VQ-5

{{Infobox military unit

| unit_name = VQ-5 Sea Shadows

| image = File:Vq-5.jpg

| dates = 15 August 1991 – 31 July 1999

| country = United States

| branch = United States Navy

| type = Fleet Air Reconnaissance

| garrison = NAS Agana (1991–1995), NAS North Island (1995–1999)

| nickname = Seashadows

| battles = 1994 North Korean nuclear crisis

Third Taiwan Strait Crisis

Operation Desert Fox

| aircraft_electronic = ES-3A Shadow

}}

Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron 5 (VQ-5) was a former squadron of the U.S. Navy that was established on 15 August 1991.{{Cite web|title=VQ-5|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/navy/vq-5.htm|last=|first=|date=|website=GlobalSecurity|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160723224841/http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/navy/vq-5.htm|archive-date=23 July 2016|access-date=2 May 2020}} During its short-lived career, it was one of two squadrons assigned in the U.S. Navy to operate the ES-3A Shadow, which was a specialised version of the S-3 Viking used for over-horizon tracking and electronic intelligence.

History

= Early years =

In 1991, with the retirement of the EA-3B Skywarrior after 40 years of flying the US Navy,{{Cite web|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/|last=Walton|first=Bill|date=13 October 2017|website=Avgreeky.com|access-date=2 May 2020}} the Navy prepared for the delivery of their new ES-3As. Before this, VQ-5 was established on 15 August of that year at NAS Agana, Guam, receiving their first 2 S-3A Vikings for pilot and crew training on 10 November 1991. On 8 May 1992, the first ES-3A was delivered to VQ-5, with ES-3A's VQ-5 Det. A, on board the {{USS|Independence|CV-62|6}}, {{Cite web|title=CVW-5(NF)/CV-62|url=http://www.gonavy.jp/CVW-NF3f.html|website=www.gonavy.jp|access-date=2020-05-02}} becoming the first ES-3A unit to deploy on a carrier.{{Cite web|title=Carrier Air Wing FIVE - VQ-5|url=http://www.joerehana.com/portfolio/indyweb95/pages/airwing/vq5.htm|website=www.joerehana.com|access-date=2020-05-02}}

= Detachments to carrier air wings =

Starting in 1994, VQ-5 operated in detachments were deployed to numerous carrier air wings. As part of a 7th Fleet directive that year, it assigned a two-plane permanently attached detachment (VQ-5 Detachment 5) to Carrier Air Wing 5 based in Japan with the Independence. Unlike CVW-5 which was based at NAF Atsugi, VQ-5 Det. 5 was based in NAF Misawa. During that same year, they participated in operations in the Western Pacific during the tensions in the Korean Peninsula.{{Cite web|title=Deployments of USS INDEPENDENCE (CV 62)|url=https://www.navysite.de/cvn/cv62deploy.htm|website=www.navysite.de|access-date=2020-05-02}} VQ-5 also deployed to CVW-15 on board the {{USS|Kitty Hawk|CV-63|2}} during 1994 before their disestablishment in 1995.{{Cite web|title=CVW-15(NL)|url=http://gonavy.jp/CVW-NLf.html|website=gonavy.jp|access-date=2020-05-02}}

File:ES-3A CAG bird VQ-5 over CVN-72 1998.jpeg

In 1995, with the impending closure of NAS Agana in Guam, the Sea Shadows moved to NAS North Island in San Diego. During the 1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis, VQ-5 was deployed on two carriers in the region, the USS Nimitz as well as the USS Independence.{{Cite web|title=Deployments of USS NIMITZ (CVN 68)|url=https://www.navysite.de/cvn/cvn68deploy.htm|website=www.navysite.de|access-date=2020-05-02}} Other deployments to carriers in the following years included CVW-14 and CVW-11 on board the {{USS|Carl Vinson||2}},{{Cite web|title=CVW-14(NK)|url=http://www.gonavy.jp/CVW-NK.html|website=www.gonavy.jp|access-date=2020-05-02}} {{USS|Nimitz||2}} as part of CVW-9,{{Cite web|title=CVW-9(NG)|url=http://www.gonavy.jp/CVW-NG.html|website=www.gonavy.jp|access-date=2020-05-02}} {{USS|Abraham Lincoln|CVN-72|2}} with CVW-11 and CVW-14{{Cite web|title=CVW-11(NH)|url=http://www.gonavy.jp/CVW-NH.html|website=www.gonavy.jp|access-date=2020-05-02}} and the {{USS|Constellation|CV-64|2}} with CVW-2.{{Cite web|title=CVW-2(NE)|url=http://www.gonavy.jp/CVW-NE.html|website=www.gonavy.jp|access-date=2020-05-02}}

= Final cruise and retirement =

In 1998, VQ-5 made their last cruise ever as Detachment C deployed with the Carl Vinson and CVW-11 during Operation Desert Fox before returning in May 1999. VQ-5 never deployed again and remained back in North Island. In June 1999, a ceremony was held for the decommissioning of the squadron although they were officially inactivated on 31 July 1999.

References

Category:Fleet air reconnaissance squadrons of the United States Navy

Category:Military units and formations established in 1991

Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1999