VA-304 (U.S. Navy)

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Attack Squadron 304
KA-6D Intruder of VA-304 at Andrews AFB 1990.JPEG
VA-304 KA-6D Intruder at Naval Air Facility Andrews, 1990
Active1 July 1970 - 31 December 1994
CountryUnited States
BranchUnited States Navy Reserve Seal United States Navy Reserve
RoleAttack aircraft
Part ofInactive
Nickname(s)Firebirds
Aircraft flown
AttackA-4 Skyhawk
A-7 Corsair II
A-6E/KA-6D Intruder

VA-304, nicknamed the Firebirds, was an Attack Squadron of the U.S. Navy Reserve, based at NAS Alameda, California. It was established on 1 July 1970, and disestablished almost 25 years later, on 31 December 1994.[1]

Operational history[]

  • 1 July 1970: VA-304, a reserve squadron, established as part of a reorganization intended to increase the combat readiness of the Naval Air Reserve Force. Elements of reserve unit, VA-20G3, were used to form the newly established VA-304.
  • May 1987: VA-304 operated from the Canadian Forces Base Edmonton, Alberta, while participating in exercise Rendezvous 87-Bold Warrior. The exercise was a mock full-scale battle between elements of the Canadian Armed Forces with VA-304 acting as an aggressor force.
  • August 1988: VA-304 was the first reserve squadron to receive and operate the A-6E Intruder.[1]

Aircraft Assignment[]

The squadron first received the following aircraft on the dates shown:[1]

  • A-4C Skyhawk – Jul 1970
  • A-7A Corsair II – 06 Aug 1971
  • A-7B Corsair II – Sep 1977
  • A-7E Corsair II – Sep 1986
  • KA-6D Intruder – 22 Jul 1988
  • A-6E Intruder – 05 Aug 1988

See also[]

References[]

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons.

  1. ^ a b c Grossnick, Roy A. (1995). Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons, Volume 1, Chapter 2, Section 11: Attack Squadron Histories for VA-210 to VA-873. Washington, D.C.: Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy. pp. 272–293. Retrieved 16 June 2016.

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