Designazione degli squadroni della US Navy

L'attuale sistema di designazione degli squadroni aerei della US Navy risale ai primi anni venti e si basa su un gruppo di lettere cosiddette funzionali che si aggiungono a tre lettere base: V, Z e H. La lettera V identifica gli aerei e trae la sua origine dalla frase "heaVier than the air" ossia "più pesante dell'aria", mentre la lettera Z è dedicata ai dirigibili. A queste due lettere base, nel 1950 si è aggiunta una terza lettera, la H di helicopter.

Salvo rare eccezioni queste tre lettere sono poste in testa alla sigla e a loro si aggiungono una o più lettere funzionali, destinate a identificare il tipo di missione, in gran parte simili a quelle già descritte per la designazione dei velivoli. Così ad esempio VA è la designazione degli squadroni d'attacco, HM degli squadroni contromisure mine, VF(AW) degli squadroni da intercettazione ognitempo.

Negli anni, ovviamente, le sigle hanno mutato più volte significato, adeguandosi ai tempi e pertanto una sigla degli anni quaranta non ha necessariamente lo stesso significato di quella attuale. Per facilitare la comprensione di quanto sopra esposto, si fornisce comunque un riepilogo completo delle sigle che identificavano, e identificano, gli squadroni in forza alla United States Naval Aviation.

Elenco delle abbreviazioni e designazioni

Di seguito è riportato l'elenco delle abbreviazioni e designazioni utilizzate dalla US Navy per identificare gli squadroni dal 1922.

HAL Helicopter Attack Squadron Light, 1967 - 1972 e 1976 - 1988
HC Helicopter Combat Support Squadron, 1965 - in vigore
HCS Helicopter Combat Support Special Squadron, 1988 - in vigore
HCT Helicopter Combat Support Training Squadron, 1974 - 1977
HM Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron, 1971 - in vigore
HS Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron, 1951 - in vigore
HSL Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (Light), 1972 - in vigore
HT Helicopter Training Squadron, 1960 - in vigore
HTU Helicopter Training Unit, 1950 - 1957
HU Helicopter Utility Squadron, 1948 - 1965

RVAH Reconnaissance Attack Squadron, 1964 - 1979
RVAW Carrier Airborne Early Warning Training Squadron, 1967 - 1983

STAGRON Special Air Task Force Squadron (VK), 1943 - 1944

TACRON Tactical Squadron o Tactical Air Control Squadron o Tactical Control Squadron, 1946 - in vigore

