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{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name                     = Strike Fighter Squadron 102
| image                         = VFA-102 Emblem.svg
| image_size                    = 
| caption                       = 
| start_date                    = {{Start date and age|1955|07|01|df=yes}}
| country                       = {{USA}}
| allegiance                    = 
| branch                        = {{navy|USA}}
| type                          = Fighter/Attack
| role                          = [[Close air support]]<br/>[[Air interdiction]]<br/>[[Aerial reconnaissance]]
| size                          = 
| command_structure             = {{nowrap|[[File:CVW-5 Emblem.svg|30px|]][[Carrier Air Wing Five]]}}
| garrison                      = {{nowrap| [[MCAS Iwakuni]]}}
| commander1                    = CDR. Brett Havelka
| commander1_label              = Commanding Officer
| commander2                    = CDR. Joseph Waurio
| commander2_label              = Executive Officer
| commander3                    = CMC Millerd Charles
| commander3_label              = Command Master Chief
| nickname                      = "Diamondbacks"
| patron                        = 
| motto                         = ''Work Hard Play Harder''
| march                         = 
| mascot                        = 
| aircraft_fighter              = [[McDonnell F2H Banshee|F2H Banshee]]<br>[[Douglas F4D Skyray|F4D Skyray]]<br>[[McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II|F-4 Phantom]]<br>[[Grumman F-14 Tomcat|F-14 Tomcat]]<br>[[Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet|F/A-18F Super Hornet]]
| battles                       = [[Vietnam War]]<br>[[Action in the Gulf of Sidra (1986)|Operation Prairie Fire]]<br>[[1986 United States bombing of Libya|Operation El Dorado Canyon]]<br>[[Gulf War]]<br>[[Operation Southern Watch]]<br>[[Operation Restore Hope]]<br>[[Operation Deny Flight]]<br>[[Operation Deliberate Force]]<br>[[Operation Enduring Freedom]]
| anniversaries                 = 
}}

'''Strike Fighter Squadron 102''' ('''VFA-102''') is a [[United States Navy]] Strike Fighter squadron based at [[Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni]]. Their [[call sign]] is '''Diamond''', with the [[tail code]] '''NF''', and they fly the [[Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet|F/A-18F Super Hornet.]] They are a part of [[Carrier Air Wing 5]] and are attached to the [[aircraft carrier]] [[USS George Washington (CVN-73)|USS George Washington]].

==History==
Two distinct squadrons have been designated VF-102. The [[VA-36 (U.S. Navy)|first VF-102]] was established on 1 May 1952 and redesignated VA-36 on 1 July 1955.<ref>DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN NAVAL AVIATION SQUADRONS—Volume I, pg 59</ref>

The second VF-102 was established in 1955, was eventually redesignated as VFA-102, and is the subject of the remainder of this article.

===1950s ===
[[File:F2H-4 Banshee of VF-102 over the Med 1956.jpg|thumb|left|VF-102 [[McDonnell F2H Banshee|F2H-4 Banshee]] in 1956]]
Fighter Squadron 102 (VF-102), was established as VA-36 on 1 July 1955, and was immediately redesignated VF-102 on the same day (at the time, squadron designations were associated with their assigned airwing). The squadron was based at [[NAS Jacksonville]] flying the [[McDonnell F2H Banshee|F2H Banshee]]. The squadron's inaugural cruise took place aboard {{USS|Randolph|CV-15|6}} in July 1956.  After returning from deployment, the squadron transitioned to the [[Douglas F4D Skyray|F4D Skyray]]. In addition to four 20&nbsp;mm internal cannons, the Skyray carried the new [[AIM-9 Sidewinder]] missile.

===1960s===
[[File:F4D-1 VF-102 CVA-59.jpeg|thumb|left|VF-102 [[Douglas F4D Skyray|F4D-1s]] in 1960]]
The final cruise with the Skyray on ''Forrestal'' was January through August 1961 after the squadron had moved to [[NAS Oceana]], [[Virginia]]. It subsequently transitioned to the [[F-4 Phantom]] beginning a 20-year association with the Phantom.

In 1964 and 1966 VF-102 won the COMNAVAIRLANT Battle "E" efficiency awards. Highlights during this period included participation in [[Operation Sea Orbit]] on board {{USS|Enterprise|CVN-65|6}}, and combat operations off [[Vietnam]] in 1968.

