Electromagnetic Attack Squadron 141 (VAQ-141), also known as the "Shadowhawks", is an

EA-18G Growler The Boeing EA-18G Growler is an American aircraft carrier, carrier-based electronic warfare aircraft, a specialized version of the two-seat Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet. The EA-18G replaced the Northrop Grumman EA- ...

squadron of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

that is based at

Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni is a joint Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces and United States Marine Corps air station located in the Nishiki River, Nishiki river delta, southeast of Iwakuni Station in the Municipality of Japan, city of Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan ...

, located in

Iwakuni file:20100724 Iwakuni 5235.jpg, 270px, Kintai Bridge file:Iwakuni city center area Aerial photograph.2008.jpg, 270px, Iwakuni city center is a Cities of Japan, city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of ...

Yamaguchi, Japan is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Yamaguchi Prefecture has a population of 1,377,631 (1 February 2018) and has a geographic area of 6,112 Square kilometre, km2 (2,359 Square mile, sq mi). ...

. VAQ-141 falls under the cognizance of Commander, Electromagnetic Attack Wing Pacific (COMVAQWINGPAC) and flies in support of

Carrier Air Wing 5 Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW-5) is a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni. The air wing is attached to the aircraft carrier . It was initially formed in 1943. It has participated in the Second World ...

(CVW-5) aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, (CVN-76).

History

Electronic Attack Squadron One Four One (VAQ-141) was established in July 1987 at

NAS Whidbey Island Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (NASWI) is a naval air station of the United States Navy located on two pieces of land near Oak Harbor, on Whidbey Island, in Island County, Washington. The main portion of the base, Ault Field, is about ...

, Washington as the twelfth operational

EA-6B Prowler The Northrop Grumman (formerly Grumman) EA-6B Prowler is a twin-engine, four-seat, mid-wing electronic-warfare aircraft. Operated by both the United States Marine Corps and United States Navy between 1971 and 2019, it was derived from the A- ...

squadron. Assigned to Carrier Air Wing EIGHT (CVW-8), the squadron embarked on board for her maiden cruise to the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

in 1989.

Gulf War, The Balkans & Iraq

The squadron deployed in early 1991 on board the ''Roosevelt'' in support of

Operation Desert Storm Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...

. VAQ-141 was the first CVW-8 squadron to deliver ordnance in that conflict, firing

AGM-88 HARM The AGM-88 HARM (High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile) is a tactical, air-to-surface anti-radiation missile designed to home in on electronic transmissions coming from surface-to-air radar systems. It was originally developed by Texas Instruments ...

missiles on the first night. Following hostilities, the ''Roosevelt'' and CVW-8 sailed back into the eastern Mediterranean and provided airborne protection for humanitarian relief efforts in northern Iraq as part of

Operation Provide Comfort Operation Provide Comfort and Provide Comfort II were military operations initiated by the United States and other Coalition nations of the Persian Gulf War, starting in April 1991, to defend Kurdish refugees fleeing their homes in northern ...

. In 1993, VAQ-141 deployed again on board ''Roosevelt'', this time to the

Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Se ...

in support of

Operation Provide Promise Operation Provide Promise was a humanitarian relief operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Yugoslav Wars, from 2 July 1992, to 9 January 1996, which made it the longest running humanitarian airlift in history. By the end of the operation, ...

humanitarian relief efforts and

Operation Deny Flight Operation Deny Flight was a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) operation that began on 12 April 1993 as the enforcement of a United Nations (UN) no-fly zone over Bosnia and Herzegovina. The United Nations and NATO later expanded the ...

no-fly zone enforcement over Bosnia-Herzegovina. Following numerous Deny Flight missions, the TR/CVW-8 team steamed into the Red Sea to support

Operation Southern Watch Operation Southern Watch was an air-centric military operation conducted by the United States Department of Defense from August 1992 to March 2003. United States Central Command's Joint Task Force Southwest Asia (JTF-SWA) had the mission of moni ...

, ensuring Iraqi compliance with post-Gulf War United Nations resolutions. The squadron deployed once more with the ''Roosevelt'' Battle Group in March 1995, supporting Operation Southern Watch missions from the Red Sea and

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...

