АҚШ Әскери-теңіз күштерінің VS-21 эскадрильясының тарихы

Sea Control Squadron 21 (VS 21) was an aviation unit of the United States Navy. It served from 1945 to 2005 and was mainly tasked with anti submarine warfare while operating from aircraft carriers. It was the only squadron to receive the designations VA 1E, VC 21, or VS 21.

The squadron originally as VT 41 established in the final year of World War II, and served after the war aboard USS Badoeng Strait CVE 116 helping to develop hunter killer ASW tactics for the U. S. Navy, and ultimately operated from full size aircraft carriers in the sea control role, capable of anti submarine and anti surface warfare.

The squadron was established as VT 41 at Naval Air Station Seattle, Washington (USA), under the command of LT. Joseph P. Keigher, with the General Motors built TBM 1, TBM 1C, and TBM 3 Avenger torpedo bomber as part of CVEG 41. Commander Air Force Pacific Fleet had designated the squadron upon formation as having anti submarine warfare as its primary mission. On 15 November 1946, as part of a service wide reorganization, VT 41 was redesignated VA 1E, while CVEG 41 was simultaneously redesignated CVEG 1. The group, which consisted of VA 1E and fighter squadron VF 1E, was assigned on 4 December 1946, on the Badoeng Strait. VA 1E was identified by the tail code "BS" (call sign "Beef Steak"). In 1947–1948, VA 1E conducted regular ASW exercises aboard Badoeng Strait between the U. S. West Coast and the Western Pacific. The squadron saw extensive service in ASW trials and tactics development aboard Badoeng Strait. On 3 December, the squadron transferred during the deployment to the USS Bairoko CVE 115, moving from the TBM 3E to the TBM 3S ASW aircraft before returning on 16 February 1951. Another Korean War deployment with the Bairoko took place between 3 February and 8 May 1953. This was VS 21's first deployment the Grumman AF 2S/2W Guardian. In December 1954, VS 21 began to operate the Grumman S2F 1 Tracker. In 1955, the squadron began to display the red lightning bolt on their engine and later tailfins of their aircraft. In 1965, the squadron transferred to the S 2E Tracker and became the first VS squadron to operationally employ the AGM 12 Bullpup. and taking part in Operation Earnest Will. After leaving for another cruise on 5 January 1988, VS 21 and her air wing replaced the USS Midway and her air wing on 14–15 February before arriving in the Persian Gulf for Earnest Will on 18 February. Between 18 February and 10 March and then from 19 March and 22 May, VS 21 and CVW 11 conducted operations in the Persian Gulf which included taking part in a supporting role during Operation Praying Mantis on 18 April. During their transit to British Hong Kong, on 5–6 June, one of their S 3A Vikings during takeoff rolled to left and crashed into the sea. Despite ejecting, three of the four crew on board perished, including VS 21's CO. VS 21 returned to the States on 1 July 1988. VS 21, CVW 11 and the Enterprise left NAS Alameda for a World Cruise on 25 July 1989. After taking part in PACEX '89 with the Carl Vinson and Constellation Battlegroups, VS 21 took part in several war games in the Sea of Japan, Western Pacific and off Okinawa with 48 vessels including the Carl Vinson, the Battleships USS New Jersey BB 62 and USS Missouri BB 64 as well as several vessels of the JMSDF. More exercises with the Carl Vinson and her air wing occurred with VS 21 and CVW 11 while in coordination with the ROK Armed Forces off South Korea between 18 and 28 October. After making port calls in British Hong Kong and Subic Bay as well as avoiding Typhoon Hunt in late November, VS 21 and Enterprise's Battlegroup conducted operations with Midway Battlegroup as part of Operation Classic Resolve during the 1989 Philippines coup attempt. The final operations for VS 21 in 1989 brought them to Singapore as well taking part in war games with the Royal Malaysian Navy

Temporarily assigned to CVW 14, VS 21 departed with the USS Independence CV 62 on 5 August 1991 from NAS North Island. Arriving at Pearl Harbor on 22 August, most of CVW 14's squadrons including VS 21 were officially reassigned to CVW 5, while some of CVW 14 and CVW 5 moved to the older Midway as it got replaced. Between February and July 1993, VS 21 conducted two short deployments in the Western Pacific and the Sea of Japan. On 1 October 1993, the squadron was redesignated Sea Control Squadron 21 (retaining the abbreviated form VS 21).

VS 21 conducted its first two deployments of the 2000s between April and November 2000 in the Western Pacific and the Sea of Japan. Another Westpac deployment also took place between March and June 2001. VS 21 also assigned several of three of their aircraft to CVW 5 Detachment A as part of Operation Enduring Freedom between 1 October and 23 December 2001. VS 21 made two more deployments in 2002. On 23 January 2003, VS 21 and the Kitty Hawk Battlegroup deployed to take part in Operations of the coast of North Korea due to the latter's nuclear and military developments in light of the positioning of US forces near Iraq. VS 21 and the carrier then transited to the Persian Gulf for their last Southern Watch deployment. Starting on 19 March, the squadron took part in Operation Iraqi Freedom, before finishing operations in the Gulf on 23 April, arriving back in Japan on 6 May 2003. VS 21 made three more deployments during 2003 and 2004 which included its last deployment with the Kitty Hawk's Air Wing as it took part in Summer Pulse 2004 between 19 July and 7 September 2004. The squadron was finally disestablished on 28 February 2005.