Official VAQ-129 Top Spud Patch — Electronic Attack Squadron 129 Vikings Shoulder Embroidered Patch
Top Spud 2025 — VAQ-129 Vikings' award for the Fleet Replacement Squadron's top graduate, honoring the best of the best in the EA-18G Growler community.
Electronic Attack Squadron 129 (VAQ-129), the "Vikings," is the Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) for the EA-18G Growler community, based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington. As the sole FRS for the Growler, VAQ-129 is responsible for training every pilot and electronic warfare officer (EWO) who will fly the EA-18G in fleet squadrons across the Navy. The "Top Spud" award is the squadron's equivalent of "Top Gun" — presented to the top graduating student in each class who demonstrates the highest level of tactical proficiency, academic achievement, and airmanship during the Growler training syllabus.
The EA-18G Growler is the U.S. Navy's primary airborne electronic attack platform, a derivative of the F/A-18F Super Hornet modified with the AN/ALQ-99 tactical jamming system (and its successor, the Next Generation Jammer) and AARGM-ER anti-radiation missiles. The Growler's mission is to deny the enemy the use of the electromagnetic spectrum — jamming radars, disrupting communications, suppressing enemy air defenses (SEAD), and conducting electronic surveillance. In modern warfare, where every weapon system depends on electronics, the Growler is arguably the most important tactical aircraft in the fleet.
VAQ-129's training pipeline is one of the most demanding in naval aviation. Students learn to operate the Growler's complex electronic warfare suite while simultaneously flying a high-performance tactical jet in demanding combat scenarios. The Top Spud award recognizes the rare student who masters both the flying and the electronic warfare mission at the highest level.
Perfect For: VAQ-129 Vikings members and instructors, Top Spud award recipients, EA-18G Growler pilots and EWOs, NAS Whidbey Island personnel, Electronic Attack Wing Pacific community, and electronic warfare aviation enthusiasts.
VAQ-129 Vikings — Top Spud — where the Navy's best electronic warriors earn their wings in the Growler.
