Airborne Command and Control Squadron 113 (VAW-113)

Airborne Command and Control Squadron 113 (VAW-113)
Unit name	Airborne Command and Control Squadron 113 (VAW-113)
Caption	VAW-113 E-2 variant over carrier
Dates	1967–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Navy
Type	Carrier Airborne Early Warning
Role	Airborne command and control
Garrison	Naval Air Station Point Mugu
Nickname	Black Eagles
Colors	Black and Gold
Motto	Semper Vigis
Equipment	Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye

Airborne Command and Control Squadron 113 (VAW-113) is a United States Navy carrier airborne early warning and command and control squadron assigned to Carrier Air Wing Nine and based at Naval Air Station Point Mugu. Established in 1967, the squadron has operated a succession of Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye variants and has participated in major operations from the Vietnam War era through operations in the Persian Gulf and the Global War on Terror. VAW-113 provides airborne surveillance, fighter direction, search and rescue coordination, and battle management for carrier strike groups.

History

VAW-113 was established in 1967 during the Cold War, a period marked by the Vietnam War, the Tet Offensive, and heightened Soviet Navy activity. Early detachments supported Carrier Air Wing operations aboard USS Ticonderoga (CV-14), USS Hancock (CV-19), and USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63), providing airborne early warning during strikes over North Vietnam and operations in the South China Sea. Through the 1970s and 1980s, VAW-113 transitioned through E-2A and E-2B platforms while deploying to the Western Pacific, Indian Ocean, and participating in contingency operations related to Iranian Revolution fallout and Operation Earnest Will. During the 1990s, the squadron supported Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, and enforcement of no-fly zones over Iraq alongside carrier groups centered on USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) and USS George Washington (CVN-73). Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, VAW-113 deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, providing theater air control with upgraded E-2C Hawkeyes, and later transitioned to the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye avionics and radar packages in line with Naval Aviation modernization efforts.

Mission and Role

VAW-113’s primary mission is airborne command, control, and surveillance for carrier strike groups, integrating with assets such as F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler, MH-60R Seahawk, and E-6B Mercury for strategic and tactical battlespace management. The squadron performs fighter direction, air intercept control, maritime surveillance, search and rescue coordination, and airborne early warning for Carrier Strike Group operations. VAW-113 interfaces with joint and coalition platforms including AWACS, Joint Terminal Attack Controllers, NATO liaison officers, and task forces operating under United States Pacific Command and United States Central Command. In expeditionary and peacetime operations the squadron contributes to maritime domain awareness with linkages to Link 16, Cooperative Engagement Capability, and theater air defense networks.

Aircraft and Equipment

VAW-113 began operations with the Northrop Grumman E-2A Hawkeye and upgraded through E-2B Hawkeye and E-2C Hawkeye variants before transitioning to the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye. The E-2 airframe incorporates the AN/APS radar family, mission computers, and tactical data links to provide airborne early warning, command and control, and battle management capabilities compatible with Aegis Combat System task groups and carrier air wings. Avionics suites have included the APY-9 radar, tactical workstations, and Identification Friend or Foe systems compatible with NATO Standardization Agreements. Support equipment at home station and aboard carriers includes maintenance stands, mission planning consoles, and specialized ground support for Naval Aviation Depot level maintenance.

Deployments and Operations

VAW-113 has deployed aboard multiple aircraft carriers across the Pacific Fleet and Atlantic Fleet theaters, participating in operations such as Operation Praying Mantis, Operation Southern Watch, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The squadron has operated from USS Constellation (CV-64), USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), and carrier strike groups during Malabar exercises with Indian Navy, as well as multinational exercises with Royal Australian Navy, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and Republic of Korea Navy. In humanitarian and evacuation operations VAW-113 coordinated airspace for noncombatant evacuation operations similar to those conducted during crises in Lebanon and Somalia. The squadron has also participated in freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea and surveillance missions in the Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz.

Insignia and Traditions

The squadron’s insignia and nickname, Black Eagles, reflect a heritage of aerial vigilance and carrier integration, drawing symbolic elements familiar to Naval Aviation squadrons. Unit patches and flight suits display the squadron crest, which has evolved alongside redesignations and aircraft transitions seen in other maritime patrol communities such as VAW-112 and VAW-115. Traditions include cross-deck carrier qualifications, the ceremony of first arrested landing aboard a new carrier, and squadron awards such as the Air Wing Battle “E” and Safety accolades historically awarded by Commander, Naval Air Forces for operational excellence and safety records.

Personnel and Organization

VAW-113 is organized into aircrew, maintenance, operations, and administrative departments under the command of a commanding officer with support from executive and department heads, mirroring organizational structures used across Naval Aviation squadrons. Aircrew billets include aircraft commanders, tactical coordinators, radar operators, and flight technicians who train on carrier qualifications, night operations, and complex airborne battle management with syllabi from Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization (NATOPS). Maintenance personnel conduct intermediate and organizational level maintenance in coordination with Fleet Readiness Center detachments, and the squadron embeds liaison officers to work with Carrier Air Wing staff, Carrier Strike Group commanders, and joint force maritime component commanders to integrate airborne command and control into fleet operations.

Category:United States Navy aircraft squadrons