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US Navy - Strike Fighter Squadron 132 (STRKFITRON 132)

VFA-132 'Privateers'
 
vfa-132 privateers insignia crest patch badge strike fighter squadron us navy
 vfa-132 privateers strike fighter squadron us navy f/a-18 hornet uss coral sea forrestal nas cecil field
 
STATUS:   VFA-131 established on January 3, 1984
VFA-132 disestablished on June 1, 1992
 AIRCRAFT:   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A Hornet (1984-90)
McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Hornet (1991-92)
 DEPLOYMENTS:   October 1985 - May 1986 with CVW-13 aboard USS Coral Sea (CV 43)
October 1987 - April 1988 forward deployed to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan (MAG-15)
May 1989 - September 1989 with CVW-13 aboard USS Coral Sea (CV 43)
August 1990 with CVW-13 aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72)
May 1991 - December 1991 with CVW-6 aboard USS Forrestal (CV 59)
 

images

vfa-132 privateers strike fighter squadron f/a-18a hornet cvw-13 uss abraham lincoln cvn-72 1990 18
F/A-18A Hornet (VFA-132 / CVW-13) embarked on USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) - 1990

vfa-132 privateers strike fighter squadron f/a-18a hornet cvw-13 uss abraham lincoln cvn-72 1990 19
F/A-18A Hornet (VFA-132 / CVW-13) embarked on USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) - 1990

vfa-132 privateers strike fighter squadron f/a-18a hornet cvw-13 uss abraham lincoln cvn-72 1990 20
F/A-18A Hornet (VFA-132 / CVW-13) embarked on USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) - 1990

vfa-132 privateers strike fighter squadron f/a-18a hornet cvw-13 uss abraham lincoln cvn-72 1990 17
F/A-18A Hornet (VFA-132 / CVW-13) embarked on USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) - 1990

vfa-132 privateers strike fighter squadron f/a-18a hornet cvw-13 uss abraham lincoln cvn-72 1990 16
F/A-18A Hornet (VFA-132 / CVW-13) embarked on USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) - 1990

vfa-132 privateers strike fighter squadron f/a-18a hornet cvw-13 uss abraham lincoln cvn-72 1990 24
F/A-18A Hornet (VFA-132 / CVW-13) embarked on USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) - 1990

vfa-132 privateers strike fighter squadron f/a-18a hornet cvw-13 uss abraham lincoln cvn-72 1990 25
F/A-18A Hornet (VFA-132 / CVW-13) embarked on USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) - 1990

vfa-132 privateers strike fighter squadron f/a-18a hornet cvw-13 uss abraham lincoln cvn-72 1990 26
F/A-18A Hornet (VFA-132 / CVW-13) embarked on USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) - 1990

vfa-132 privateers strike fighter squadron f/a-18a hornet cvw-13 uss coral sea cv-43 1990 22
F/A-18A Hornet (VFA-132 / CVW-13) during USS Coral Sea's (CV 43) decommissioning - April 1990

vfa-132 privateers strike fighter squadron f/a-18a hornet cvw-13 uss coral sea cv-43 1990 03
F/A-18A Hornet (VFA-132 / CVW-13) - February 1990

vfa-132 privateers strike fighter squadron f/a-18a hornet cvw-13nas cecil field florida 1990 04
F/A-18A Hornet (VFA-132 / CVW-13) - February 1990

vfa-132 privateers strike fighter squadron f/a-18a hornet exercise cope thunder nas cubi point philippines 1988 05
F/A-18A Hornet (VFA-132) during exercise COPE THUNDER - NAS Cubi Point, Philippines - January 1988

vfa-132 privateers strike fighter squadron f/a-18a hornet exercise cope thunder nas cubi point philippines 1988 07
F/A-18A Hornet (VFA-132) during exercise COPE THUNDER - NAS Cubi Point, Philippines - January 1988

vfa-132 privateers strike fighter squadron f/a-18a hornet cockpit exercise cope thunder nas cubi point philippines 1988 08
F/A-18A Hornet (VFA-132) during exercise COPE THUNDER - NAS Cubi Point, Philippines - January 1988

vfa-132 privateers strike fighter squadron f/a-18a hornet exercise cope thunder nas cubi point philippines 1988 09
F/A-18A Hornet (VFA-132) during exercise COPE THUNDER - NAS Cubi Point, Philippines - January 1988

vfa-132 privateers strike fighter squadron f/a-18a hornet exercise cope thunder nas cubi point philippines 1988 10
F/A-18A Hornet (VFA-132) during exercise COPE THUNDER - NAS Cubi Point, Philippines - January 1988

