Official VAQ-141 Shadowhawks "Outlaws" detachment patch. First to fire HARM in Desert Storm — Growlers in the dark, since 1987. Electronic Attack Squadron 141 (VAQ-141), the "Shadowhawks," is a U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler airborne electronic attack squadron forward-deployed to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan as part of Carrier Air Wing FIVE (CVW-5) aboard USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76). The squadron was established in July 1987 at NAS Whidbey Island, Washington as the twelfth operational EA-6B Prowler squadron, was assigned to Carrier Air Wing EIGHT (CVW-8), and embarked on USS Theodore Roosevelt for her maiden cruise to the Mediterranean in 1989. During Operation Desert Storm in 1991, VAQ-141 was the first CVW-8 squadron to deliver ordnance — firing AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missiles on the very first night and rolling back the Iraqi integrated air defense system that gave the strike packages clear airspace. The Shadowhawks went on to fly continuous combat over the next twenty-one years: Operation Provide Comfort, Deny Flight over Bosnia, Southern Watch, Allied Force in 1999, Enduring Freedom in 2001, and Iraqi Freedom in 2003 — flying the EA-6B Prowler from 1987 until April 2009, when they returned from deployment and began the transition to the EA-18G Growler. The Growler is the Navy's most advanced airborne electronic attack platform, a Block II F/A-18F derivative carrying the ALQ-99/ALQ-249 jamming pods, the ALQ-218 receiver suite, and the AGM-88E AARGM. This "Outlaws" detachment patch carries the Shadowhawks' Iwakuni heritage forward. Perfect For: VAQ-141 Shadowhawks active-duty and veteran personnel, EA-18G Growler and EA-6B Prowler pilots, NFOs, and aircrew, MCAS Iwakuni and CVW-5 personnel, USS Ronald Reagan Sailors, NAS Whidbey Island Prowler community alumni, and airborne electronic attack collectors. Shadowhawks Outlaws — first HARM in Desert Storm, Growlers since 2009.
Related
Related
Related
Related