Squadron Notation

Aircraft Type ("F-14A")

The aircraft types currently in front-line USN service include the F-14A/B/D Tomcat, the F/A-18A/C Hornet, the A-6E Intruder (soon to be withdrawn from service), the E-2C/+ Hawkeye, the EA-6B Prowler, the S-3B Viking, a few ES-3A Shadow signals intelligence aircraft, the SH-3H Sea King, and various versions of the SH-60 Seahawk helicopter. (TARPS) indicates an F-14 squadron capable of carrying the Tactical Aerial Reconnaissance Pod System, making those F-14s some of the few platforms that provide theater bomb damage assessment and photoreconnaissance.

Squadron Designator ("VF")

The Navy uses an alphanumeric naming system for its aircraft squadrons. The first letter represents the aircraft type: V for fixed-wing, and H for helicopters. The next few letters represent the mission of the squadron: 'F' for fighter; 'A' for attack; 'FA' for strike fighter; 'AW' for airborne early warning; 'AQ' for electronic warfare; and 'S' for antisubmarine. An 'M' denotes a Marine squadron attached to the air wing.

Squadron number ("-102")

This is, appropriately enough, the number of the squadron. These numbers do not generally exist in any patterned sequence.

Squadron Name ("Diamondbacks")

Since "VF-154" is a rather colorless name for one of the Navy's carrier-based fighter squadrons, all units adopt a nickname for their unit.

Tailcode and Side Number ("[AB 1xx]")

All carrier-based USN aircraft have a two-letter tailcode and a three-digit side number. Tailcodes beginning with 'A' denote a unit belonging to the Atlantic Fleet; those beginning with 'N' denote Pacific Fleet squadrons. The three digit side numbers generally are organized according to aircraft type. Typically, 100s and 200s are F-14s, 300s and 400s are F/A-18s, 500s are A-6Es, 600s are E-2Cs, 610s are SH-3s or SH-60s, 620s are EA-6Bs, 700s are S-3Bs, and high 700s (720s or 760s) denote the two-aircraft ES-3A detachment.