Talyn
Emissary
Although the 1980s are characterized as a time of peace, Marine squadrons continued to supplement Navy squadrons on board big-deck carriers. Terrorism was on the rise during the decade, making some deployments a bit less than peaceful. Here, then, are some of the not so well-known Marine tactical air operations from Navy big decks in the 1980s.
The squadrons’ home at sea was the USS Midway (CV-41), which normally deployed to the western Pacific, and also on board the USS Coral Sea (CV-43) for a western Pacific cruise in that theater.
The USS Coral Sea is underway in 1986, in the midst of a decade “characterized as a time of peace” but rife with deployments “a bit less than peaceful.” Naval History And Heritage Command
Only occasionally did other Marine tactical jets deploy on board the big Navy carriers (CVs or CVNs), but it was when forward-deployed in the big-deck carriers that Marine tactical squadrons came into action against Islamic terrorism, such as on "Gonzo Station" off the eastern tip of Oman in the Arabian Sea, and off Libya during Operations "Attain Document" and "El Dorado Canyon".
F/A-18A Hornets of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 314, “the Black Knights,” in flight off the USS Coral Sea in the mid-1980s.
National Archives/DVIDS
www.usni.org
A quartet of U.S. Marine Corps F-4N Phantom IIs of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 323, the “Death Rattlers,” is in flight off the USS Coral Sea, circa 1980. Both the Death Rattlers and the Black Knights would take part in the operations against Libya. U.S. Navy
Tripolitan troubles: Operation Attain Document in 1986 took on an increasingly saber-rattling Libya as its leader, Muammar Khadafy, promoted and supported international terrorist operations. Further punitive measures would come Khadafy’s way later that year with Operation El Dorado Canyon. USS Saratoga 1985–86 Cruise Book
The squadrons’ home at sea was the USS Midway (CV-41), which normally deployed to the western Pacific, and also on board the USS Coral Sea (CV-43) for a western Pacific cruise in that theater.
The USS Coral Sea is underway in 1986, in the midst of a decade “characterized as a time of peace” but rife with deployments “a bit less than peaceful.” Naval History And Heritage Command
Only occasionally did other Marine tactical jets deploy on board the big Navy carriers (CVs or CVNs), but it was when forward-deployed in the big-deck carriers that Marine tactical squadrons came into action against Islamic terrorism, such as on "Gonzo Station" off the eastern tip of Oman in the Arabian Sea, and off Libya during Operations "Attain Document" and "El Dorado Canyon".
F/A-18A Hornets of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 314, “the Black Knights,” in flight off the USS Coral Sea in the mid-1980s.
National Archives/DVIDS
Marine Tactical Aviation on the Big Decks
From the Arabian Sea to the Mediterranean, here are the highlights of Marine TacAir operations during the Ronald Reagan years.
A quartet of U.S. Marine Corps F-4N Phantom IIs of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 323, the “Death Rattlers,” is in flight off the USS Coral Sea, circa 1980. Both the Death Rattlers and the Black Knights would take part in the operations against Libya. U.S. Navy
Tripolitan troubles: Operation Attain Document in 1986 took on an increasingly saber-rattling Libya as its leader, Muammar Khadafy, promoted and supported international terrorist operations. Further punitive measures would come Khadafy’s way later that year with Operation El Dorado Canyon. USS Saratoga 1985–86 Cruise Book
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