VAW-121
| Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 121 | |
|---|---|
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VAW-121 Insignia
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| Active | 1 April 1967 - present |
| Country | United States of America |
| Branch |  United States Navy |
| Type | Airborne Early Warning |
| Part of | Carrier Air Wing 11 |
| Garrison/HQ | NAS Norfolk |
| Nickname(s) | "Bluetails" |
| Motto(s) | BlueTails take care of Bluetails! |
| Mascot(s) | Griffin |
| Engagements |
Gulf War Operation Enduring Freedom Iraq War |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Commander Jon J. Bradford |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Electronic warfare |
E-1 Tracer E-2 Hawkeye |
Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 121 (VAW-121), also known as the "Bluetails", is an Airborne Early Warning (AEW) and Command and control (CC) squadron operating the E-2D Hawkeye based at NAS Norfolk. Currently a part of Carrier Air Wing 11, they deploy aboard USS Nimitz.
Along with VAW-122, VAW-123 and VAW-120, VAW-121 was created out of the "super squadron" VAW-12 on 1 April 1967. Until then, VAW-12 had deployed 4-plane detachments to accompany carrier air wings.
Unlike its siblings, VAW-121 flew the E-1B Tracer, until the mid-1970s. This was due to the fact there were still carriers in the fleet that were not capable of handling for the larger E-2 Hawkeye, principally the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Essex-class carriers.
In 1977 VAW-121 made its first deployment as part of Carrier Air Wing Seven (CVW-7) on the newly commissioned USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.
In 1980 VAW-121 deployed for 347 days at sea with Dwight D. Eisenhower/CVW-7 setting a modern-day record that would not be broken until the deployment of the USS Theodore Roosevelt during Operation Enduring Freedom.
In 1981 the squadron deployed for three months to NAS Keflavik, Iceland, in support of the Icelandic Defense Force. Upon their return, VAW-121 deployed to the North Atlantic for a large NATO exercise in which VAW-121 kept squadron aircraft continuously airborne for 23 days.
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Wikipedia