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US Navy - Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 122
VAW-122 'Steeljaws'
 
vaw-122 steeljaws insignia crest patch badge carrier airborne early warning squadron e-2c hawkeye us navy 05c
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STATUS:   VAW-122 established on April 1, 1967
VAW-122 disestablished on March 31, 1996
 
Nickname: Hummer Gators (earlier) / Steeljaws 
 AIRCRAFT:   Grumman E-2A Hawkeye (1967-71)
Grumman E-2B Hawkeye (1971-75)
Grumman E-2C Hawkeye (1976-96)
 DEPLOYMENTS:   April 1967 - September 1967 with CVW-6 aboard USS America (CVA 66)
April 1968 - December 1968 with CVW-6 aboard USS America (CVA 66)
September 1969 - October 1969 with CVW-7 aboard USS Independence (CVA 62)
June 1970 - February 1971 with CVW-7 aboard USS Independence (CVA 62)
September 1971 - March 1972 with CVW-7 aboard USS Independence (CVA 62)
June 1973 - January 1974 with CVW-7 aboard USS Independence (CVA 62)
July 1974 - January 1975 with CVW-7 aboard USS Independence (CVA 62)
October 1977 - May 1978 with CVW-11 aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63)
June 1979 - December 1979 with CVW-6 aboard USS Independence (CV 62)
November 1980 - June 1981 with CVW-6 aboard USS Independence (CV 62)
June 1982 - December 1982 with CVW-6 aboard USS Independence (CV 62)
October 1983 - April 1984 with CVW-6 aboard USS Independence (CV 62)
October 1984 - February 1985 with CVW-6 aboard USS Independence (CV 62)
June 1986 - November 1986 with CVW-6 aboard USS Forrestal (CV 59)
August 1987 - October 1987 with CVW-6 aboard USS Forrestal (CV 59)
April 1988 - October 1988 with CVW-6 aboard USS Forrestal (CV 59)
November 1989 - April 1990 with CVW-6 aboard USS Forrestal (CV 59)
May 1991 - December 1991 with CVW-6 aboard USS Forrestal (CV 59)
May 1993 - July 1993 with CVW-2 aboard USS Constellation (CV 64)
 
and various shore based deployments (Panama, Puerto Rico) from 1990-95
 
images

vaw-122 steeljaws carrier airborne early warning squadron e-2c hawkeye us navy paris air show le bourget 1991 02
E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-122) - Paris Air Show 1991

vaw-122 steeljaws carrier airborne early warning squadron e-2c hawkeye us navy paris air show 1991 03
E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-122) - Paris Air Show 1991

vaw-122 steeljaws carrier airborne early warning squadron e-2c hawkeye us navy paris air show mitternad 04
E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-122) - Paris Air Show 1991 (with French President François Mitterrand)

vaw-122 steeljaws carrier airborne early warning squadron e-2c hawkeye us navy nas oceana virginia 05
E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-122) at NAS Oceana, Virginia - August 1989

vaw-122 steeljaws carrier airborne early warning squadron e-2c hawkeye us navy nas oceana virginia grumman 05a
cutout

vaw-122 steeljaws carrier airborne early warning squadron e-2c hawkeye us navy cvw-6 uss forrestal cv-59 17
E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-122 / CVW-6) embarked on USS Forrestal (CV 59) - Exercise Team Work 88 - September 1988

vaw-122 steeljaws carrier airborne early warning squadron e-2c hawkeye us navy cvw-6 cv-59 uss forrestal 19
E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-122 / CVW-6) embarked on USS Forrestal (CV 59) - 1986

vaw-122 steeljaws carrier airborne early warning squadron e-2c hawkeye us navy cvw-6 cv-59 uss forrestal 1986 18
E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-122 / CVW-6) embarked on USS Forrestal (CV 59) - 1986

vaw-122 steeljaws carrier airborne early warning squadron e-2c hawkeye us navy cvw-6 uss independence cv-62 06
E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-122 / CVW-6) embarked on USS Independence (CV 62) - 1979

vaw-122 steeljaws carrier airborne early warning squadron e-2c hawkeye us navy uss kitty hawk cv-63 nas north island 07
E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-122) was loaded aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) - NAS North Island, California - 1977

vaw-122 steeljaws carrier airborne early warning squadron e-2c hawkeye us navy uss kitty hawk cv-63 nas north island 08
E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-122) was loaded aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) - NAS North Island, California - 1977

vaw-122 steeljaws carrier airborne early warning squadron e-2c hawkeye us navy uss kitty hawk cv-63 nas north island 09
E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-122) was loaded aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) - NAS North Island, California - 1977

vaw-122 steeljaws carrier airborne early warning squadron e-2c hawkeye us navy uss kitty hawk cv-63 nas north island 10
E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-122) was loaded aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) - NAS North Island, California - 1977

