USMC Helicopter Squadrons
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Embroidered
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Officially Licensed US Navy VX-23 Salty Dogs Legacy Squadron Patch — Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 NAS Patuxent River F-35 / F/A-18 / EA-18G Embroidered Patch
If it has wings and goes to the fleet, the Salty Dogs flew it first.
Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 (VX-23), the "Salty Dogs," is the United States Navy's premier strike-aircraft test and evaluation squadron, based at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, under the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD). The squadron's lineage traces back to the original Strike Aircraft Test Directorate stood up at PAX River in 1945, evolving through Strike Aircraft Test Squadron until being formally redesignated VX-23 on May 1, 2002. As the Navy's strike test squadron, the Salty Dogs are responsible for developmental flight test of every fixed-wing strike aircraft entering or already in fleet service — the F/A-18A-D Hornet, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler, T-45 Goshawk, and F-35B and F-35C Lightning II — including envelope expansion, weapons separation, ship suitability and carrier qualification, and software-load certification. The squadron's flying staff is built around US Naval Test Pilot School graduates, and Salty Dog aircraft are recognized fleet-wide by their distinctive "SD" tailcode and instrumentation pylons. From the F-35C's first carrier touch-and-go aboard USS Nimitz (CVN-68) in 2014 to ongoing EA-18G spectrum-warfare upgrades, every capability the carrier air wing fields gets bolted on, broken in, and signed off by VX-23 first. This legacy squadron patch honors the Salty Dogs' role as the bridge between the contractor flight line and the boat.
Perfect For: VX-23 Salty Dogs active-duty and veteran personnel, NAS Patuxent River residents, US Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) graduates, NAWCAD personnel, F/A-18 and F-35 developmental test pilots, naval flight officers and flight test engineers, and naval aviation T&E enthusiasts.
Salty Dogs — fleet introduction begins here.
If you want to swap patches on/off gear, choose hook & loop (velcro). If you’re attaching permanently to uniforms or fabric, choose sew-on. If you want quick application on compatible fabric, choose iron-on / heat seal (when offered). Backing options are shown on the page and update based on the variant you select.
Size is shown on the product page and updates with the variant you select (example: 3"). If you’re mounting on a hat or small panel, choose smaller sizes; for plate carriers and display boards, larger sizes fit better.
If the product is officially licensed, it will say “Officially Licensed” in the title and/or in the product details. If it doesn’t, it’s still a legitimate product—just not part of a licensed program.
Yes. If you see a note like “bulk reruns available,” that means we can support group orders or reruns. If you don’t see it, contact us with the unit/squadron and quantity and we’ll confirm options.
Yes—custom solutions are available (patches, name tags, lanyards, apparel). Use the custom request page and include artwork, size, backing preference, and quantity.
