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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VFA-137 “Kestrels” squadron insignia
Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) · CVW-2

VFA-137 — “Kestrels”

A strike-fighter squadron flying the multirole F/A-18 Hornet.

Designation
VFA-137
Aircraft
F/A-18 Hornet
Role
Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA)

The Squadron

Strike Fighter Squadron 137, the “Kestrels,” flew the F/A-18 Hornet as part of Carrier Air Wing Two. As a strike-fighter squadron, it brought both punch and flexibility to the air wing, able to carry the fight to targets on the ground one day and to stand as a fighter the next.

The strike-fighter concept made squadrons like the Kestrels the workhorses of the modern carrier deck. A single squadron could fill a range of roles that once demanded several different aircraft, giving the air commander a versatile force that could be tasked against shifting needs.

The Aircraft

The F/A-18 Hornet was a single-seat (in its baseline form), twin-engine multirole fighter, its designation marking it as both a fighter and an attack aircraft. It was built to swing between missions, carrying air-to-air missiles for combat against other aircraft and a wide array of bombs and air-to-ground weapons for strikes against surface targets.

That dual capability was the Hornet’s defining quality. A single airframe could escort a strike, deliver ordnance, and defend itself on the way home, simplifying the carrier’s flight deck and giving planners a flexible aircraft they could direct toward whatever the mission demanded.

In the Cruise

Across the 1994–95 WESTPAC deployment, the strike-fighter squadron stood ready to perform both halves of its mission as Constellation moved from the Western Pacific into the Persian Gulf. Its Hornets could be loaded for air-to-ground strike or configured for fighter duties as the tasking required.

In support of Operation Southern Watch over southern Iraq, the air wing’s strike fighters flew sorties within the no-fly zone, prepared to respond to threats and to deliver ordnance if directed. The squadron’s flexibility made it a mainstay of the air wing’s daily flight operations.

Crew Roster

Officers, aircrew, and maintainers of VFA-137 “Kestrels,” 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 VFA-137’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 VFA-137 fly?

VFA-137 flew the F/A-18 Hornet, a twin-engine multirole strike fighter.

What is a strike-fighter squadron?

It is a squadron equipped to perform both fighter (air-to-air) and attack (air-to-ground) missions, often in the same flight, using a single multirole aircraft.

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