# VQ-6
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{{short description|U.S. Navy's Atlantic Fleet}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = VQ-6 Black Ravens
| image = File:Fleet_Air_Reconnaissance_Squadron_6_(US_Navy)_insignia_c1997.png
| dates = 5 August 1991 – 30 September 1999
| country = [United States](/source/United_States)
| branch = [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy)
| battles = [Operation Southern Watch](/source/Operation_Southern_Watch)
[Operation Deny Flight](/source/Operation_Deny_Flight)
[Operation Desert Fox](/source/Operation_Desert_Fox)
}}
'''Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron 6 (VQ-6)''' was a former squadron of the [U.S. Navy's Atlantic Fleet](/source/U.S._Atlantic_Fleet).[{{Cite web|title=VQ-6 Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron SIX|url=https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/navy/vq-6.htm|access-date=2020-10-05|website=www.globalsecurity.org}}] During its short-lived career, it was the second of two squadrons to operate the ES-3A Shadow, an [ELINT](/source/Signals_intelligence) version of the [Lockheed S-3 Viking](/source/Lockheed_S-3_Viking).
== History ==
=== Early years ===
left|thumb|248x248px|an ES-3A Shadow from VQ-6 Det.A being launched from USS Saratoga CV-60 in 1994 during VQ-6's first cruise.
VQ-6 was founded on 5 August 1991, at [NAS Cecil Field](/source/Naval_Air_Station_Cecil_Field) in [Jacksonville](/source/Jacksonville%2C_Florida), Florida.[{{Cite web|last=Walton|first=Bill|date=13 October 2017|title=Lockheed's ES-3A Shadow Knew What Evil Lurked Over The Horizon|url=https://www.avgeekery.com/lockheeds-es-3a-shadow-knew-what-evil-lurked-over-the-horizon/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=Avgreeky.com}}] After [VQ-5](/source/VQ-5) received the ES-3A in May 1992, VQ-6 became the second to receive the aircraft on 19 August 1992. A year later between 13 April 1993, and 18 May 1993, the squadron participated in workup trials on the [USS ''America'' CV-66](/source/USS_America_(CV-66)).[{{Cite book|last=|first=|url=http://p-3publications.com/PDF/S-3Viking-a20yearhistory.pdf|title=S-3 Viking Twentieth Anniversary Review|publisher=David Reade|year=1993|isbn=|pages=}}]
VQ-6 Detachment A made their first deployment on the [USS ''Saratoga'' CV-60](/source/USS_Saratoga_(CV-60)) between 12 January and 24 June 1994, as part of [Carrier Air Wing 17 (CVW-17)](/source/Carrier_Air_Wing_Seventeen).[{{Cite web|title=VQ-6|url=http://www.gonavy.jp/navy/sqn/VQ06.html|access-date=2020-10-05|website=www.gonavy.jp}}] This would be the only deployment they would make on the carrier. During their thirteen deployments, they participated in [Operation Southern Watch](/source/Operation_Southern_Watch) as well as [NATO operations in Bosnia](/source/NATO_intervention_in_Bosnia_and_Herzegovina) from the [USS ''Theodore Roosevelt'' CVN-71](/source/USS_Theodore_Roosevelt_(CVN-71)) and the ''America''.[{{Cite web|title=CVN-73(1992-2008)|url=http://gonavy.jp/CV-CVN73-1f.html|access-date=2020-10-05|website=gonavy.jp}}] [USS ''Dwight D. Eisenhower'' CVN-69](/source/USS_Dwight_D._Eisenhower) as part of CVW-3, [USS ''John F. Kennedy'' CV-67](/source/USS_John_F._Kennedy_(CV-67)) with CVW-8 and the [USS ''John C. Stennis'' CVN-74](/source/USS_John_C._Stennis) during a world cruise with CVW-7 in 1998. During workups for that cruise in October 1997, the squadron along with the Stennis was featured in an episode of the Discovery Channel documentary series ''[Extreme Machines](/source/Extreme_Machines)''.[''Extreme Machines - Carriers - Discovery Channel (1998)''][{{Cite book |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/research/archives/command-operation-reports/ship-command-operation-reports/j/john-c-stennis-cvn-74-i/1997.pdf |title=USS John C. Stennis CVN-74 - 1997 Command Operations Report |publisher=[United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy) |year=1998}}]
=== Final Years ===
[[File:ES-3A Shadow VQ-6 in flight off Florida.jpg|alt=An Lockheed ES-3A Shadow (BuNo 159401) VQ-6 in flight off the Florida coast. This aircraft was retired to the AMARC in Arizona as 2S0036 on 24 February 1999 and scrapped on 8 January 2003.|left|thumb|238x238px|An Lockheed ES-3A ''Shadow'' (BuNo 159401) VQ-6 in flight off the Florida coast. This aircraft was retired to the [AMARC](/source/309th_Aerospace_Maintenance_and_Regeneration_Group) in Arizona as 2S0036 on 24 February 1999 and scrapped on 8 January 2003.]]
During their last deployment, the squadron made their last deployment as Detachment A on the [USS ''Enterprise'' CVN-65](/source/USS_Enterprise_(CVN-65)) as part of [CVW-3](/source/Carrier_Air_Wing_Three), taking part in the strikes conducted in [Operation Desert Fox](/source/1998_bombing_of_Iraq).