. In June, the squadron flew ashore to

Aviano Air Base Aviano Air Base () is a base in northeastern Italy, in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. It is located in the Aviano municipality, at the foot of the Carnic Pre-Alps or Southern Carnic Alps, about from Pordenone. The Italian Air Force has ...

, Italy to support

over Bosnia. During this period, VAQ-141 flew defense suppression cover for the successful Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) effort for downed Air Force pilot Captain

Scott O'Grady Scott Francis O'Grady (born October 12, 1965) is a former United States Air Force (USAF) fighter pilot. On June 2, 1995, he was shot down over Bosnia and Herzegovina by a 2K12 Kub (NATO designation SA-6 "Gainful") mobile surface-to-air missile ...

Operation Deliberate Force Operation Deliberate Force was a sustained air campaign conducted by NATO, in concert with the UNPROFOR ground operations, to undermine the military capability of the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS), which had threatened and attacked UN-desig ...

began in late August and the squadron again provided Suppression Of Enemy Air Defense (

SEAD Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD ), also known in the United States as "Wild Weasel" and (initially) "Iron Hand" operations, are military actions to suppress enemy surface-based air defenses, including surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), ant ...

) coverage for NATO airstrikes throughout Bosnia. The squadron returned home in September. In 1996 VAQ-141 and CVW-8 embarked on board and made the first aircraft carrier visit to Dublin, Ireland. In April 1997 the squadron deployed on the ''Kennedy'' to the Mediterranean/Adriatic Seas and Persian Gulf, supporting

Operation Deliberate Guard D, or d, is the fourth letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''dee'' (pronounced ), plural ''dees''. History Th ...

and Operation Southern Watch, respectively. In 1999, the squadron and CVW-8 reunited with the ''Roosevelt'', deploying in March to execute major combat operations over Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo as part of the

NATO bombing of Yugoslavia The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) carried out an aerial bombing campaign against the Serbia and Montenegro, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The air strikes lasted from 24 March 1999 to 10 June 1999. The bombing ...

. During that intense 70-day conflict, the squadron distinguished themselves by not losing a single Coalition aircraft to enemy air defenses while a squadron jet was on station. Following Allied Force, the TR Battle Group steamed through the Suez Canal and began combat operations in support of Operation Southern Watch the following month, finally returning home in September 1999.

Afghanistan and Iraq

In April 2001, the squadron deployed as part of Carrier Air Wing 8 on board . They participated in exercises in the Mediterranean Sea and

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...

and took part in enforcing the

Iraqi no-fly zones The Iraqi no-fly zones conflict was a low-level conflict in the two no-fly zones (NFZs) in Iraq that were proclaimed by the United States, United Kingdom, and France after the Gulf War of 1991. The United States stated that the NFZs were intend ...

as part of Operation Southern Watch. The squadron was on its way home when the

September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...

occurred. CVW-8's deployment was extended and they were sent to join other U.S. Navy assets in the northern

Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea () is a region of sea in the northern Indian Ocean, bounded on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, Gulf of Aden and Guardafui Channel, on the northwest by Gulf of Oman and Iran, on the north by Pakistan, on the east by India, and ...

. Shortly thereafter, VAQ-141 provided electronic attack in support of coalition air and ground forces during the opening stages of the

invasion of Afghanistan Shortly after the September 11 attacks in 2001, the United States declared the war on terror and subsequently led a multinational military operation against Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. The stated goal was to dismantle al-Qaeda, which had exe ...

also known as

Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used by the U.S. government for both the first stage (2001–2014) of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response ...

. At the end of January 2003, just as USS ''Theodore Roosevelt'' finished its training exercises with VAQ-141 and CVW-8 on board, CVW-8 deployed to the Mediterranean 5 months early, to support

VAQ-135 Electronic Attack Squadron 135 (VAQ-135), known as the "Black Ravens", is a United States Navy electronic attack squadron that currently operates the EA-18G Growler carrier-based electromagnetic warfare, electronic warfare jet aircraft. The s ...

& CVW-11. In March, VAQ-141 provided support for the attack aircraft, leading the initial attacks on Baghdad in support of the

Iraq War The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...

. In September 2005, the squadron once again deployed with CVW-8 to the Persian Gulf in support of

Operation Iraqi Freedom The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with the invasion by a United States-led coalition, which resulted in the overthrow of the Ba'athist governm ...

