Officially Licensed US Navy VSF-3 Patch — Antisubmarine Fighter Squadron 3 Embroidered Patch
VSF-3 — the short-lived antisubmarine fighters that brought fixed-wing ASW to the escort carrier deck.
Antisubmarine Fighter Squadron 3 (VSF-3) was one of a small number of U.S. Navy squadrons established during the Cold War to explore the concept of fixed-wing antisubmarine warfare from smaller aircraft carriers. Flying the A-4 Skyhawk in a dedicated ASW fighter role, VSF-3 operated from CVS-class antisubmarine warfare carriers, combining air defense and sub-hunting missions aboard ships that were too small for full-size carrier air wings. The concept reflected the Navy's urgent need to counter the growing Soviet submarine threat by every available means — including putting fighters on escort carriers with the sole mission of finding and killing submarines.
The VSF designation was relatively rare in naval aviation history, and VSF-3 represents one of only a handful of squadrons that carried it. As the Navy consolidated its ASW and fighter capabilities into larger carrier air wings and dedicated patrol aircraft, the antisubmarine fighter squadron concept was phased out. But for a brief period, VSF-3 and its sister squadrons represented a creative and aggressive approach to the undersea war — putting fast jets over the ocean with one job: find the submarine before it finds the fleet.
Perfect For:
VSF-3 veterans, Cold War naval aviation historians, A-4 Skyhawk community members, CVS-class carrier veterans, and US Navy legacy squadron patch collectors who appreciate rare and obscure units.
VSF-3. A rare chapter in antisubmarine aviation.
