US Navy - Air Squadrons
Helicopter Squadrons
acronym	squadron designation			timeframe
HC	Helicopter Combat Support Squadron			1965-2007
HCS	Helicopter Combat Support Special Squadron			1988-2006
HM	Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron			1971-present
HS	Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron			1951-present
HSC	Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron			2005-present
HSL	Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron, Light			1972-present
HSM	Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron			2005-present
HT	Helicopter Training Squadron			1960-present
HAL	Helicopter Attack Squadron, Light			1967-72 / 1976-88
	other Helicopter Squadrons - not listed
HCT	Helicopter Combat Support Training Squadron			1974-77
HTU	Helicopter Training Unit			1950-57
HU	Helicopter Utility Squadron			1948-65
Fixed Wing Squadrons
acronym	squadron designation			timeframe
VA	Attack Squadron			1946-97
VAQ	Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron or Electronic Attack Squadron			1968-present
VAW	Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron			1948 / 1956-present
VC	Composite Squadron or Fleet Composite Squadron			1943-45 / 1948-56 1965-2008
VF	Fighter Squadron			1948-2006
VFA	Fighter Attack Squadron Strike Fighter Squadron			1980-83 1983-present
VFC	Fighter Squadron Composite			1988-present
VP	Patrol Squadron			1924-44 / 1946 / 1948-present
VQ	Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron			1961-present
VR	Fleet Tactical Support Squadron Fleet Logistics Support Squadron			1958-76 1976-present
VRC	Fleet Tactical Support Squadron Fleet Logistics Support Squadron			1960-76 1976-present
VS	Carrier Air Anti-Submarine Squadron or Sea Control Squadron			1950-93 1993-2009
VT	Training Squadron			1960-present
VX	Air Test and Evaluation Squadron			1969-present
	older or minor fixed-wing Squadrons
RVAH	Reconnaissance Attack Squadron			1964-79
VAH or VA(H)	Heavy Attack Squadron			1955-71
VAK	Tactical Aerial Refueling Squadron			1979-89
VAL or VA(L)	Light Attack Squadron			1969-72
VAP or VA(P)	Heavy Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron or Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron (Heavy) or Heavy Photographic Squadron			1956-71
VFP or VF(P)	Light Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron or Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron or Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron (Light) or Light Photographic Squadron			1956-87
VPU	Patrol Squadron Special Unit			1982-present
VXE	Antarctic Development Squadron			1969-99
VXN	Oceanographic Development Squadron			1969-93
VXS	Scientific Development Squadron			2004-present
	other fixed-wing Squadrons - not listed
RVAW	Carrier Airborne Early Warning Training Squadron			1967-83
VA(AW)	All-Weather Attack Squadron			1956-59
VA(HM)	Attack Mining Squadron			1956-59
VAW	Carrier Tactical Electronics Warfare Squadron			1968
VB	Bombing Squadron or Light Bombing Plane Squadron			1928-46
VBF	Bombing Fighting Squadron			1945-46
VCN	Night Composite Squadron			1946-48
VCP	Photographic Composite Squadron			1959-61
VCS	Cruiser Scouting Squadron			1937-45
VD	Photographic Squadron			1943-46
VE	Evacuation Squadron			1944-45
VF	Combat Squadron			1922
VF	Fighting Plane Squadron or Fighting Squadron			1922-48
VF(AW)	All-Weather Fighter Squadron or Fighter (All-Weather) Squadron			1956-63
VFN or VF(N)	Night Fighting Squadron			1944-46
VGF	Escort-Fighter Squadron			1942-43
VGS	Escort-Scouting Squadron			1942-43
VH	Rescue Squadron			1944-46
VJ	Utility Squadron or General Utility Squadron			1925-46
VJ	Weather Squadron or Weather Reconnaissance Squadron			1952-53
VJ	Photographic Squadron			1952-56
VK	Special Air Task Force Squadron (STAGRON)			1943-44
VN	Training Squadron			1927-47
VO	Spotting Squadron			1922
VO	Observation Plane Squadron or Observation Squadron			1923-45 / 1947-49 1967-68
VOC	Composite Spotting Squadron			1944-45
VOF	Observation Fighter Squadron			1942-45
VP	Seaplane Patrol Squadron			1922
VP-AM	Amphibian Patrol Squadron			1946-48
VPB	Patrol Bombing Squadron			1944-46
VP-HL	Heavy Patrol Squadron (landplane)			1946-48
VPM	Meteorological Squadron			1946-47
VP-ML	Medium Patrol Squadron (landplane)			1946-48
VP-MS	Medium Patrol Squadron (seaplane)			1946-48
VPP or VP(P)	Photographic Squadron or Patrol Squadron (photographic)			1946-48
VPW	Weather Reconnaissance Squadron			1945-48
VPW	Air Early Warning Squadron			1948
VQ	Electronic Countermeasures Squadron			1955-60
VR	Transport Squadron or Air Transport Squadron or Fleet Logistic Air Squadron			1942-58
VRE	Air Transport Evacuation Squadron			1945
VRF	Transport Ferry and Service Squadron			1943-46
VRF	Air Ferry Transport Squadron or Air Ferry Squadron			1943-48
VRF or VR(F)	Aircraft Ferry Squadron			1957-86
VRJ	Utility Transport Squadron			1945-46
VRS	Air Ferry Service Squadron or Ferry Command Service Squadron			1943-46
VRU	Transport Utility Squadron			1946-48
VS	Scouting Plane Squadron or Scouting Squadron			1922-46
VSF	Anti-Submarine Fighter Squadron			1965-73
VT	Torpedo Plane Squadron			1921
VT	Torpedo Bombing Plane Squadron or Torpedo Bombing Squadron			1922-30
VT	Torpedo Squadron			1930-46
VTN	Night Torpedo Squadron			1944-46
VU	Utility Squadron			1946-65
VW	Air Early Warning Squadron or Airborne Early Warning Squadron or Fleet Early Warning Squadron			1952-71
VW	Weather Reconnaissance Squadron or Fleet Weather Reconnaissance Squadron			1967-75
VX	Experimental Squadron			1927-43 (circa)
VX	Experimental and Development Squadron or Operational Development Squadron or Air Operational Development Squadron or Air Development Squadron			1946-68
ZJ	Blimp Utility Squadron			1944-45
ZK	Kite Balloon Squadron			1922-24
ZP	Airship Patrol Squadron			1942-61
ZP	Blimp Squadron			1942-61
ZP	Airship Patrol Squadron (All-Weather Anti-Submarine) or Airship Squadron or LTA Patrol Squadron			1942-61
ZW	Airship Early Warning Squadron			1956-61
ZX	Airship Operational Development Squadron or Airship Development Squadron			1950-57
The following Squadron designations were developed but the US Navy never established Squadrons using this designations
ZKN	Kite Balloon Training Squadron
ZKO	Kite Balloon Observation Squadron
ZNN	Non-rigid Airship Training Squadron
ZNS	Non-rigid Airship Scouting Squadron
ZRN	Rigid Airship Training Squadron
ZRP	Rigid Airship Patrol Squadron
ZRS	Rigid Airship Scouting Squadron
ZS	Airship Anti-Submarine Squadron
| seaforces.org | US Navy Air Units start page |