vaw-122 steeljaws carrier airborne early warning squadron e-2c hawkeye us navy uss kitty hawk cv-63 nas north island 11
E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-122) was loaded aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) - NAS North Island, California - 1977

vaw-122 steeljaws carrier airborne early warning squadron e-2c hawkeye us navy uss kitty hawk cv-63 nas north island 12
E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-122) was loaded aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) - NAS North Island, California - 1977

vaw-122 steeljaws carrier airborne early warning squadron e-2c hawkeye us navy uss kitty hawk cv-63 nas north island 13
E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-122) was loaded aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) - NAS North Island, California - 1977

vaw-122 steeljaws carrier airborne early warning squadron e-2c hawkeye us navy uss kitty hawk cv-63 nas north island 14
E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-122) was loaded aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) - NAS North Island, California - 1977


vaw-122 steeljaws carrier airborne early warning squadron e-2b hawkeye us navy cvw-7 uss independence cva-62 15
E-2B Hawkeye (VAW-122 / CVW-7) embarked on USS Independence (CVA 62) - undated

vaw-122 steeljaws carrier airborne early warning squadron e-2b hawkeye us navy cvw-7 uss independence cva-62 16
E-2B Hawkeye (VAW-122 / CVW-7) embarked on USS Independence (CVA 62) - circa 1973
 
 
Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 122 (VAW-122) was an aviation unit of the United States Navy in service from 1 September 1967 to 31 March 1996. VAW-122, nicknamed "Steeljaws" was a U.S. Atlantic Coast VAW squadron (Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron) stationed at NAS Norfolk, Virginia (USA). During its 30 years of existence, the squadron was deployed around the world and saw action from Vietnam to Desert Storm, conducting operations from the Arctic to the tropics. The Steeljaws conducted Airborne Early Warning, Air Defense, Air Intercept Control, ISR, NCTR activity, Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence (C4I), Strike Control, Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR), Drug Interdiction, Forward Air Control (FAC) handoff, Air Traffic Control, Netcentric Warfare, Data Link, and other missions.

Originally equipped with the E-2A Hawkeye, VAW-122 was first on the scene, establishing communications and directing fighter coverage for the USS Liberty in the Mediterranean in June 1967 after the intelligence-gathering ship was attacked by Israeli aircraft and torpedo boats. During a 1968 deployment on board the USS America off Vietnam, VAW-122 crews assisted a VF-33 F-4 Phantom crew in downing a North Vietnamese MiG-21 fighter as well as controlling interdiction strikes against North Vietnam.

After a 1970 deployment to the Mediterranean during the Jordanian crisis with CVW-7 on board the USS Independence, VAW-122 upgraded to the somewhat more capable E-2B. The squadron's next two deployments to the Mediterranean returned its crews to international crises - the 1973 Yom Kippur War and the 1974 Cyprus Crisis.

In April 1975, VAW-122 upgraded to the definitive E-2C Hawkeye. In 1978, the squadron rejoined after a Pacific deployment embarked in USS Kitty Hawk CVW-6 and over the next 13 years deployed to the Arabian Sea, Mediterranean, and North Atlantic on board the Independence and the USS Forrestal. During the 1983 deployment, VAW-122 supported combat operations in Grenada and Lebanon, and, on its last combat carrier deployment in 1991, supported Operation Provide Comfort over Iraq during and subsequent to Operation Desert Storm. Throughout its operational lifetime, VAW-122 participated in numerous cold-war, North Atlantic, Mediterranean, African, Indian Ocean, Eastern European, and Middle Eastern operations, supported several NASA Space Shuttle launches, and devised a variety of original operational tactics and procedures (such as performing ABCCC missions in lieu of other airborne assets' doing so).

VAW-122 made its first major drug-interdiction deployment as a squadron to the Caribbean/Central America in 1990 (previously it had been smaller detachments of shorter duration beginning in 1983 with Operation Thunderbolt), and in 1992 became permanently assigned to this role. By 1996, the unit had completed eight deployments in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific areas, conducting some missions deep over South or Central America, and far into the Pacific Ocean - and was credited with the seizure of more than 16 metric tons of illegal drugs.

VAW-122 was disestablished at NAS Norfolk on 31 March 1996. Its drug-interdiction mission and aircraft were assumed by a new reserve squadron at that time, VAW-77, stationed at NAS Atlanta, GA.
 
source: wikipedia
 
patches + more

vaw-122 steeljaws insignia crest patch badge carrier airborne early warning squadron e-2c hawkeye us navy 04c

vaw-122 steeljaws insignia crest patch badge carrier airborne early warning squadron e-2c hawkeye us navy 03c

vaw-122 hummer gators insignia crest patch badge carrier airborne early warning squadron e-2c hawkeye us navy 02c
 
 
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