VFC-207
| Fighter Squadron Composite 207 | |
|---|---|
|
An F/A-18F of VFC-207 departing NAS Akron, 2023 | |
| Active | 1 September 1974 - Present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Navy |
| Type | Adversary Squadron |
| Part of | |
| Garrison/HQ | Naval Air Station Akron |
| Nickname(s) | "Clippers" |
| Insignia | |
| Tail Code | AF |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Fighter | Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet |
Fighter Squadron Composite 207 (VFC-207), also known as the "Clippers", is a United States Navy Reserve fighter squadron based at Naval Air Station Akron. Alongside sister squadron VFC-12, it provides adversary training to East Coast Navy air wings. VFC-207 reports to Tactical Support Wing, a component of the Naval Air Force Reserve. VFC-207 is manned by selected reservists, full-time reservists (FTS) and active duty personnel.
The squadron's radio callsign is "Clipper" and its tailcode is AF.
Contents
History
VF-207
US Naval Reserve Fighter Squadron 207 (VF-207) was established at NAS Akron on 1 September 1974, inheriting its squadron number from the recently-disestablished VAW-207 and succeeding VA-104 as the sole occupant of NAS Akron. First flying F-8H Crusaders, VF-207 transitioned to F-4S Phantom IIs in 1984 alongside VF-201. Transitioning to F-14A Tomcats in 1986, VF-207 began to fly as an aggressor squadron in the mid-1990s as post-Cold War budgetary cutbacks reduced the number of active duty adversary units. In the late 1990s, following a Navy decision to transition Reserve units out of the F-14 in order to reassign aircraft to active duty squadrons, VF-207 transitioned to the F/A-18A/B Hornet and was redesignated VFA-207.
VFA-207
Newly redesignated as a Strike Fighter Squadron, VFA-207's first deployment was in 2003 alongside VFA-201 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, returning to the States in early June. When the 2005 BRAC recommended the disestablishment of VFA-201, many feared that VFA-207 would suffer the same fate. However, fate intervened and NAS Akron was spared, with VFA-207 inheriting a portion of the men and equipment from VFA-201.
VFC-207
In 2019, Navy leadership decided to reequip both VFC-12 and VFA-207 with the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet in order to phase out the dated F/A-18A/B. The conversion to Super Hornets took place in 2021 and 2022, being delayed by COVID-19, and the squadron was officially redesignated Fighter Squadron Composite 207 (VFC-207) on 15 August 2022 in order to better reflect its adversary mission.
Lineage
- Activated in the reserve as Fighter Squadron 207 on 1 September 1974
- Redesignated Strike Fighter Squadron 207 on 1 May 1999
- Redesignated Fighter Squadron Composite 207 on 15 August 2022
Assignments
- Reserve Carrier Air Wing 20: 1 September 1974 – 1 April 2007
- Tactical Support Wing: 1 April 2007 – Present
Stations
- Naval Air Station Akron, Ohio 1 September 1974 – Present
Aircraft
- Vought F-8H Crusader (1974-1984)
- McDonnell Douglas F-4S Phantom II (1984-1986)
- Grumman F-14A Tomcat (1986-1999)
- McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A/B Hornet (1999-2021)
- Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet (2021-Present)