===1970s===
[[File:VF-102 - 19710112 - Intercepting Badger - 3610N 01649E.jpg|thumb|right|An F-4 Phantom from VF-102 intercepting an [[Egyptian Air Force]] [[Tupolev Tu-16|Tupolev TU-16 Badger]] over the [[Mediterranean Sea]] on 12 January 1971.]]
[[File:F-4J Phantom of VF-102 in flight c1977.jpg|thumb|right|VF-102 [[McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II|F-4J Phantom II]] circa 1977]]
In 1975 and 1978, VF-102 conducted cross-deck operations aboard [[HMS Ark Royal (R09)|HMS ''Ark Royal'']].
In 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975:  the squadron conducted four deployments to the Mediterranean Sea aboard USS ''Independence'' as part of Carrier Air Wing Seven, including a port call in Athens, Greece, when they had a political coup; air cover operations during the [[Yom Kippur War]]; and recovery of aircraft debris and bodies from [[TWA Flight 841 (1974)|TWA Flight 841]] that crashed into the Mediterranean Sea after a terrorist bomb exploded in the hold.

===1980s ===

[[File:VF-102 F-14 overflies Balzam class.jpg|thumb|left|VF-102 TARPS F-14A Tomcat tracks a Soviet [[Balzam-class intelligence ship|Balzam SIGINT ship]] attempting to shadow NATO maneuvers in 1985]]
In June 1981 the squadron flew their last Phantom during an [[Indian Ocean]] cruise aboard {{USS|Independence|CV-62|6}}.  During the summer of 1981, the squadron transitioned to the [[Grumman F-14 Tomcat|F-14A Tomcat]]. With the new aircraft, the squadron also received a new mission in addition to their traditional fighter role—photo reconnaissance using the [[TARPS]] pod. The squadron deployed aboard {{USS|America|CV-66|6}} in late 1982 to participate in the [[NATO]] Exercise Northern Wedding that required high temperature operations in the heavy seas north of the British Isles, garnering considerable attention from Soviet [[Tupolev Tu-95|Tu-95D]] Bear reconnaissance aircraft. The first Tomcat deployment with [[Carrier Air Wing One]] began in 1983 and took USS ''America'' through the [[Suez Canal]] to the Indian Ocean. Two VF-102 Tomcats, flying a routine [[TARPS]] mission over [[Somalia]] were fired upon by an [[SA-2]] [[Surface-to-air missile|SAM]] site and [[Anti-aircraft artillery|AAA]] in April 1983.  Both aircraft returned without damage.

VF-102 deployed in 1984 with the first [[KA-93 LOROP]] camera and [[AN/ARC-182|ARC-182]] [[Have Quick]] radios, conducting [[OPEVAL|Operational Evaluation]] for both systems at sea. In 1985, USS ''America'' participated in the NATO exercise Ocean Safari and again conducted operations in the challenging seas and low visibility conditions near the [[Arctic Circle]] and inside Vestfjord, Norway. While operating northwest of Ireland, a VF-102 TARPS aircrew flew an unprecedented 1200&nbsp;nm TARPS mission to locate a Soviet [[Kynda Class]] Cruiser transiting the English Channel. In March 1986, the squadron deployed on board USS ''America'', headed for the [[Gulf of Sidra]] joining {{USS|Saratoga|CV-60|6}} and {{USS|Coral Sea|CV-43|6}} to challenge the Libyan proclaimed [[Line of Death]]. A VF-102 Tomcat was first to be fired on by a Libyan [[SA-5 Gammon|SA-5]] and [[Anti-Aircraft Artillery|AAA]] while flying Combat Air Patrol for [[Action in the Gulf of Sidra (1986)|Operation Attain Document]]. A month later VF-102 flew cover for US Navy and US Air Force bombers in [[Operation El Dorado Canyon]].

===1990s===
In late 1990, USS ''America''  joined {{USS|John F. Kennedy|CV-67|6}} and ''Saratoga'' in the [[Red Sea]] as part of [[Gulf War#Operation Desert Shield|Operation Desert Shield]], arriving the day operations were to begin. USS ''America'' remained part of the [[Red Sea Battle Force]] until directed to join {{USS|Ranger|CV-61|6}}, {{USS|Theodore Roosevelt|CVN-71|6}} and {{USS|Midway|CV-41|6}} in the [[Persian Gulf]]. In the six-week campaign, VF-102 logged more than 1400 combat flight hours.

[[File:F-14 from VF-102 with TARPS.jpg|thumb|VF-102 [[Grumman F-14 Tomcat|F-14B Tomcat]] carrying [[TARPS]] loadout including ECA and ALQ-167]]
The squadron embarked on USS ''America'' again in December 1991 for a six-month deployment to the [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]] and [[Persian Gulf]].

In early August 1993, the squadron embarked on USS ''America'' to begin their third Mediterranean deployment in three years. During this deployment the squadron conducted humanitarian operations off the coast of [[Bosnia-Herzegovina]] supporting [[Operation Provide Promise]] and [[Operation Deny Flight]]. In late October the squadron supported [[Operation Restore Hope]] off the coast of [[Mogadishu, Somalia]]. By mid-December they were supporting [[Operation Southern Watch]] in [[Iraq]].

