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-151 “Vigilantes” squadron insignia
Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) · CVW-2

VFA-151 — “Vigilantes”

The air wing's second Hornet strike-fighter squadron.

Designation
VFA-151
Aircraft
F/A-18 Hornet
Role
Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA)

The Squadron

Strike Fighter Squadron 151, the “Vigilantes,” operated the F/A-18 Hornet within Carrier Air Wing Two. Like its sister strike-fighter squadron in the air wing, it combined the duties of a fighter and an attack squadron in one unit, ready to defend the fleet or to strike targets ashore.

The presence of more than one Hornet squadron gave the air wing depth in its most adaptable aircraft. Strike-fighter squadrons such as the Vigilantes carried much of the air wing’s daily flying, rotating through alert, escort, and strike tasking as operations demanded.

The Aircraft

The F/A-18 Hornet was a twin-engine multirole aircraft designed to be flown as a fighter and as an attack jet. It could carry air-to-air missiles to engage other aircraft and a broad selection of air-to-ground weapons to strike surface targets, switching between roles according to how it was armed and tasked.

By folding two traditional missions into one airframe, the Hornet reduced the variety of aircraft a carrier needed to operate while widening the options available to its planners. Reliable and adaptable, it became one of the central aircraft of the carrier air wing through this era.

In the Cruise

Throughout the WESTPAC deployment of 1994–95, the squadron’s Hornets were available for the full breadth of strike-fighter work as Constellation operated across the Western Pacific and into the Persian Gulf. Crews maintained readiness for both air defense and surface attack, rotating through the alert, escort, and strike tasking that filled the air wing’s flying day.

During Operation Southern Watch, the air wing’s strike fighters flew over southern Iraq in enforcement of the no-fly zone, standing ready to meet threats and to deliver ordnance under the rules in force. The squadron formed part of the steady cycle of sorties launched from the carrier.

Crew Roster

Officers, aircrew, and maintainers of VFA-151 “Vigilantes,” 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-151’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-151 fly?

VFA-151 flew the F/A-18 Hornet multirole strike fighter.

Why did the air wing have two Hornet squadrons?

Multiple strike-fighter squadrons gave the air wing depth and flexibility in its most versatile aircraft, allowing it to sustain a high tempo of fighter and attack sorties.

Explore

VFA-137  ·  VMFA-323  ·  All Squadrons