The US Navy does not recognize the tradition of squadrons once they have been disestablished. Therefore, even if there is a squadron with the same designation and nickname, it is officially a totally new squadron. Four different squadrons have been designated VF-194 since 1948,
VF-194 Main Battery (1950–1955),
VF-194 Yellow Devils (1955–1958), VF-194
Red Lightnings (1952–1978) and
VF-194 Red Lightnings (1986–8), this page is focussed on the third VF-194.
Operational history VF-91 was established on 26 March 1952 and equipped with the
Grumman F9F-2 Panther. The squadron was assigned to
Carrier Air Group 9 (CVG-9) and made its first deployment on from December 1952 to August 1953 to
Korea and the Western Pacific. In 1954 the squadron exchanged their Panthers for the swept wing
Grumman F9F-6 Cougar. Between 11 May 1954 and 12 December 1954 VF-91 circumnavigated the world aboard . From February to June 1956 VF-91 made its next deployment on as part of CVG-5, this time equipped with the F9F-8 Cougar. The F9F-8s were replaced by the
North American FJ-3 Fury in 1957 and the squadron made a Western Pacific cruise aboard between September 1957 and April 1958. In 1959 VF-91 transitioned to the
Vought F-8C Crusader and made three deployments aboard between 1960 and 1963. On 1 August 1963 VF-91 was redesignated VF-194 and reassigned to
Carrier Air Wing Nineteen. Between 1964 and 1973 VF-194 made eight deployments to the
Vietnam War, two aboard (1964, 1965/66), two aboard (1966/67, 1967/68) and the last four aboard . During these deployments the squadron flew the F-8E from 1965 to 1968 and then the F-8J. After the end of the US involvement in Vietnam in 1973, VF-194 made another two cruises to the Western Pacific aboard
Oriskany. VF-194 and its sister squadron
VF-191 were the last US Navy fighter squadrons equipped with the F-8 Crusader. When USS
Oriskany was retired as the last active , VF-194 received the
McDonnell Douglas F-4J Phantom in 1976. Together with VF-191 the squadron was reassigned to
Carrier Air Wing Fifteen. However, after only one deployment aboard the squadron was disestablished on 1 March 1978. ==Gallery==