1952-Contin ued

rier air force of Task Force 77 teamed up with 5th AF,

MAW-I, Republic of Korea Air Force and British air

elements to spread destruction on the supply concen-

trations in and about the city.

1 September Mississippi (EAG 1), having been out-

fitted with Terrier surface-to-air missiles at the

Norfolk Naval Shipyard, reported to Commander

Operational Development Force to participate in the

missile's evaluation.

3 September The Naval Ordnance Test Station,

Inyokern, Calif., fired the first fully configured

Sidewinder air-to-air missile, thereby initiating an

extensive period of developmental testing.

8 September Deputy Chief of Naval Operations

(Air) became responsible for all phases of basic and

technical training of personnel for air launched mis-

siles. However, the training program was to be

administered through the Commander Naval Air

Technical Training Command. The Bureau of Per-

sonnel had formerly been responsible for all individ-

ual training.

15 September VX-4 was established as a unit of Air

Force, Pacific Fleet, at the Naval Air Missile Test Center

(NAMTC) to conduct operational evaluation tests of

air-launched missiles. The squadron's initial test

assignment was to assist with tests of Sparrow 1.

UNITED STATES NAVAL AVIATION 1910-1995

195

1 October Aircraft carriers designated CV and CVB

were reclassified as Attack Carriers and assigned the

designation CVA.

3 November A Regulus Assault Missile (RAM) was

launched from Norton Sound off the Naval Air Missile Test

Center (NAMTC) and landed on San Nicolas Island in the

first shipboard demonstration of the RAM missile system.

12 November The final configuration of the ZP3K

(later ZSG-3) nonrigid airship was flown and accepted

at NAS Lakehurst. The airship was a modernized anti-

submarine configuration of the K model and was

designed especially for carrier-based operation. Thirty

K-class airships were so configured.

18 November The feasibility of using a helicopter

as an aerial minesweeper was demonstrated in the first

of a series of tests conducted by VX-l pilots flying an

HRP-l helicopter off Panama City, Fla.

16 December Princeton, operating in the Sea Test

Range of the Naval Air Missile Test Center (NAMTC),

catapulted F2H-2P control planes and then launched a

Regulus assault missile. The pilots of the control

planes guided the missile to a target point on San

Nicolas Island, where they transferred control to other

pilots who successfully landed the missile.

1953

12 January In the initiation of test operations

aboard the Navy's first angled deck carrier, Antietam,

.. 1

F9F Panther takes off from Antietam during the operational suitability tests of angled flight deck 477063