. While still in the Mediterranean 2 EA-6Bs and a detachment of support personnel from VAQ-141 left USS ''Theodore Roosevelt'' and flew to

Al Asad Airbase Al-Asad Airbase is an Iraqi airbase located in al-Anbar Governorate of western Iraq. It was originally known as Qadisiyah Airbase. It was the second largest US military airbase in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Until January 2010, it was ...

, Iraq to augment

VMAQ-1 Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Training Squadron 1 (VMAQT-1) was a United States Marine Corps electronic warfare training squadron consisting of EA-6B Prowler jets. The squadron was based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Car ...

to fill the void left by the previous carrier leaving the AOR. With this, VAQ-141 became the first EA-6B squadron to conduct split ship-shore operations in Iraq. In September 2008 VAQ-141 departed Naval Station Norfolk aboard USS ''Theodore Roosevelt'', steaming south to visit

Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

, becoming the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to visit the port. The ship soon rounded the

Cape of Good Hope The Cape of Good Hope ( ) is a rocky headland on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. A List of common misconceptions#Geography, common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Afri ...

and sailed north, Setting up station in the Northern Persian Gulf, flying missions in support of coalition forces in Afghanistan. In April 2009, VAQ-141 flew off the ''Roosevelt'' landing at NAS Whidbey Island for the last time as an EA-6B squadron. On 12 February 2010, the squadron was deemed "safe for flight" with the EA-18G Growler, becoming the second operational squadron to transition to the aircraft. In July 2011, the squadron deployed to the Middle East aboard . The squadron conducted the first ever combat operations of the EA-18G from sea, supporting both Operation New Dawn and Operation Enduring Freedom. During the deployment, the squadron's commanding officer, Commander Karl Pugh, was removed as CO after an "alcohol-related incident" in Bahrain.

Forward Deployment to Japan

An EA-18G Growler of VAQ-141 at Atsugi Naval Air Facility

In February 2012, the Navy announced that VAQ-141 would be transferred to

NAF Atsugi is a joint Japan-US naval air base located in the cities of Yamato, Kanagawa, Yamato and Ayase, Kanagawa, Ayase in Kanagawa Prefecture, Kanagawa, Japan. It is the largest United States Navy (USN) air base in the Pacific Ocean, and once housed ...

in the spring of 2012 to join

and /

Carrier Strike Group Five Carrier Strike Group 5, also known as CSG 5 or CARSTRKGRU 5, is the U.S. Navy carrier strike group assigned to the United States Pacific Fleet and permanently forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet. The Strike Group Flagship is the which als ...

replacing

VAQ-136 Electronic Attack Squadron 136 (VAQ-136) "Gauntlets" is a United States Navy Electronic attack squadron flying the EA-18G Growler and is currently attached to Carrier Air Wing Two, deploy aboard the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson a composite ...

. In November 2013, USS ''George Washington'' in coordination with the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade assisted the Philippine government in relief efforts in response to the aftermath of

Super Typhoon Haiyan Typhoon Haiyan, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Yolanda, was an extremely powerful and catastrophic tropical cyclone that is among the most powerful tropical cyclones ever recorded. Upon making landfall, Haiyan devastated portions ...

/Yolanda in the

Republic of the Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of 7,641 islands, with a total area of roughly 300,000 square kilometers, which ar ...

. In 2015 Carrier Air Wing Five cross-decked to , which replaced the George Washington as the forward-deployed carrier home-ported in Yokosuka. When the carrier is in port, the squadron is based nearby at

Naval Air Facility Atsugi is a joint Japan-US naval air base located in the cities of Yamato, Kanagawa, Yamato and Ayase, Kanagawa, Ayase in Kanagawa Prefecture, Kanagawa, Japan. It is the largest United States Navy (USN) air base in the Pacific Ocean, and once housed ...

Kanagawa Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-dens ...

. It relocated to

Yamaguchi Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Yamaguchi Prefecture has a population of 1,377,631 (1 February 2018) and has a geographic area of 6,112 Square kilometre, km2 (2,359 Square mile, sq mi). ...

in western Japan on 28 November after the conclusion of USS ''Ronald Reagan''s fall patrol of 2017. VAQ-141 is currently the largest and only permanently forward-deployed electronic attack squadron in the U.S. Navy.

References

External links