Officially Licensed US Navy VX-9 The Vampires China Lake Leather Squadron Patch — Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Nine Leather Patch
The Vampires of China Lake—VX-9, the Navy's premier operational test and evaluation squadron, where every weapon, sensor, and tactic is proven before it reaches the fleet.
Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Nine (VX-9), the "Vampires," is the United States Navy's primary operational test and evaluation squadron for strike fighter aircraft, electronic attack aircraft, and their associated weapons systems. Based at Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake, California—the Navy's largest single landholding at over 1.1 million acres in the Mojave Desert—VX-9 conducts the rigorous operational testing that determines whether new aircraft, weapons, sensors, and tactics are ready for fleet employment.
VX-9 operates virtually every tactical aircraft in the Navy inventory, including the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler, and F-35C Lightning II, with the distinctive tail code "XE" that identifies the squadron's test aircraft. The Vampires' test programs encompass everything from new precision-guided munitions and air-to-air missiles to advanced electronic warfare systems and software upgrades—evaluating each system's operational effectiveness and suitability in realistic combat conditions before it is approved for fleet-wide deployment.
This leather patch brings the premium feel of genuine leather to the Vampires' iconic insignia, perfect for flight jackets and high-quality displays. China Lake's vast desert ranges provide the unrestricted airspace and instrumented test environments that VX-9 needs to conduct weapons testing, including live ordnance drops, electronic warfare evaluations, and complex multi-aircraft tactical scenarios. The Vampires' work is among the most technically demanding in naval aviation—their test pilots and weapons system operators must not only fly at the highest level but also collect precise data and provide objective evaluations that shape the future of naval weapons development.
Perfect For: VX-9 Vampires members and veterans, NAWS China Lake personnel, Navy test pilots and flight test engineers, F/A-18 and F-35 community members, weapons system testers, and leather aviation patch collectors.
The Vampires of VX-9—testing the weapons that the fleet will fight with, from the desert ranges of China Lake to the carrier flight decks of the world.
