Tag Archives: VF-103

Migs swimming with Hornets and Tomcats

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Off Pula, Croatia, 2002 — An F-14 Tomcat fighter assigned to the Jolly Rogers of Fighter Squadron One Zero Three (VF-103) leads a formation comprised of F/A-18 Hornet strike fighters from the Blue Blasters of VFA-34, the Sunliners of VFA-81, and the Rampagers of VFA-83:

U.S. Navy photograph 021029-N-1955P-020 by CAPT Dana Potts. (RELEASED)

More on the photo:

“U.S. aircraft belong to Carrier Air Wing Seventeen (CVW-17), currently embarked on board. Two Croat MiG-21 Fishbed fighter-interceptors flank the each side of the formation. U.S. Navy aviation squadrons assigned to Carrier Air Wing Seventeen (CVW-17) have sent a detachment to Croatia in order to participate in Joint Wings 2002. Joint Wings is a multinational exercise between the U.S. and the Croat Air Force designed to practice intelligence gathering. George Washington is homeported in Norfolk, Va., and is nearing the end of a scheduled six month deployment after completing combat missions in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Southern Watch.”

A heck of a ride with the Jolly Rogers

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Super Hornet catapult shot on the Truman. Just click and drag your mouse along the screen for a full 360-degree view.

Get inside a F/A-18 Super Hornet as it launches off the deck of Norfolk-based USS Harry S. Truman! Big thanks to the crew from the Oceana-based Strike Fighter Squadron 103, the ‘Jolly Rogers’ for this incredible video.

Santa Cat (After Christmas honorable mention)

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Nope, this isnt photoshopped.

Santa Cat an F-14B Tomcat flown by the U.S. Navs VF-103 Jolly Rogers off of the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) in December 2000

“Santa Cat,” an F-14B Tomcat flown by the U.S. Navy’s VF-103 “Jolly Rogers” off of the USS Enterprise (CVN-65).  The B-series F-14 made the venerable 1970s era air superiority fighter into a viable multi-role strike aircraft after it pioneered the operational use of the LANTIRN system to drop laser guided bombs deep into Serbian territory. This led to the unofficial nickname of  “Bombcat” to differentiate it from its previously just air-to-air predecessors. However in the end, the F-14 was put out to pasture in 2006, replaced by the Super Hornet., which VF-103 flies today.

Last Christmas post of the year. Promise