW-116
Aircraft
E-2C Hawkeye
Role
Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW)

The Squadron

Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 116, the “Sun Kings,” flew the E-2C Hawkeye as the airborne early-warning squadron of Carrier Air Wing Two. The squadron served as the eyes of the battle group, carrying a long-range radar aloft to watch the sky and the sea far beyond the reach of the ships’ own sensors.

More than a sensor platform, the Hawkeye was the air wing’s airborne command and control. From its radar picture the squadron managed the air battle, directing fighters to intercepts and coordinating the movements of friendly aircraft across a wide expanse of airspace.

The Aircraft

The E-2C Hawkeye was a twin-turboprop aircraft instantly recognizable by the large rotating radar dome, or rotodome, mounted above its fuselage. Inside, a flight crew and a team of air-control officers operated a radar capable of detecting aircraft and ships at great distance and of tracking many contacts at once.

The Hawkeye’s value lay in the picture it provided and the control it exercised. By extending the battle group’s radar horizon and serving as a flying command post, it allowed the fleet to see threats early and to coordinate its fighters and strikers into a single, directed effort.

In the Cruise

During the 1994–95 WESTPAC deployment, the early-warning squadron kept a Hawkeye aloft to manage the air picture as Constellation operated across the Pacific and into the Persian Gulf. The squadron coordinated the air wing’s flying and stood watch for approaching threats.

In support of Operation Southern Watch over southern Iraq, the squadron’s Hawkeyes helped build and control the air picture within and around the no-fly zone, directing intercepts and coordinating coalition aircraft. The early-warning mission underpinned the air wing’s situational awareness throughout operations.

Crew Roster

Officers, aircrew, and maintainers of VAW-116 “Sun Kings,” CVW-2, USS Constellation (CV-64), 1994–95 WESTPAC. Names transcribed from the original cruise book; each links to that Sailor’s page in the scanned book. See a misspelling or a shipmate we missed? Tell us and we’ll fix it.

See VAW-116’s pages in the cruise book →

Squadron insignia: official U.S. Navy/Marine Corps insignia (public domain), via Wikimedia Commons.

Questions & Answers

What aircraft did VAW-116 fly?

VAW-116 flew the E-2C Hawkeye, a twin-turboprop airborne early-warning and command-and-control aircraft.

What does an airborne early-warning squadron do?

It carries a long-range radar aloft to detect aircraft and ships far beyond the fleet's horizon, controlling the air picture and directing fighters to intercepts.

What is the dome on top of the Hawkeye?

It is the rotodome, a rotating radar antenna housing that gives the E-2C its long-range, all-around detection capability.

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