Officially Licensed US Navy VAW-113 Black Eagles squadron patch.
Eyes of the fleet — first to fly, last to leave, since 1967.
Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 113 (VAW-113), the "Black Eagles," is a U.S. Navy E-2D Advanced Hawkeye squadron based at Naval Base Ventura County, NAS Point Mugu, California, deploying as the airborne command and control squadron for Carrier Air Wing TWO (CVW-2) aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70). VAW-113 was commissioned on April 20, 1967 at NAS North Island, San Diego, when VAW-11 was split into five fleet squadrons — and one week after commissioning, the Black Eagles deployed to the Western Pacific aboard USS Constellation flying the E-2A Hawkeye. The squadron's lineage traces back through VAW-11 to VAW-1 (commissioned July 6, 1948), born of the AEW shortfalls of WWII and the Project Cadillac airborne radar work that produced the original Hawkeye family. Black Eagles deployed to Vietnam every year from 1967 to 1975 and played a critical role in Operation Frequent Wind — the April 1975 evacuation of American personnel from Saigon. The squadron relocated from North Island to NAS Miramar in 1975, transitioned to the E-2C in 1983, became the first E-2C squadron to deploy with the F/A-18A Hornet in 1985, and moved to NAS Point Mugu in 1998 — its current home — before transitioning to the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye that flies today. This patch carries the Black Eagles' carrier AEW lineage forward.
Perfect For: VAW-113 Black Eagles active-duty and veteran personnel, E-2D Advanced Hawkeye pilots, NFOs, and aircrew, NAS Point Mugu and CVW-2 personnel, USS Carl Vinson Sailors, E-2C and E-2A heritage enthusiasts, and Hawkeye community patch collectors.
Black Eagles — Hawkeyes on the bow, eyes of the fleet, since 1967.
