163 of the 185 United States Navy aircraft squadrons which have carried a VF designation at some point during their existence have been disestablished. Two squadrons exist in an "inactive" status for possible future reactivation and Twenty are currently active designated as Strike Fighter Squadrons (VFA).

These disestablished and deactivated squadrons are sometimes incorrectly referred to as decommissioned squadrons, but the U.S. Navy does not "commission" or "decommission" aircraft squadrons. Until 1998, squadrons were "established", "disestablished", and sometimes "redesignated"; since 1998, squadrons are "established", "deactivated", and sometimes "reactivated" and/or "redesignated". It has never been correct to refer to U.S. Navy aircraft squadrons as being commissioned and decommissioned, ships are commissioned and decommissioned, U.S. Navy aircraft squadrons are not.

Under the system in use until 1998, a squadron's history and lineage began when it was established and ended when it was disestablished. During the course of its existence (between establishment and disestablishment) a squadron could be redesignated multiple times. The Navy's oldest currently active aircraft squadron is VFA-14 "Tophatters". It was established in September 1919 and has carried sixteen different designations (VT-5, VP-1-4, VF-4, VB-3, VS-41, VA-14, VF-14, VFA-14 to name just a few) having been redesignated fifteen times. Re-designation might assign a squadron a new number while leaving the basic designation untouched (e.g., VF-151 to VF-192), or it could change the entire designation (e.g., VA-156 to VF-111). A Squadron retains its lineage regardless of its redesignation(s). When a squadron was disestablished or redesignated its former designation became available to be used for a new squadron or in the redesignation of an existing squadron. Squadrons which share a designation do not also share a lineage as a squadron's lineage follows the squadron, not the designation. A squadron which received the designation of a former squadron might adopt the nickname and/or the insignia and carry on the traditions of the previous squadron, but it could not lay claim to the history or lineage of that previous squadron any more than a new ship commissioned with the name USS Enterprise could claim to be the actual WWII aircraft carrier USS Enterprise.

This system changed in March 1998 with Chief of Naval Operations Instruction (OPNAVINST) 5030.4E. U.S. Navy aircraft squadrons are now no longer disestablished, they are instead "deactivated." A deactivated squadron remains in existence, though only "on paper", awaiting possible future "reactivation". Neither its designation nor any previous designations are available for use by a new squadron. A reactivated squadron would trace its lineage back to the squadron's original establishment date, including its inactive period. Under this new system a squadron can still be redesignated if its function changes necessitating a different designation, for example Fighter Squadron TWO (VF-2) redesignated to Strike Fighter Squadron TWO (VFA-2).

The current update of OPNAVINST 3050.4 contains a list of all currently active and deactivated U.S. Navy aircraft squadrons.

This article lists all 185 squadrons which have ever been designated with the VF designation with every designation each ever existed under, including the twenty currently active squadrons. It does not include U.S. Navy Reserve squadrons which existed before 1970 unless they were activated in which case they are included, nor does it include 25 "VF(N)" (night fighter) squadrons which existed between 1943 and 1946.

VF squadron designation systems The VF designation was one of the oldest in use by the U.S. Navy. Beginning in the early 1920s it designated "Combat Squadron" then "Fighting Plane Squadron". Later, up to 1948 it designated "Fighting Squadron" and from 1948 on it designated "Fighter Squadron" until 2006 when the last fighter squadron flying the F-14D Tomcat transitioned to the F/A-18F Super Hornet and was redesignated a Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA).Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons Vol I App 4 The designation has not been used since 2006.

Before 1937 squadrons were numbered either serially (VF-1, VF-2, VF-3 etc...) or by ship squadron numbers, but beginning in 1937 squadron numbers were determined by the hull number of the aircraft carrier to which they were assigned. From 1941 to 1964 they were determined by Carrier Air Group (Carrier Air Wing after 20 December 1963) assignment. The specific number was determined by the designation scheme in effect during different time periods, and the various designation systems used through the years resulted in the same squadron designations being re used for completely unrelated squadrons. The designations VF-11, VF-12 and VF-13 can be used for an example: The first use of each of those designations denoted a single VF squadron of each of three different CVGs during WWII with VF-11 being the VF squadron of CVG-11, VF-12 the VF squadron of CVG-12, and VF-13 the VF squadron of CVG-13. The second use of those designations denoted three VF squadrons of a single CVG after 1 September 1948 with VF-11, VF-12 and VF-13 being the 1st, 2nd and 3rd VF squadrons of CVG-1.

VF Squadron numbering was determined by seven different designation schemes which existed from 1920 through 1964.

Combat squadron designations 15 June 1920 to 1 July 1922

When the Navy first established squadrons they were designated by a combination of squadron function and a number. Functions such as "Combat", "Torpedo" or "Patrol" were followed by a number which was determined by the ship squadron number to which the aircraft squadron was attached.Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons (DANAS) Vol 1, Chap 1, pg 9 The official use of abbreviated designations such as VT, VP or VF however was not implemented until 1922. The Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons (DANAS) Volume 1 Appendix 4 lists the abbreviated designations and lists the abbreviation VF as applying to "Combat Squadron" in 1922.

