The Big E Took Two Squadrons of the New Fleet Defenders to the Tonkin Gulf in 1974
When the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVAN-65) deployed to the Western Pacific (WestPac) in 1974 her air group included the very first Grumman F-14A Tomcats to go to sea. VF-1 Wolfpack and VF-2 Bounty Hunters were flying the new Fleet Defenders. Carrier Air Wing ONE FOUR (CVW-14) was deployed aboard the Big E from 17 September 1974 until 20 May 1975. The Air Group flew cover for Operation Frequent Wind- the evacuation of US personnel from South Vietnam. This great video of VF-2 in action was uploaded to YouTube by Aviation videos archives part4 1975-2015.
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It Took an Entire Air Wing
During their 1974-1975 deployment aboard the Big E, Carrier Air Wing ONE FOUR (CVW-14) consisted of VF-1 Wolfpack and VF-2 Bounty Hunters flying the Grumman F-14A Tomcat, VA-27 Royal Maces and VA-97 Warhawks flying the Ling Temco Vought A-7E Corsair II, VA-196 Main Battery flying the Grumman A-6A and KA-6D Intruder, VAQ-137 Rooks flying the Grumman EA-6B Prowler, VAW-113 flying the Grumman E-2B Hawkeye, RVAH-12 Speartips flying the North American RA-5C Vigilante, Detachment 65 from VQ-1 World Watchers flying the Douglas EA-3B Skywarrior, and HS-2 Golden Falcons flying the Sikorsky SH-2D Sea King.
Not the Only New Trick In Town
VF-2 made three WestPac deployments aboard Big E between 1974 and 1978. Those VAQ-137 EA-6Bs had just gone into service themselves, with VAQ-132 Rooks deploying aboard deploying aboard USS America (CVA-66) first for the first time during June of 1972, followed by VAQ-131 Lancers aboard the Enterprise and VAQ-134 Garudas aboard the Constellation (CVA-64). During her 1974-1975 WestPac deployment the Enterprise visited Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, Cubi Point in the Philippines, Hong Kong, Subic Bay in the Philippines, Mombasa in Kenya, Port Louis in Mauritius, and Singapore.