In June 1994, the squadron returned to NAS Oceana and transitioned to the [[Grumman F-14 Tomcat#F-14B|F-14B]] aircraft. The squadron's 1995&ndash;1996 Mediterranean cruise began with an emergency sortie to the [[Adriatic Sea]] to take part in [[Operation Deliberate Force]]. They then proceeded to the Persian Gulf in support of [[Operation Southern Watch]].  Placement of U.S. ground forces in Bosnia, led to another ''America'' emergency sortie back to the Adriatic in December. The squadron remained in the Adriatic for the remainder of the cruise, logging more than 4,000 hours and over 1,900 traps during the deployment.

With the disestablishment [[VF-33]], VF-102 became ''America''{{'}}s sole F-14 unit, completing its final deployment on 24 February 1996. Upon ''America''{{'}}s [[Ship decommissioning|decommissioning]] in 1996, VF-102 (and the rest of CVW-1) was assigned to {{USS|George Washington|CVN-73|6}}.

In 1997, the squadron deployed aboard ''George Washington''. A port visit to [[Haifa]], [[Israel]] was cut short late in November as the carrier battle group was ordered to the Persian Gulf in response to [[Saddam Hussein]]'s barring [[United Nations Special Commission|UN weapon inspectors]] from carrying out their assigned tasks. As the crisis grew ''George Washington'' joined {{USS|Nimitz|CVN-68|6}} and {{HMS|Invincible|R05|6}}. VF-102 returned to Norfolk on 13 March 1998.

In Autumn 1999, VF-102 deployed again to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch over southern Iraq. VF-102 carried out strikes on numerous anti-aircraft and radar sites and conducted numerous TARPS missions.

===2000s===
On 19 September 2001 in the wake of the [[September 11 attacks]], VF-102 began a scheduled deployment to the [[Arabian Sea]] as a part of [[Operation Enduring Freedom]] and began combat operations. During that deployment VF-102 flew 5,000 combat hours and dropped 680 bombs as well as guiding more than 50,000 pounds of precision guided munitions launched by other aircraft, VF-102 dropped more ordnance and flew more combat hours than any other F-14 unit during the war in 2001 and 2002.<ref>Tony Holmes (2008). ''F-14 Tomcat Units of Operation Enduring Freedom'', Osprey Publishing Limited - Chapter Three – Ground War, page 60</ref><ref>Tony Holmes (2008). ''F-14 Tomcat Units of Operation Enduring Freedom'', Osprey Publishing Limited - Chapter Two – OEF Begins, page 45</ref> In addition, as part of the USS ''Theodore Roosevelt'' Battle Group they were at sea for 159 consecutive days, breaking a 20-year-old record.<ref>[http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3834/is_200210/ai_n9102711 Diamondbacks of VF-102, Wings of Gold]</ref>

[[File:F-18F Super Hornet of VFA-102 in flight 2013.JPG|thumb|VFA-102 [[Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet|F/A-18F Super Hornet]] in 2013]]

Following the return from deployment, the squadron moved to [[NAS Lemoore]], California to begin transition training in the [[Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet|F/A-18F]]. Upon completion, the squadron again changed homeport to [[Naval Air Facility Atsugi]], [[Japan]].

VFA-102 deployed to the [[Pacific Ocean]] aboard {{USS|Kitty Hawk|CV-63|6}} in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007, taking part in several military exercises, including Orange Crush, Talisman Saber, Jasex, and Valiant Shield.

In March 2008, VFA-102 was named the Pacific Fleet Battle "E" award winner for the calendar year of 2007, recognizing their readiness to perform wartime tasks amongst all F/A-18E/F squadrons in the Pacific Fleet.  In March 2010, the squadron was again awarded the Pacific Fleet Battle "E".

In the spring of 2008, VFA-102 embarked on USS ''Kitty Hawk'' for her final deployment. Following a crossdeck in San Diego, the air wing is currently assigned to {{USS|George Washington|CVN-73|6}}.

In 2010, the squadron transitioned to Block II Super Hornets equipped with the [[AN/APG-79]] [[Active electronically scanned array|AESA]] radar.

In 2021, VFA-102 flew combat missions into Afghanistan as part of the US's Afghanistan retrograde.

In March of 2025, VFA-102's F/A-18F Block II's were replaced with modernized F/A-18F Block III's.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Strike Fighter Squadron 102 (United States Navy)|VFA-102}}
*[https://www.cnic.navy.mil/Regions/cnrj/installations/naf_atsugi/about/tenant_commands/cvw_5/vfa_102/ Diamondbacks Website]
*[http://www.topedge.com/alley/squadron/pac/vf102his.htm VF-102 History]

==See also==
*[[Naval aviation]]
*[[Modern US Navy carrier air operations]]
*[[List of United States Navy aircraft squadrons]]
*[[List of Inactive United States Navy aircraft squadrons]]

{{US Navy navbox}}
{{United States Navy Aircraft Squadrons}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vfa-102}}
[[Category:Strike fighter squadrons of the United States Navy]]