The U.S. Navy Fighter Squadron Composite (VFC-13) Preventing Saints additionally celebrated the squadron milestone of transitioning from the Northrop F-5N Tiger II aircrafts (which the squadron has operated since 1996) to Basic Dynamics F-16C Block 32 Preventing Falcon aircrafts. VFC-13 will function twelve F-16C Block 32 fighters and the unit’s F-5N Tiger IIs will primarily be used to re-equip Fleet Composite Squadron (VFC) 204 River Rattlers (‘AF-4xx’) at Naval Air Station / Joint Reserve Base New Orleans (LA). The “Preventing Saints” additionally carried out an airborne Change of Command, with CDR Dick Burns being relieved by CDR Austin Coovert. The airborne ceremony was adopted by a retirement ceremony for CDR Burns in Hangar 4 aboard NAS Fallon.
The Hornets are the final in US Navy service and have gotten very costly to function, the fee per flight hour is a few USD 44,000. With the intention to enhance the variety of adversary plane, the US Navy bought an additional eleven F-5E/F plane from Switzerland in fiscal 2020. The extra Tigers will probably be modified with trendy avionics and an airframe reconfiguration to match the present energetic US Navy airframe configuration. The present fleet of 31 Tigers is assigned to Fighter Squadron Composite (VFC) 13 Saints at NAS Fallon (NV) and VFC-111 Sundowners at Key West, Florida. The U.S. Navy Reserve Tactical Help Wing (TSW) is utilizing F-5N/F Tiger IIs and F/A-18A/C/D Hornets to assist adversary missions for the US Navy energetic fleet.
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Scramble Magazine reported that the US Navy was as soon as an operator of the F-16N; 26 F-16Ns and 4 TF-16Ns had been ordered in 1985 to fulfil its Dissimilar Air Fight Coaching (DACT) mission. First deliveries of those modified (stripped to save lots of weight) plane began in June 1987, with last deliveries in February 1988. The U.S. Navy bought fourteen different F-16s: ten F-16As and 4 F-16Bs, all Block 15s. These Preventing Falcons had been all embargoed Pakistani plane that had been brand-new, straight from the Lockheed Martin manufacturing line and saved on the 309th AMARG. The fourteen plane had been delivered from late 2002, and all had been assigned to the Naval Strike Air Warfare Heart (NSAWC) at Fallon. That unit was redesignated into Naval Air Warfare Growth Heart in 2015.
Fighter Squadron Composite (VFC-13) Preventing Saints is a US Navy fighter squadron that gives adversary coaching for U.S. Navy air wings at NAS Fallon, Nevada. VFC-13 makes use of “Bogey” as its fundamental radio callsign. VFC-13 offers adversary coaching for Navy and Marine Corps Energetic and Reserve fleet and alternative squadrons, service air wings and Marine plane teams. The squadron has obtained two consecutive CNO Security Awards, the Golden Wrench Upkeep Award, and in 1994 and 2011, the Battle “E” award. In April 2022, plans to exchange VFC-13’s F-5s with Block 32 F-16 Preventing Falcons that are being retired from USAF service turned public. The squadron’s F-5s will probably be transferred to VFA-204, a US Navy adversary squadron at present working F/A-18 Hornets. VFA-204, primarily based at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, is scheduled to retire its getting old fleet of Hornets and will probably be redesignated VFC-204 by October 2022.