VA Attack Squadron, 1946 - in vigore
VA(AW) All-Weather Attack Squadron, 1956 - 1959
VAH Heavy Attack Squadron, 1955 - 1971
VA(HM) Attack Mining Squadron, 1956 - 1959
VAK Tactical Aerial Refueling Squadron, 1979 - 1989
VAL Light Attack Squadron, 1969 - 1972
VAP Heavy Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron o Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron (Heavy) o Heavy Photographic Squadron, 1956 - 1971
VAQ Carrier Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron o Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron, 1968 - 1998
VAQ Electronic Attack Squadron, 1998 - in vigore
VAW Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron, 1948 e 1956 - in vigore
VAW Carrier Tactical Electronics Warfare Squadron, 1968
VB Bombing Squadron o Light Bombing Piane Squadron, 1928 - 1946
VBF Bombing Fighting Squadron, 1945-1946
VC Composite Squadron, 1943 - 1945 e 1948 - 1956
VC Fleet Composite Squadron, 1965 - in vigore
VCN Night Composite Squadron, 1946 - 1948
VCP Photographic Composite Squadron, 1959 - 1961
VCS Cruiser Scouting Squadron, 1937 - 1945
VD Photographic Squadron, 1943 - 1946
VE Evacuation Squadron, 1944 - 1945
VF Combat Squadron, 1922
VF Fighting Piane Squadron o Fighting Squadron, 1922 - 1948
VF Fighter Squadron, 1948 - in vigore
VFA Fighter Attack Squadron, 1980 - 1983
VFA Strike Fighter Squadron, 1983 - in vigore
VF(AW) All-Weather Fighter Squadron o Fighter (All-Weather) Squadron, 1956 - 1963
VFN Night Fighting Squadron, 1944 - 1946
VFP Light Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron o Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron o Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron (Light) o Light Photographic Squadron, 1956 - 1987
VGF Escort-Fighter Squadron, 1942 - 1943
VGS Escort-Scouting Squadron, 1942 - 1943
VH Rescue Squadron, 1944 - 1946
VJ Utility Squadron o General Utility Squadron, 1925 - 1946
VJ Weather Squadron o Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, 1952 - 1953
VJ Photographic Squadron, 1952 - 1956
VK Special Air Task Force Squadron (STAGRON), 1943 - 1944
VN Training Squadron, 1927 - 1947
VO Spotting Squadron, 1922
VO Observation Piane Squadron o Observation Squadron, 1923 - 1945 e 1947 - 1949 e 1967 - 1968
VOC Composite Spotting Squadron, 1944 - 1945
VOF Observation Fighter Squadron, 1942 - 1945
VP Seaplane Patrol Squadron, 1922
VP Patrol Squadron, 1924 - 1944 e 1946 e 1948 - in vigore
VP - AM Amphibian Patrol Squadron, 1946 - 1948
VPB Patrol Bombing Squadron, 1944 - 1946
VP - HL Heavy Patrol Squadron (landplane), 1946 - 1948
VPM Meteorological Squadron, 1946 - 1947
VP - ML Medium Patrol Squadron (landplane), 1946 - 1948
VP - MS Medium Patrol Squadron (seaplane), 1946 - 1948
VPP Photographic Squadron o Patrol Squadron (photographic), 1946 - 1948
VPU Patrol Squadron Special Unit, 1982 - in vigore
VPW Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, 1945 - 1948
VQ Electronic Countermeasures Squadron, 1948
VR Transport Squadron o Air Transport Squadron o Fleet Logistic Air Squadron, 1942 - 1958
VR Fleet Tactical Support Squadron, 1958 - 1976
VR Fleet Logistics Support Squadron, 1976 - in vigore
VRC Fleet Tactical Support Squadron, 1960 - 1976
VRC Fleet Logistics Support Squadron, 1976 - in vigore
VRE Air Transport Evacuation Squadron, 1945
VRF Transport Ferry and Service Squadron, 1943 - 1946
VRF Air Ferry Transport Squadron o Air Ferry Squadron, 1946 - 1948
VRJ Utility Transport Squadron, 1957 - 1986
VRS Air Ferry Service Squadron o Ferry Command Service Squadron, 1943 - 1946
VRU Transport Utility Squadron, 1946 - 1948
VS Scouting Piane Squadron o Scouting Squadron 1922 - 1946
VS Anti - Submarine Squadron o Air Anti - Submarine Squadron o Carrier Air Anti - Submarine Squadron, 1950 - 1993
VS Sea Control Squadron, 1993 - in vigore
VSF Anti - Submarine Fighter Squadron, 1965 - 1973
VT Torpedo Bombing Piane Squadron o Torpedo Bombing Squadron, 1922 - 1930
VT Torpedo Piane Squadron, 1921
VT Torpedo Squadron, 1930 - 1946
VT Training Squadron, 1960 - in vigore
VTN Night Torpedo Squadron, 1944 - 1946
VU Utility Squadron, 1946 - 1965
VW Air Early Warning Squadron o Airborne Early Warning Squadron o Fleet Early Warning Squadron, 1952 - 1971
VW Weather Reconnaissance Squadron o Fleet Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, 1967 - 1975
VX Experimental Squadron, 1927 circa - 1943
VX Experimental and Development Squadron o Operational Development Squadron o Air Operational Development Squadron o Air Development Squadron, 1946 - 1968
VX Air Test and Evaluation Squadron, 1969 - in vigore
VXE Antarctic Development Squadron, 1969 - in vigore
VXN Oceanographic Development Squadron, 1969 - 1993

ZJ Blimp Utility Squadron, 1944 - 1945
ZK Kite Balloon Squadron, 1922 - 1924
ZKN Kite Balloon Training Squadron¹
ZKO Kite Balloon Observation Squadron¹
ZNN Non - rigid Airship Training Squadron¹
ZNO Non - rigid Airship Observation Squadron¹
ZNP Non - rigid Airship Patrol Squadron¹
ZNS Non - rigid Airship Scouting Squadron¹
ZP Airship Patrol Squadron, 1942 - 1961
ZP Blimp Squadron, 1942 - 1961
ZP Airship Patrol Squadron (Ali - Weather Anti - Submarine) o Airship Squadron o LTA Patrol Squadron, 1942 - 1961
ZRN Rigid Airship Training Squadron¹
ZRP Rigid Airship Patrol Squadron¹
ZRS Rigid Airship Scouting Squadron¹
ZS Airship Anti - Submarine Squadron¹
ZW Airship Early Warning Squadron, 1956 - 1961
ZX Airship Operational Development Squadron o Airship Development Squadron, 1950 - 1957

Alcune abbreviazioni possono venire a volte graficamente indicate in maniera lievemente diversa, pur mantenendo il medesimo significato, ad esempio FIAL o FIA(L), VFN o VF(N), VRC o VR(C).

¹ Queste designazioni furono predisposte, ma in realtà la US Navy non attivò mai alcuno squadrone che le utilizzasse.

Voci correlate

United States Naval Aviation

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