VFA-32 Swordsmen Back at Sea by Thomas Urbild

If you´ve just trapped one of the cables of CVN-75 USS Harry S. Truman in a C-2 Greyhound, exited the rear door and looked around, you will be instantly aware what aircraft rules the US Navy’s flight decks nowadays. It’s the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet, a.k.a. the “Rhino.” The Truman has deployed with three squadrons of Super Hornets embarked, one of them being VFA-32 “Swordsmen.”

The history of the Swordsmen can be traced back to February 1945. At that time, the Squadron was called VBF-3 and flew the F6F Hellcat. A series of aircraft transitions took place in the following years, from the Hellcat to the F8F Bearcat in 1946, and from the Bearcat to the F4U Corsair in 1948. Together with the aircraft changes, the Squadron was redesignated VF-32 and adopted its insignia, including the golden lion and Naval Aviator wings, and the call-sign "Gypsy." Both are still in use today.

The speed of aircraft development during that time allowed VF-32 to enter the Jet-Age in 1952 with the F9F-6 Cougar. In 1956 the Swordsmen became the first supersonic Navy squadron, flying the F-8 Crusader.

In 1962 the world found itself only few steps away from a nuclear conflict during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Based at NAS Cecil Field near Jacksonville, Florida during this time, VF-32 flew 96 reconnaissance and intelligence gathering missions over Cuba and the Atlantic.

Together with its new F-4B Phantom IIs, the squadron relocated in 1965 to NAS Oceana – its home base ever since. As a part of Air Group One, the squadron embarked on CVA-42, USS Franklin D. Roosevelt, and headed for Southeast Asia in 1966. During deployment, VF-32 set a record by flying 940 combat sorties while losing not a single aircraft or aircrew.

The next few years were quiet for the Gypsies, until they traded their F-4s to become the first East Coast squadron for the new F-14A Tomcat in 1974. The squadron undertook the first carrier deployment with the new equipment in 1975. During the following years VF-32 was kept busy testing and evaluating the F-14’s Television Camera System (TCS) as well as the new AIM-9L and AIM-54 Phoenix missiles. On one occasion VF-32 tested the new weapons against five targets flying at Mach 2.5. The squadron flew training missions against US Air Force F-15 aircraft and even dropped bombs from an F-14 – a capability which would become more important two decades later.

In October 1979, VF-32 achieved an unprecedented safety milestone of ten years of accident-free flying. The squadron had accumulated 33,000 flight hours, including 17,000 hours in the F-14A Tomcat.

Early in 1989, the Swordsmen found themselves in air combat while conducting routine flying operation in the Mediterranean. Two Libyan MiG-23s closed on a flight of F-14s. After confirming that the MiGs were armed and showing hostile intentions, the Tomcats were cleared to engage. Although the first AIM-7 Sparrow missed the target, the second hit one enemy aircraft. The remaining MiG was shot down by an AIM-9 Sidewinder. Both Libyan pilots were able to eject.

One-and-a-half years later, VF-32 was deployed to support Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. The squadron logged 1445 flying hours on 403 missions, with 38 of them being TARPS reconnaissance missions.

The 1990s saw a change in VF-32’s duties. The Navy decided to reduce the number of F-14 squadrons in each Air Wing to one, and the Tomcats were given an additional air-to-ground role. The introduction of the LANTRIN pod, which allowed the F-14s to mark their own ground targets instead of relying on F/A-18s, was a great enhancement. Further capability upgrades came with the squadron’s transition to the updated F-14B Tomcat. The importance of the Tomcat’s new role became clear in Operation Desert Fox in 1998. VF-32 dropped about 111,000 lb of ordnance, including GBU-10, GBU-16, and GBU-24 guided bombs. The squadron also performed the first multiple-GBU-24 drop by any platform in combat.

During November 2000, the Swordsmen deployed for the maiden cruise of CVN-75, USS Harry S. Truman, the carrier they still serve on today. Despite the Tomcat’s age, VF-32 took part in several ongoing campaigns, including Noble Eagle in Yugoslavia, Northern Watch, and Iraqi Freedom. More new systems were integrated in the F-14, including night-vision goggles and the capability to carry GPS-guided Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs). Near the end of the Tomcat era, VF-32 was tasked to launch of six AIM-54 Phoenix missiles, something that had not been attempted since 1972. The missiles successfully hit 5 out of the 6 designated targets.

In October 2005, the last F-14B Tomcat left the squadron, and conversion to the new F/A-18F Super Hornet began. Ultimately, VF-32’s designation was changed VFA-32 to underline the multi-role status of the squadron and its new jets.

The development of the Super Hornet was an act of necessity for the Navy. With the retirement of the A-6 Intruder, cancellation of the A-12 bomber project, and pending phase-out of the F-14, the Navy would be left with only the legacy F/A-18 A/B/C/D in front-line service. Although the Hornet is a very capable aircraft, it has serious deficiencies in range and payload. The Super Hornet design addressed these shortfalls, and gave the Navy a credible replacement for the F-14 and A-6. Compared to the legacy Hornet, the F/A-18E/F is longer and has 25% more wing area. The "Rhino" carries 33% more internal fuel, which results in an 40% increase in range and a 50% increase in endurance. The F/-18 E/F can carry almost every air-to-air and air-to-ground weapon in the Navy inventory on its eleven weapon stations.

VFA-32’s maiden cruise with their new Super Hornets began in November 2007 and will continue until mid-2008. Together with Air Wing Three’s other fixed-wing squadrons – VFA-11 Red Rippers with the F/A-18F, VFA-105 Gunslingers with the F/A-18E, VFA-37 Raging Bulls with the F/A-18C, VAQ-130 Zappers flying EA-6B Prowlers and VAW-126 Seahawks equipped with E-2Cs – the Swordsmen are once again taking part in Operation Iraqi Freedom from the Persian Gulf. Closer to the carrier, SH-60Fs from HS-7 Dusty Dogs fly surface patrol and search and rescue missions, while the C-2 Greyhounds of VRC-40 Rawhides transport personnel and materiel to and from shore.

Aboard CVN-75, several launch-and-recovery cycles are conducted each day, ay 90-minute intervals. Flying begins before noon and lasts until the early morning hours of the next day. During my visit, VFA-32 was flying Close Air Support (CAS) missions due to unrest near Basra. Surprisingly, sorties were six to seven hours long and included several air-to-air refuelings. These were carried out using Air Force tankers or other F/A-18 Super Hornets. The carrier-borne AAR role was taken over from the S-3 Viking, which can no longer be found on carrier decks. For this role the Super Hornet is configured with a centreline hose-drogue pod and four huge underwing tanks, allowing it to carry up to 29,000 lb of fuel.

Several former Tomcat pilots stated that, although the F-14 was fun to fly and very capable in the missions for which it was designed, the F-18 E/F is much easier to fly and far superior for the missions required in today’s air combat scenarios.

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