1985-Contin ued
19 June The first new C-2A with more powerful
engines was delivered to NATC Patuxent River, Md.,
for three months of flight testing. Engines with more
horsepower than those of fleet C-2As were installed in
the aircraft, and the tests evaluated the effect of the
updated engines on aircraft performance and flying
qualities.
8 July VAW-120, traditionally an E-2C training
squadron, received its first upgraded C-2A Greyhounds
for training replacement personnel. Initial operational
capability of the aircraft was achieved on time follow-
ing the delivery of five aircraft in October to VR-24,
NAS Sigonella, Italy.
15-17 July The maintainability phase of the
AMRAAM was demonstrated successfully at the
Pacific Missile Test Center, Point Mugu, Calif. The
missile was being tested and evaluated for both the
Navy and Air Force by the Air Force Systems
Command, Joint Systems Program Office, Eglin AFB,
Fla. The demonstration, repeated several times a day
for three days, proved it possible to load four
AMRAAMs onto the wings of an F/A-18 Hornet in
less than 15 minutes. Loading time was critical to the
Navy in combat situations both ashore and on board
aircraft carriers. Unloading procedures, which were
not to exceed four minutes, were performed in an
average of two minutes.
29 August The Secretary of the Navy announced
the decision to home port Nimitz's carrier battle group
at Everett, Wash., in the Puget Sound region, sched-
uled as the home port for up to 15 ships.
2 September Reserve squadron HSL-84 completed
its deployment of two detachments aboard reserve
frigates which marked the first time in Naval Reserve
history that a reserve LAMPS detachment was
embarked aboard a ship for an extended period of
time. While at sea for two weeks beginning 16 August,
Det 1 assigned to Grey (FF 1054) and Det 2 assigned
to Lang (FF 1060) operated as part of a five-ship all-
Reserve squadron.
10 October Four of seven Navy F-14s of VF-74 and
-103 launched from Saratoga intercepted an Egyptian
737 airliner in international waters and directed it to
Sigonella, Sicily. The airliner was carrying four Arab
terrorists who had earlier hijacked the Italian cruise
ship Achille Lauro on 7 October and murdered a U.S.
citizen. During the operation, the F-14s were refueled
by Navy KA-6D tankers. Other aircraft which assisted
UNITED STATES NAVAL AVIATION 1910-1995
347
in the intercept were Navy E-2C Hawkeyes of VAW-
125, EA-6B Prowlers and an Air Force C-135.
13 October Coral Sea returned to the Mediterranean
Sea for her first Sixth Fleet deployment since 1957.
Commanded by Captain Robert H. Ferguson, with
CVW-13 embarked, it was also the first deployment of
the F/ A-18 to the Mediterranean. The aircraft were
assigned to VFA-131 and -132.
15 October A Tomahawk antiship missile was
launched from Norton Sound at the Pacific Missile Test
Center's Sea Test Range off the coast of California. The
test successfully demonstrated the missile's vertical
launch system as well as its ability to search for, find
and strike a target at sea. The Tomahawk was capable
of carrying either a nuclear or conventional warhead.
19 October VFA-303, the first Naval Reserve
squadron to transition the F/A-18, received its first air-
craft during ceremonies at NAS Lemoore, Calif.
Delivery of the eight aircraft ended two years of
preparation at NAS Alameda, Calif., where the
squadron was home ported until its move to Lemoore
in 1983 for training in the Hornets. Later, on 31
October, Lieutenant Bram B. Arnold of VFA-303 land-
ed aboard Ranger, becoming the first Reserve pilot to
land an F/ A-18 aboard an aircraft carrier.
28 October The first prototype model of the S-3B
Viking, an operational capability upgrade to the S-3A,
arrived at NATC Patuxent River, Md., for developmen-
tal test and evaluation. The "B" configuration, exten-
sively updated with state-of-the-art avionics and the
Harpoon missile control and launch system, was
developed to counter the threat of the new generation
of sophisticated Soviet submarines and to enhance the
aircraft's multimission capability.
- ----
The new S-3B Viking during tests at Naval Air Test Centel; Patuxent
River, Md.

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