VFA-87 Golden Warriors

 

Squadron Motto: WAR PARTY ROCKS!

Originally established on 1 February, 1968, the Golden Warriors began their history flying the A-7B Corsair II and were based at NAS Cecil Field, FL. The War Party supported operations during the Vietnam Conflict and protected U.S. interests during the Arab-Israeli War in 1973. In the 1980s, VA-87 provided support to U.S. operations during the Iranian hostage crisis, U.S. peacekeeping operations in Lebanon, and strikes against Syria in support of UN efforts to stabilize the Middle East.

In 1986, the Golden Warriors retired the venerable Corsair and transitioned to the F/A-18A Hornet, the first Naval aircraft designed from the ground up as a multi-mission strike fighter. Over the next three decades, VFA-87 would support world-wide operations in support of U.S. strategic objectives including Operations ALLIED FORCE, SOUTHERN WATCH, ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM. (Squadron history taken from official AIRLANT VFA-87 web page.)

Within Virtual Carrier Air Wing EIGHT, VFA-87 serves as the designated Air to Air Tactics Subject Matter Expert (SME) squadron and is responsible for the creation and maintenance of the Wing’s Air-to-Air training program, including Strike Fighter Advanced Readiness Program Phases I and II. Though completely qualified in all mission areas, the War Party serves as the go-to VFA squadron for Offensive Counter Air (OCA) or Fighter Escort duty, helping to ensure CVW-8 strike packages make it safely through any enemy aircraft threats present in the area of operations.

  • The commanding officer of VFA-87, is currently a software engineer and previously a seasoned locomotive engineer from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. In his free time, he uses his technical expertise to support his passion for flight simulation within the DCS World environment. A lifelong gaming enthusiast, he entered the simulation world in 2016 and has amassed thousands of hours of experience flying the DCS Hornet.

    Aside from his love of flight simulation, the VFA-87 CO is a huge nerd who enjoys playing Dungeons and Dragons and Pathfinder tabletop games. He is also deeply committed to learning as much as he can about Naval Aviation, and strives to execute real-world tactics with precision and effectiveness in DCS while still embracing the fun and excitement of simulation flying.

    His dedication to learning and self-improvement has led him to develop a series of outstanding air to air tactics training materials and programs that form the foundation of CVW-8's A/A tactics excellence. With his expertise and guidance, CVW-8 pilots are able to hone their skills and perform at the highest levels in simulated combat scenarios.