RVAH-7

Reconnaissance Attack (Heavy) Squadron 7
RVAH-7 squadron patch
Active	10 August 1950 – 28 September 1979
Country	United States
Branch	United States Navy
Role	Photo-reconnaissance
Part of	Inactive
Nickname(s)	Peacemakers of the Fleet Go Devils
Engagements	Vietnam War

RVAH-7 was a Reconnaissance Attack (Heavy) Squadron of the U.S. Navy. Originally established as Composite Squadron Seven (VC-7) on 10 August 1950, it was redesignated as Heavy Attack Squadron Seven (VAH-7) on 1 November 1955 and was redesignated again as Reconnaissance Attack (Heavy) Squadron Seven (RVAH-7) on 1 December 1964. The squadron was disestablished on 28 September 1979.

VC-7 was established at NAS Moffett Field, California in October 1950 and was initially equipped with the AJ-1 Savage for a primary mission role of carrier-based nuclear strike against strategic targets ashore.

The squadron subsequently executed a change of home stations to NAS Patuxent River, Maryland in 1951 and later transitioned to the AJ-2 Savage. On 1 July 1955, the squadron was redesignated as VAH-7 and another change of home station, this time to NAAS Sanford, Florida, followed later that same year.

With the impending replacement of the AJ-1 and AJ-2 with the new A3D Skywarrior, Naval Auxiliary Air Station Sanford was the focus of extensive military construction during the mid and late 1950s, all intended to upgrade the installation to full naval air station status as a Master Jet Base and resulting in its redesignation as NAS Sanford.

VAH-7 exchanged its AJ-2 Savages for A3D-2 Skywarriors in early 1958. However, VAH-7's association with the Douglas heavy attack aircraft lasted only a little over three years, during which time only a partial deployment was made when some VAH-7 aircraft and crews supplemented VAH-1 aboard the USS Independence as VAH-7 began its transition to the supersonic North American A3J-1 Vigilante in August 1961.