# VF-194

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**Fighter Squadron 194 (VF-194)** was an aviation unit of the [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy). It was originally established as **VF-91** on 26 March 1952, redesignated **VF-194** on 1 August 1963 and disestablished on 1 March 1978. It was the third US Navy squadron to be designated VF-194.[1]

## Squadron lineage

The US Navy does not recognize the tradition of squadrons once they have been disestablished. Therefore, even if there is a squadron with the same designation and nickname, it is officially a totally new squadron. Four different squadrons have been designated VF-194 since 1948, [VF-194 *Main Battery*](/source/VA-196_(U.S._Navy)) (1950–1955), [VF-194 *Yellow Devils*](/source/VF-194_(1955-8)) (1955–1958), VF-194 *Red Lightnings* (1952–1978) and [VF-194 *Red Lightnings*](/source/VF-194_(1986-8)) (1986–8), this page is focussed on the third VF-194.

### Operational history

VF-91 was established on 26 March 1952 and equipped with the [Grumman F9F-2 Panther](/source/F9F_Panther). The squadron was assigned to [Carrier Air Group 9 (CVG-9)](/source/Carrier_Air_Wing_Nine) and made its first deployment on [USS *Philippine Sea*](/source/USS_Philippine_Sea_(CVA-47)) from December 1952 to August 1953 to [Korea](/source/Korean_War) and the Western Pacific.

In 1954 the squadron exchanged their Panthers for the swept wing [Grumman F9F-6 Cougar](/source/F9F_Cougar). Between 11 May 1954 and 12 December 1954 VF-91 circumnavigated the world aboard [USS *Hornet*](/source/USS_Hornet_(CVA-12)). From February to June 1956 VF-91 made its next deployment on [USS *Kearsarge*](/source/USS_Kearsarge_(CVA-33)) as part of CVG-5, this time equipped with the F9F-8 Cougar.

The F9F-8s were replaced by the [North American FJ-3 Fury](/source/FJ_Fury) in 1957 and the squadron made a Western Pacific cruise aboard [USS *Ticonderoga* (CVA-14)](/source/USS_Ticonderoga_(CVA-14)) between September 1957 and April 1958.

In 1959 VF-91 transitioned to the [Vought F-8C Crusader](/source/F-8_Crusader) and made three deployments aboard [USS *Ranger*](/source/USS_Ranger_(CVA-61)) between 1960 and 1963.

On 1 August 1963 VF-91 was redesignated VF-194 and reassigned to [Carrier Air Wing Nineteen](/source/Carrier_Air_Wing_Nineteen). Between 1964 and 1973 VF-194 made eight deployments to the [Vietnam War](/source/Vietnam_War), two aboard [USS *Bon Homme Richard*](/source/USS_Bon_Homme_Richard_(CVA-31)) (1964, 1965/66), two aboard [USS *Ticonderoga*](/source/USS_Ticonderoga_(CV-14)) (1966/67, 1967/68) and the last four aboard [USS *Oriskany*](/source/USS_Oriskany_(CV-34)). During these deployments the squadron flew the F-8E from 1965 to 1968 and then the F-8J. After the end of the US involvement in Vietnam in 1973, VF-194 made another two cruises to the Western Pacific aboard *Oriskany*. VF-194 and its sister squadron [VF-191](/source/VF-191) were the last US Navy fighter squadrons equipped with the F-8 Crusader.

When USS *Oriskany* was retired as the last active [*Essex*-class aircraft carrier](/source/Essex-class_aircraft_carrier), VF-194 received the [McDonnell Douglas F-4J Phantom](/source/F-4_Phantom) in 1976. Together with VF-191 the squadron was reassigned to [Carrier Air Wing Fifteen](/source/Carrier_Air_Wing_Fifteen). However, after only one deployment aboard [USS *Coral Sea*](/source/USS_Coral_Sea_(CV-43)) the squadron was disestablished on 1 March 1978.

## See also

- [History of the United States Navy](/source/History_of_the_United_States_Navy)
- [List of inactive United States Navy aircraft squadrons](/source/List_of_inactive_United_States_Navy_aircraft_squadrons)
- [List of United States Navy aircraft squadrons](/source/List_of_United_States_Navy_aircraft_squadrons)

## References

1. Retrieved 6 October 2016.

- [military.com: *VF-194 : Fighter Squadron 194*](http://unitpages.military.com/unitpages/unit.do?id=202508&ESRC=unitpages.kw&ppcseid=6110&ppcsekeyword=VF-194&mmtctg=212004870&mmtcmp=5073030&mmtmt=5&mmtgglcnt=0&mmtadid=1227833910&niadgrp=NavyUnit&nicmp=Unit+Pages&nichan=Google)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [VF-194](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VF-194) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VF-194?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.