vfa-132 privateers strike fighter squadron f/a-18a hornet exercise cope thunder nas cubi point philippines 1988 11
F/A-18A Hornet (VFA-132) during exercise COPE THUNDER - NAS Cubi Point, Philippines - January 1988

vfa-132 privateers strike fighter squadron f/a-18a hornet exercise cope thunder nas cubi point philippines 1988 06 mike groothousen
an airman assists LCDR Mike Groothousen into his F/A-18A Hornet (VFA-132) during exercise COPE THUNDER - NAS Cubi Point, Philippines - January 1988

vfa-132 privateers strike fighter squadron f/a-18a hornet nas cecil field florida 1987 23
F/A-18A Hornet (VFA-132 / CVW-13) over NAS Cecil Field, Florida - April 1987

vfa-132 privateers strike fighter squadron f/a-18a hornet cvw-13 uss coral sea cv-43 1986 28
F/A-18A Hornet (VFA-132 / CVW-13) embarked on USS Coral Sea (CV 43) - April 1986

vfa-132 privateers strike fighter squadron f/a-18a hornet cvw-13 uss coral sea cv-43 1986 15
F/A-18A Hornet (VFA-132 / CVW-13) embarked on USS Coral Sea (CV 43) - off Lybia - March 1986

vfa-132 privateers strike fighter squadron f/a-18a hornet cvw-13 uss coral sea cv-43 1986 02 operation eldorado canyon lybia
F/A-18A Hornet (VFA-132 / CVW-13) embarked on USS Coral Sea (CV 43) - March 1986

vfa-132 privateers strike fighter squadron f/a-18a hornet cvw-13 uss coral sea cv-43 1986 27
F/A-18A Hornet (VFA-132 / CVW-13) embarked on USS Coral Sea (CV 43) - March 1986

vfa-132 privateers strike fighter squadron f/a-18a hornet cvw-13 uss coral sea cv-43 1986 13
F/A-18A Hornet (VFA-132 / CVW-13) embarked on USS Coral Sea (CV 43) - March 1986

vfa-132 privateers strike fighter squadron f/a-18a hornet cvw-13 uss coral sea cv-43 1986 14
F/A-18A Hornet (VFA-132 / CVW-13) embarked on USS Coral Sea (CV 43) - March 1986

vfa-132 privateers strike fighter squadron f/a-18a hornet cvw-13 uss coral sea cv-43 1986 12 soviet ilyushin il-38 may patrol aircraft
F/A-18A Hornet (VFA-132 / CVW-13) escorting a Soviet Ilyushin IL-38 May maritime patrol aircraft  - 1986
 
 
The Privateers were established on 3 January 1984 as (VFA-132) the first squadron to be assigned the VFA designation. operating the F/A-18C Hornet from NAS Lemoore, CA, and moved to NAS Cecil Field in February 1985. They made their inaugural deployment aboard the USS Coral Sea (CV-43) (which was retired in 1989) and saw combat operations during Operations Prairie Fire and El Dorado Canyon against Libya.

March 1986: During Freedom of Navigation exercises in the Gulf of Sidra, the squadron’s aircraft flew Combat Air Patrols in support of the exercise, including the period of 24 and 25 March following a 24 March Libyan firing of an SA-5 missile against an American aircraft operating in international waters.

14-15 April 1986: Squadron aircraft, along with other units of CVW-13 and A-7s from CVW-1, provided air to surface Shrike and Harm missile strikes against Libyan surface-to-air missile sites at Banghazi. This was the first use of the F/A-18 in combat.

October 1987 - April 1988: The squadron deployed to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, and was assigned to Marine Air Group 15. While deployed to Japan, the squadron operated detachments at NAS Cubi Point, Tsuiki AB, Clark AB, Yechon AB, Misawa AB and Kadena AB.

August - September 1989: Coral Sea (CV 43), with VFA-132 embarked, operated off the coast of Lebanon following the Israeli capture of Sheik Obeid and the reported killing of Lieutenant Colonel William R. Higgins, USMC. In early September the squadron provided air cover for the CH-53 helos used to evacuate personnel from the U.S. embassy in Beirut.

June - September 1991: CVW-6 squadrons participated in Operation Provide Comfort, flying missions over northern Iraq in support of the Kurdish relief effort.
 
 
 

patches & more

vfa-132 privateers strike fighter squadron patch crest insignia 03    vfa-132 privateers strike fighter squadron patch crest insignia 04
vfa-132 privateers strike fighter squadron patch crest insignia 05
 
 
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