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US Navy - Fighter Squadron Composite 111 VFC-111 'Sun Downers' |
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| 05/25 | ||||||
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 F-5N Tiger II (VFC-111) - undated  F-5N Tiger II (VFC-111) at NAS Key West, Florida - April 2023  F-5N Tiger II (VFC-111) at NAS Key West, Florida - April 2023  F-5N Tiger II (VFC-111) at NAS Key West, Florida - November 2022  F-5N Tiger II (VFC-111) at NAS Key West, Florida - November 2022  F-5N Tiger II (VFC-111) at NAS Key West, Florida - November 2022  F-5N Tiger II (VFC-111) at NAS Key West, Florida - November 2022  F-5N Tiger II (VFC-111) at NAS Key West, Florida - November 2022  F-5N Tiger II (VFC-111) at NAS Key West, Florida - January 2022  F-5N Tiger II (VFC-111) at NAS Key West, Florida - September 2021  F-5N Tiger II (VFC-111) at NAS Key West, Florida - November 2020  F-5N Tiger II (VFC-111) at NAS Key West, Florida - November 2020  F-5N Tiger II (VFC-111) at NAS Key West, Florida - November 2020  F-5N Tiger II (VFC-111) at NAS Key West, Florida - November 2020  F-5N Tiger II (VFC-111) at NAS Key West, Florida - November 2020  F-5F Tiger II (VFC-111) at NAS Key West, Florida - July 2020  F-5N Tiger II (VFC-111) at NAS Key West, Florida - June 2020  F-5N Tiger II (VFC-111) at NAS Key West, Florida - October 2019  F-5N Tiger II (VFC-111) at NAS Key West, Florida - September 2019  F-5F Tiger II (VFC-111) at NAS Key West, Florida - February 2017  F-5N Tiger II (VFC-111) at MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina - July 2016  F-5N Tiger II (VFC-111) at MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina - July 2016  F-5N Tiger II (VFC-111) at NAS Key West, Florida - June 2015  F-5N Tiger II (VFC-111) at NAS Key West, Florida - November 2014  F-5N Tiger II (VFC-111) at NAS Key West, Florida - January 2014 |
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History: VFC-111 was originally known as Fighter Composite Squadron 13 (VFC-13) Detachment Key West, which was established in January 2006. VFC-13 Det Key West was redesignated as VFC-111 in November 2006. VFC-111 assumed its 'Sun Downers' insignia, callsign, and traditions from the first VF-111 Sun Downers, a famous U.S. Navy fighter squadron with extensive combat history as a carrier-based F-8 Crusader and F-4 Phantom II squadron during the Vietnam War and the second VF-111 Sun Downers, an F-4 Phantom II and F-14 Tomcat squadron between 1959 and 1995. VF-111 was disestablished as a fleet squadron in 1995. Mission: VFC-111 operates as part of the U.S. Navy Reserve's fleet adversary program, providing dissimilar air combat training (DACT) to fleet strike fighter and Marine fighter attack squadrons, as well as U.S. Air Force, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard fighter squadrons. Ostensibly assigned to the Navy Reserve's Tactical Support Wing, VFC-111 is actually an Active-Reserve Integration (ARI) unit composed of both Regular Navy and Navy Reserve personnel. In this capacity, it has assumed the adversary role of a since deactivated active duty squadron at NAS Key West known as Fighter Squadron 45 (VF-45). VFC-111's unique location at NAS Key West, Florida, home of the Navy's Strike Fighter Air Readiness Program (SFARP), eliminates costly adversary detachments and provides an on-site resource for carrier air wings conducting SFARP training at NAS Key West and on the adjacent Key West Tactical Air Combat Training System (TACTS) Range. VFC-111 also provides a significant portion of adversary support to all F/A-18 Fleet Replacement Squadrons (FRS) in the Navy and Marine Corps, i.e., VFA-106 at NAS Oceana, Virginia; VFA-122 at NAS Lemoore, California; and VMFAT-101 at MCAS Miramar, California. VFC-111 has also commenced support to VAQ-129, the FRS for the EA-18G Growler at NAS Whidbey Island, Washington, as well as the Navy and Marine Corps F-35C Fleet Replacement Squadron, VFA-125 at NAS Lemoore, California, and the Marine Corps' F-35B Fleet Replacement Squadron, VMFAT-501 at MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina. |
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