Officially Licensed US Navy VX-9 Vampires Squadron Patch — Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 9 Vampires Embroidered Patch
The Vampires — VX-9, the Navy's premier operational test and evaluation squadron at China Lake, where every new weapon and tactic is tested before it reaches the fleet.
Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 9 (VX-9), the "Vampires," is the U.S. Navy's primary operational test and evaluation squadron for strike aircraft, electronic warfare platforms, and their associated weapons systems. Based at Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake, California, VX-9 carries the tail code "XE" and operates an extraordinary range of aircraft including the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler, F-35C Lightning II, and other platforms as needed for test missions.
VX-9's mission is to conduct operational testing of new aircraft, weapons, sensors, and tactics to determine whether they meet the fleet's requirements and are ready for operational deployment. The Vampires' test pilots and weapons system operators are among the most experienced and technically proficient aviators in naval aviation, selected for their ability to objectively evaluate complex systems and provide the rigorous, data-driven assessments that determine whether a weapon goes to the fleet or goes back to the drawing board.
NAWS China Lake provides VX-9 with one of the largest military test ranges in the world — over 1.1 million acres of desert terrain with restricted airspace that allows the Vampires to test weapons and tactics that cannot be safely evaluated anywhere else. From the newest precision-guided munitions to advanced electronic warfare techniques, VX-9 tests it all.
Perfect For: VX-9 Vampires members and veterans, Navy test pilots and flight test engineers, NAWS China Lake personnel, weapons development community members, and naval aviation test squadron patch collectors.
VX-9 Vampires — testing the Navy's deadliest weapons in the desert, so the fleet gets it right the first time in combat.
