Attack Squadron 81 (ATKRON 81) VA-81 ‘Sunliners’
STATUS:		established as VA-66 on July 1, 1955 VA-66 redesignated VF-81 on July 1, 1955 VF-81 redesignated VA-81 on July 1, 1959 VA-81 redesignated VFA-81 on February 4, 1988 Nickname: Crusaders 1959-63 / Sunliners (1963-88)
AIRCRAFT:		Douglas A4D-2 Skyhawk (1958-63) Douglas A-4E Skyhawk (1963-67) Douglas A-4C Skyhawk (1967-70) Ling-Temco-Vought A-7E Corsair II (1970-88)
DEPLOYMENTS:		January 1960 - August 1960 with CVG-8 aboard USS Forrestal (CVA 59) February 1961 - August 1961 with CVG-8 aboard USS Forrestal (CVA 59) August 1962 - March 1963 with CVG-8 aboard USS Forrestal (CVA 59) July 1964 - March 1965 with CVW-8 aboard USS Forrestal (CVA 59) August 1965 - April 1966 with CVW-8 aboard USS Forrestal (CVA 59) September 1966 - May 1967 with CVW-8 aboard USS Shangri-La (CVA 38) November 1967 - August 1968 with CVW-8 aboard USS Shangri-La (CVA 38) April 1969 - December 1969 with CVW-1 aboard USS John F. Kennedy (CVA 67) January 1971 - July 1971 with CVW-17 aboard USS Forrestal (CVA 59) September 1972 - July 1973 with CVW-17 aboard USS Forrestal (CVA 59) March 1974 - September 1974 with CVW-17 aboard USS Forrestal (CVA 59) March 1975 - September 1975 with CVW-17 aboard USS Forrestal (CVA 59) April 1978 - October 1978 with CVW-17 aboard USS Forrestal (CV 59) November 1979 - May 1980 with CVW-17 aboard USS Forrestal (CV 59) March 1981 - September 1981 with CVW-17 aboard USS Forrestal (CV 59) June 1982 - November 1982 with CVW-17 aboard USS Forrestal (CV 59) April 1984 - October 1984 with CVW-17 aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60) August 1985 - April 1986 with CVW-17 aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60) June 1987 - November 1987 with CVW-17 aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60) detachment deployment only: VA-81 / Det.45: October 1961 - February 1962 with CVSG-56 aboard USS Essex (CVS 9)
images
A-7E Corsair II (VA-81 / CVW-17) aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60) - 1986 A-7E Corsair II (VA-81 / CVW-17) aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60) - 1986 A-7E Corsair II (VA-81 / CVW-17) aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60) - off Lybia - 1986 A-7E Corsair II (VA-81 / CVW-17) aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60) - 1986 A-7E Corsair II (VA-81 / CVW-17) aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60) - 1986 A-4C Skyhawk (VA-81 / CVW-1) embarked on USS John F. Kennedy (CVA 67) - 1969 A-4C Skyhawk (VA-81 / CVW-1) embarked on USS John F. Kennedy (CVA 67) - 1968 A-4C Skyhawk (VA-81 / CVG-8) embarked on USS Forrestal (CVA 59) - 1962 A4D-2 (A-4C) Skyhawk (VA-81 / CVG-8) embarked on USS Forrestal (CVA 59) - 1960-63 A4D-2 Skyhawk (VA-81, Det.45 / CVSG-56) aboard USS Essex (CVS 9) - 1962 (NNAM) A4D-2 Skyhawk (VA-81, Det.45 / CVSG-56) aboard USS Essex (CVS 9) - 1961-62 A4D-2 Skyhawks (VA-81 / CVG-8) embarked on USS Forrestal (CVA 59) - 1961
history
The Sunliners of VFA-81 were originally commissioned as Attack Squadron SIXTY SIX (VA-66) on 1 July 1955. On the same day, they were redesignated Fighter Squadron 81 (VF-81), an all weather fighter interceptor squadron flying the Grumman F9F-8B Cougar. Their first deployment was with CVG-17 in late 1956 aboard the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt in response to the Suez Crisis. In 1958 VF-81 made a deployment as part of Air Task Group 181 (ATG-181) aboard USS Lake Champlain to the Mediterranean Sea. In the next year VF-81 went to sea with ATG-182 to the North Atlantic aboard USS Intrepid. On 04 Mar 1959 VF-81 was reequipped with the Douglas A4D-2 Skyhawk and redesignated attack squadron VA-81 on 1 July 1959. VA-81 was assigned to CVG-8 and made five deployments to the Mediterranean Sea aboard the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal between 1960 and 1966. From October 1961 to February 1962, a detachment of VA-81 Skyhawks deployed to the North Atlantic embarked in USS Essex. The detachment was provided air cover for antisubmarine units embarked in Essex with their AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles. The detachment was the first jet unit to function as part of an antisubmarine killer force. In April 1963 the squadron transitioned from the A-4B (A4D-2) to the A-4C Skyhawk. In 1966 and 1967, VA-81 was deployed with CVG-8 to the Mediterranean, this time aboard USS Shangri-La. For the 1967/68 deployment aboard the same carrier, VA-81 flew the A-4C. In 1969 VA-81 A-4Cs made a single deployment to the Med aboard the USS John F. Kennedy as part of CVW-1, operating for a time off the coast of Libya following a coup that overthrew the Libyan monarchy on 1 September 1969. In February 1970, the Sunliners won the Navy Battle "E" for East Coast A-4 squadrons. In May 1970, VA-81 transitioned to the Vought A-7E Corsair II and was reassigned to CVW-17. Between 1971 and 1982 VA-81 made eight deployments to the 6th Fleet aboard USS Forrestal. In Dec 1972, squadron’s A-7Es conducted cross-deck operations with the British carrier HMS Ark Royal. From July to August 1974, VA-81 operated from USS Forrestal in the vicinity of Cyprus following a coup in that country and its invasion by Turkish forces. Surveillance and cover missions were flown by the squadron during the crisis. VA-81 embarked in Forrestal from May to June 1981, operating in the eastern Mediterranean following Israeli reprisal raids against Syrian missile batteries located in southern Lebanon. In August 1981, the squadron participated a Freedom of Navigation Exercise in the Gulf of Sidra. During this exercise on August 18, two F-14 Tomcats from USS Nimitz (CVN-68) shot down two Libyan SU-22 Fitters. Tensions escalated, and VA-81 flew reconnaissance missions over potentially hostile Libyan ships. Between 1984 and 1987 VA-81 made three deployments with the Saratoga. On March 23, 1986, while operating off coast of Libya, aircraft from Saratoga, USS Coral Sea, and USS America crossed what Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi had called the "Line of Death." The next day, three U.S. Navy warships crossed the same 32° 30' North latitude line. Two hours later, Libyan forces fired SA-5 Gammon surface-to-air missiles from the coastal town of Surt. The missiles missed their F-14 Tomcat targets and fell harmlessly into the water. Later that afternoon, U.S. aircraft turned back two Libyan MiG-25 fighter planes over the disputed Gulf of Sidra. In response a Grumman A-6E Intruder attacked a Libyan missile patrol boat operating on the "Line of Death." Later that night, VA-81 aircraft acted as the decoy group for VA-83’s HARM strike against the Libyan missile radar site at Surt. At the conclusion, three Libyan patrol boats and a radar site were destroyed by Navy aircraft. On February 4, 1988, VA-81 transitioned to the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Hornet and was redesignated Strike Fighter Squadron 81 (VFA-81). source: wikipedia
patches
VA-81 Crusaders & VA-81 Sunliners patch
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