Sea Control Squadron 21 (VS-21) was an aviation unit of the United States Navy. It served from 1945 to 2005 and was mainly tasked with anti-submarine warfare while operating from aircraft carriers. It was the only squadron to receive the designations VA-1E, VC-21, or VS-21.
History
World War II
The squadron originally as VT-41 established in the final year of World War II, and served after the war aboard USS Badoeng Strait CVE-116 helping to develop hunter-killer ASW tactics for the U.S. Navy, and ultimately operated from full-size aircraft carriers in the sea control role, capable of anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare.
Late 1940s
The squadron was established as VT-41 at Naval Air Station Seattle, Washington (USA), under the command of LT. Joseph P. Keigher, with the General Motors-built TBM-1, TBM-1C, and TBM-3 Avenger torpedo bomber as part of CVEG-41. Commander Air Force Pacific Fleet had designated the squadron upon formation as having anti-submarine warfare as its primary mission.
On 15 November 1946, as part of a service-wide reorganization, VT-41 was redesignated VA-1E, while CVEG-41 was simultaneously redesignated CVEG-1. The group, which consisted of VA-1E and fighter squadron VF-1E, was assigned on 4 December 1946, on the Badoeng Strait. VA-1E was identified by the tail code "BS" (call sign "Beef Steak"). thumb|A TBM-3S in VA-1E colors|232x232pxIn 1947–1948, VA-1E conducted regular ASW exercises aboard Badoeng Strait between the U.S. West Coast and the Western Pacific. The squadron saw extensive service in ASW trials and tactics development aboard Badoeng Strait.
On 3 December, the squadron transferred during the deployment to the USS Bairoko CVE-115, moving from the TBM-3E to the TBM-3S ASW aircraft before returning on 16 February 1951. Another Korean War deployment with the Bairoko took place between 3 February and 8 May 1953. This was VS-21's first deployment the Grumman AF-2S/2W Guardian. right|thumb|A squadron S2F-2 in flight|233x233pxIn December 1954, VS-21 began to operate the Grumman S2F-1 Tracker. In 1955, the squadron began to display the red lightning bolt on their engine and later tailfins of their aircraft. In 1965, the squadron transferred to the S-2E Tracker and became the first VS squadron to operationally employ the AGM-12 Bullpup. and taking part in Operation Earnest Will.
alt=NH706, an S-3A Viking assigned to VS-21 landing on board the Enterprise in August 1988.|thumb|NH706, an [[Lockheed S-3 Viking|S-3A Viking assigned to VS-21 landing on board the Enterprise in August 1988.|249x249px]]
After leaving for another cruise on 5 January 1988, VS-21 and her air wing replaced the USS Midway and her air wing on 14–15 February before arriving in the Persian Gulf for Earnest Will on 18 February. Between 18 February and 10 March and then from 19 March and 22 May, VS-21 and CVW-11 conducted operations in the Persian Gulf which included taking part in a supporting role during Operation Praying Mantis on 18 April. During their transit to British Hong Kong, on 5–6 June, one of their S-3A Vikings during takeoff rolled to left and crashed into the sea. Despite ejecting, three of the four crew on board perished, including VS-21's CO. VS-21 returned to the States on 1 July 1988.
VS-21, CVW-11 and the Enterprise left NAS Alameda for a World Cruise on 25 July 1989. After taking part in PACEX '89 with the Carl Vinson and Constellation Battlegroups, VS-21 took part in several war games in the Sea of Japan, Western Pacific and off Okinawa with 48 vessels including the Carl Vinson, the Battleships USS New Jersey BB-62 and USS Missouri BB-64 as well as several vessels of the JMSDF.
More exercises with the Carl Vinson and her air wing occurred with VS-21 and CVW-11 while in coordination with the ROK Armed Forces off South Korea between 18 and 28 October. After making port calls in British Hong Kong and Subic Bay as well as avoiding Typhoon Hunt in late November, VS-21 and Enterprise's Battlegroup conducted operations with Midway Battlegroup as part of Operation Classic Resolve during the 1989 Philippines coup attempt. The final operations for VS-21 in 1989 brought them to Singapore as well taking part in war games with the Royal Malaysian Navy
Temporarily assigned to CVW-14, VS-21 departed with the USS Independence CV-62 on 5 August 1991 from NAS North Island. Arriving at Pearl Harbor on 22 August, most of CVW-14's squadrons including VS-21 were officially reassigned to CVW-5, while some of CVW-14 and CVW-5 moved to the older Midway as it got replaced.
Between February and July 1993, VS-21 conducted two short deployments in the Western Pacific and the Sea of Japan. On 1 October 1993, the squadron was redesignated Sea Control Squadron 21 (retaining the abbreviated form VS-21).
2000s
alt=An S-3B from VS-21 lands on board the USS John C. Stennis CVN-74 on 14 October 2004, during the latter's transit through the Western Pacific.|thumb|An [[Lockheed S-3 Viking|S-3B from VS-21 lands on board the USS John C. Stennis CVN-74 on October 14, 2004, during the latter's transit through the Western Pacific.]]
VS-21 conducted its first two deployments of the 2000s between April and November 2000 in the Western Pacific and the Sea of Japan. Another Westpac deployment also took place between March and June 2001. VS-21 also assigned several of three of their aircraft to CVW-5 Detachment A as part of Operation Enduring Freedom between 1 October and 23 December 2001. VS-21 made two more deployments in 2002.
On 23 January 2003, VS-21 and the Kitty Hawk Battlegroup deployed to take part in Operations of the coast of North Korea due to the latter's nuclear and military developments in light of the positioning of US forces near Iraq. VS-21 and the carrier then transited to the Persian Gulf for their last Southern Watch deployment. Starting on 19 March, the squadron took part in Operation Iraqi Freedom, before finishing operations in the Gulf on 23 April, arriving back in Japan on 6 May 2003.
VS-21 made three more deployments during 2003 and 2004 which included its last deployment with the Kitty Hawk's Air Wing as it took part in Summer Pulse 2004 between 19 July and 7 September 2004. The squadron was finally disestablished on 28 February 2005.