RVAH-1 was a Reconnaissance Attack (Heavy) Squadron of the U.S. Navy. Originally established as Heavy Attack Squadron One (VAH-1) on 1 November 1955, it was redesignated as Reconnaissance Attack (Heavy) Squadron One (RVAH-1) on 1 September 1964. The squadron was disestablished on 29 January 1979.[1]
Reconnaissance Attack (Heavy) Squadron 1 | |
---|---|
Active | 1 November 1955 – 29 January 1979 |
Country | United States |
Branch | United States Navy |
Role | Photo-reconnaissance |
Part of | Inactive |
Nickname(s) | Smokin' Tigers |
Engagements | Vietnam War |
Established at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida on 1 November 1955 as the heir to Patrol Squadron THREE (VP-3), VAH-1 became the first unit to operate the A3D Skywarrior, receiving their first five A3D-1s on 31 March 1956. In early November 1956, VAH-1's A3D-1s were craned aboard the USS Forrestal (CVA-59) at Naval Station Mayport, Florida and the Forrestal put to sea to operate in the eastern Atlantic during the Suez Crisis, ready to enter the Mediterranean Sea should it be necessary. Carrier qualifications with the A3D-1 were conducted during this period and Forrestal returned to the US on 12 December 1956. In January 1957, VAH-1 embarked on Forrestal on its first formal deployment, a cruise to the Mediterranean.[2]
In 1958, VAH-1 upgraded to the A3D-2 version of the Skywarrior and, in January 1959, relocated to Naval Air Station Sanford, Florida. VAH-1 continued to operate the Skywarrior until late 1962, at which point the squadron ceased operating the now renamed A-3B and began preparations for transitioning to the A-5A Vigilante, completing transition in January 1963. The squadron made one overseas deployment with the A-5A and continued to operate the aircraft until mid-1964, at which point it began transitioning to the RA-5C Vigilante. This transition was completed in August 1964 and the squadron was redesignated as RVAH-1 on 1 September 1964.[2][3]
Attrition of airframes and the increasing maintenance and flight hour costs of the RA-5C in a constrained post-Vietnam defense budget environment forced the Navy to incrementally retire the RA-5C and sunset the RVAH community beginning in mid-1974. In tandem with the RVAH community, carrier-based reconnaissance had been concurrently conducted by the active duty light photographic reconnaissance (VFP) community at Naval Air Station Miramar and the Naval Reserve VFP community at Andrews AFB / NAF Washington with the RF-8G Crusader, continuing until 29 March 1987 when the last RF-8G was retired and the mission fully transferred to the active duty and Naval Reserve fighter (VF) community at Naval Air Station Miramar, Naval Air Station Oceana, Naval Air Station Dallas and later Naval Air Station JRB Fort Worth as a secondary role with the F-14 Tomcat equipped with the Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod System (TARPS) and later the Digital TARPS (D-TARPS).
Following its return from its final Western Pacific deployment in late 1978, RVAH-1 was inactivated at Naval Air Station Key West on 19 January 1979 following nearly 24 years of active service.[3]
The squadron was assigned to these home stations: