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| Navy Flight Test Squadron VX-23 | |
|---|---|
| Unit name | VX-23 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Navy |
| Role | Flight Test |
| Garrison | Naval Air Station Patuxent River |
| Nickname | Salty Dogs |
Navy Flight Test Squadron VX-23 is a United States Navy flight test squadron based at Naval Air Station Patuxent River that evaluates fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, avionics, weapons, and systems. The squadron supports developmental and operational test programs for platforms including Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, and Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye while working with agencies such as the Naval Air Systems Command, Air Test and Evaluation Squadron organizations, and industry partners like General Electric and Raytheon Technologies. VX-23 integrates engineering from Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, telemetry from Patuxent River Test Range, and tactical expertise from fleet units such as Carrier Air Wing One and Strike Fighter Wing Atlantic.
VX-23 traces its lineage to post-World War II United States Navy test activities at Anacostia Naval Air Station and later consolidated at Naval Air Test Center before relocating to Patuxent River in the 1960s. The squadron participated in developmental trials for landmark programs including the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet, and Lockheed S-3 Viking, collaborating with prime contractors such as Grumman Corporation, McDonnell Douglas, and Lockheed Corporation. During the Cold War VX-23 supported anti-submarine warfare developments tied to platforms like P-3 Orion and weapons integration for systems originating from Naval Air Systems Command and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. In the post-Cold War era VX-23 expanded into fifth-generation testing with involvement in the Joint Strike Fighter program and interoperability trials with NATO partners including Royal Navy and Royal Australian Air Force units.
VX-23’s mission encompasses developmental flight test, integrated systems evaluation, and weapons separation testing for aircraft delivered by manufacturers such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman. The squadron provides test support for avionics suites like the AN/APG-79 radar and defensive systems from Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems, and it executes weapons certification for ordnance from United States Naval Academy-affiliated programs and Naval Air Systems Command procurements. VX-23 also coordinates with organizations including Naval Test Wing Atlantic, Naval Air Station Oceana squadrons, and Fleet Readiness Centers to transition tested capabilities to fleet operators such as Carrier Air Wing Two and Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Force units.
VX-23 is staffed by a mix of United States Navy active-duty test pilots, civilian National Aeronautics and Space Administration-style engineers, and contractors from companies like Pratt & Whitney and L3Harris Technologies. Leadership includes commanding officers with backgrounds in Naval Aviator training pipelines and assignments from United States Naval Test Pilot School graduates who previously served with units such as Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 and VX-1. Squadrons from Carrier Air Wing elements and detachments from Electronic Attack Squadron communities augment VX-23 during large-scale trials, and VX-23 liaises with personnel from Office of the Secretary of Defense acquisition offices for program oversight.
VX-23 operates and tests a diverse inventory including Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet testbeds, instrumented Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II aircraft provided for integrated trials, and legacy platforms such as the Grumman E-2 Hawkeye and Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk used for mission systems testing. The squadron employs telemetry pods, data acquisition systems from Cobham and Teledyne Controls, and telemetry ranges compatible with AN/ALR-67 receivers and AN/AAQ-33 Sniper targeting pods. VX-23 also integrates aerial test instrumentation from contractors including Boeing and Lockheed Martin and ordnance test articles from Naval Surface Warfare Center.
VX-23’s home facilities at Naval Air Station Patuxent River include the Patuxent River Test Range, climate-controlled hangars, and avionics integration shops co-located with Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division. Test range assets enable live-fire and telemetry-supported events coordinated with Air Test and Evaluation Squadron schedules and flight corridors used historically for programs like Tomcat and Hornet development. Sea-range testing is conducted in coordination with Naval Air Station Oceana and range clients including Chief of Naval Operations offices and joint partners from United States Marine Corps aviation elements.
VX-23 conducted early developmental evaluations for the F-14 Tomcat digital flight control upgrades and was instrumental in flight clearance and weapons separation tests for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and legacy F/A-18 Hornet variants. The squadron supported integrated testing for the Joint Strike Fighter program and data-link interoperability trials involving systems from Northrop Grumman and Raytheon Technologies. VX-23 also contributed to sensor fusion and helmet-mounted display assessments linked to F-35 Lightning II helmet programs and participated in carrier suitability and catapult/arresting gear trials alongside Naval Air Systems Command and Fleet Readiness Centers Atlantic teams.
Safety management at VX-23 follows protocols coordinated with Naval Air Systems Command safety offices, Naval Safety Center guidance, and human factors research influenced by NASA and Air Force Research Laboratory studies. Pilot and engineer training leverages curricula from United States Naval Test Pilot School, flight test technique exchanges with U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, and contractor-sponsored simulation training from companies like CAE and Boeing to maintain test readiness and risk mitigation.
Category:United States Navy squadrons Category:Military units and formations at Naval Air Station Patuxent River