VX-9
| Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 9 | |
|---|---|
VX-9 Insignia
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| Active | June 18, 1951 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Navy |
| Garrison/HQ | Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake |
| Nickname(s) | "The Vampires" |
| Colors | XE |
VX-9. Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Nine, (AIRTEVRON NINE, commonly referred to by its nickname, The Vampires) is a United States Navy air test and evaluation squadron based at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California. Using the tail code XE, the squadron operates numerous aircraft and helicopters of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps.
Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Nine (VX-9), originally Air Development Squadron Five (VX-5), was commissioned on June 18, 1951 at Naval Air Station Moffett Field, California, with 15 officers, 100 enlisted men, and nine AD Skyraider aircraft. The squadron was under the operational control of Operational Development Force (now Commander Operational Test and Evaluation Force), was assigned to develop and evaluate aircraft tactics and techniques for delivery of airborne special weapons. In the 1970s, the squadron was renamed Air Test and Evaluation Squadron FIVE, but retained its VX-5 designation.
Over the years, VX-5 has maintained numerous detachments around the U.S. to take full advantage of the variety and diversity of facilities available, and to help keep the Squadron abreast of the latest fleet tactics. These detachments have included NAS Oceana, Virginia; Naval Weapons Evaluation Facility at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico; NAS Whidbey Island, Washington; and the former NAS Sanford, Florida.
In July 1956 VX-5 moved to the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California, as an independent tenant command because of the availability of vastly improved ranges and instrumentation facilities. In January 1985, the VX-5 Detachment at Whidbey Island, which oversaw developments relating to the EA-6B weapon system, was relocated to China Lake. Since then, temporary detachments have been made nationwide from Alaska to Florida, as required to test airborne weapons in a variety of conditions. The squadron has, due to changes and improvements in Navy weapon system, evolved over the years to include independent operation test and evaluation of all air-dropped munitions destined for operational use of the US Navy and US Marine Corps as well as development of tactics to be used with the new weapon system, and incorporation of electronic warfare advances into the self-defense capability of attack aircraft.
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