Fighting plane squadron designations 1 July 1922 to 1 July 1927

Naval Aviation Organization for FY 1923 issued on 17 June 1922 and implemented on 1 July 1922 changed the numbering of squadrons from according to ship squadron number to serially within each type of squadron and listed the squadrons by abbreviated designation (VF, VO, VS, VT) for the first time.Dictionary of America Naval Aviation Squadrons Vol I chap 1 pg 9 On 1 July 1922 the two Combat Squadrons were redesignated in accordance with this scheme becoming Fighting Plane Squadrons VF-1 and VF-2 and a third squadron was established as VF-3.

Fighting squadron designations 1 July 1927 to 1 July 1937

On 1 July 1927 the squadron designation scheme was modified to include a letter appended to the end of the squadron designation which denoted to which fleet the squadron was assigned, the squadrons remained numbered serially. At that time in history the Navy was organized into two fleets, one of them called the Battle Fleet and the other called the Scouting Fleet. In the squadron designation scheme the letter 'B' at the end of the squadron designation denoted a squadron of the Battle Fleet and the letter 'S' denoted one of the Scouting Fleet.Dictionary of America Naval Aviation Squadrons Vol I chap 1 pg 10 When squadrons were moved between the Battle and Scouting Fleets they were redesignated with each move by changing the letter from 'B' to 'S' or 'S' to 'B'

Fighting squadron designations 1 July 1937 to 1 March 1942

On 1 July 1937 the squadron designation scheme was changed when squadrons were permanently assigned to specific aircraft carriers. The Battle Fleet and Scouting Fleet suffix letters were eliminated and squadrons were redesignated to conform with the hull number of the aircraft carrier to which they were assigned with VF squadrons being designated VF-2 (USS Lexington CV 2), VF-3 (USS Saratoga CV 3), VF-4 (USS Ranger CV 4) etc... (USS Langley (CV 1) had ceased operating as an Aircraft Carrier by October 1936 having been converted to a Seaplane Tender so there was no squadron designated VF-1).

Fighting squadron designations 1 March 1942 to 15 November 1946

As part of the Navy's massive wartime buildup, a new new designation scheme was created which established numbered carrier air groups (CVG) and designated squadrons in accordance with carrier air group assignment. The seven ship named carrier air groups were not redesignated and they continued to exist alongside the new numbered air groups until by the end of 1942 Lexington, Yorktown, Wasp and Hornet Air Groups had been disestablished after their aircraft carriers were sunk and Enterprise Air Group had been disestablished when USS Enterprise entered a shipyard for extensive repair after being severely damaged. The two remaining ship named air groups, Ranger Air Group and Saratoga Air Group were later redesignated CVG-4 and CVG-3 on 3 August 1943 and 25 September 1943 respectively.

VF squadron designations were directly linked to and determined by Carrier Air Group (CVG) (later, Carrier Air Wing (CVW)) designations from 1942 to 1964. See List of United States Navy aircraft wings for detailed information regarding Carrier Air Group designations.

Fighting squadron designations 15 November 1946 to 1 September 1948

After the post war drawdown a new designation scheme was implemented on 15 November 1946 which included the letters 'A', 'B', 'L' and 'E' in both the Carrier Air Group and Squadron designations. Suffix letters denoted the type of Carrier Air Group to which a Squadron was assigned; 'A' for those assigned to CVAGs aboard Essex class carriers (sometimes called "Attack" carriers), 'B' for those assigned to CVBGs aboard the large Midway class carriers (sometimes called "Battle" carriers), 'L' for those assigned to CVLGs sized for embarkation aboard "light" Independence or Saipan class carriers and 'E' for those assigned to CVEGs sized for the remaining small WWII "escort carriers".Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons Vol I Chap 1

Fighter squadron designations 1 September 1948 to September 1964

The last designation scheme became effective on 1 September 1948 and squadrons began to be redesignated starting a few months in advance of the effective date. Squadron suffix letters were dropped and squadron designation numbers identified to which CVG the squadron was assigned with the first one or two digits denoting the CVG followed by a 1, 2 or 3 to differentiate between the VF squadrons in the air group (CVG-1: VF-11, VF-12, VF-13; CVG-15: VF-151, VF-152, VF-153 etc...). This designation scheme required the redesignation of squadrons each time a squadron was moved from one air group to another. It remained in effect until September 1964 when squadron designations were "frozen" and squadrons from that time forward kept whatever designation they had in September 1964.

VF squadrons by establishment date The 185 squadrons which have been designated a VF squadron for any period of their existence are listed below in order of establishment date divided into five time periods: Pre WWII from 1919 through 1941; WWII from 1942 through 1945; Post WWII from 1946 through 1949; 1950s from 1950 through 1959; and 1960 and later.

Pre-WWII: Squadrons established 1919 through 1941

There were eleven squadrons established during this time period which carried the VF designation for some period during their existence. Two of these squadrons are still active today.

Note: The parenthetical (1st), (2nd), (3rd) etc... appended to some designations in the table below are not a part of the designation system. They are added to this table to indicate that the designation was used more than once during the history of U.S. Naval Aviation and which use of the designation is indicated. Absence indicates that the designation was used only once.