 VP-9 History
Circa 1999
A BIT OF HISTORY: "...23MAY99: Patrol Squadron NINE (VP-9) was the first of five air squadrons at NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii that moved to the other side of the island. The gates leading to NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii will close July 1, and by then, more than 2,200 military personnel and civilian workers in the Navy's anti-submarine warfare program in Hawaii will be in their new quarters at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe. Early May, two P-3 Orion sub hunter aircraft belonging to Patrol Squadron 9 (VP-9) landed at their new home. By the end of the week all nine of the aircraft and 350 people belonging to the squadron will move. "It's great to be here," said CDR Earl Hampton, executive officer for the "Golden Eagles," minutes after landing at the Kaneohe base. "It's such a beautiful part of the island. "We're used to doing this since we deploy once a year for six months, so we're pretty good at moving." Another squadron will move into its new Kaneohe headquarters later this month. The remaining two squadrons will make the move following overseas deployment assignments. A Navy spokesman said the base's aircraft intermediate maintenance department was transferred to Kaneohe in February along with its only helicopter squadron..." Contributed by Marco P.J. Borst p3orion@wxs.nl Website: http://p3orion.nl/index.html [24MAY99]
Circa 1998
A BIT OF HISTORY: "Navy News 32/98 06AUG98 E-Mail Message: NNS3200. P-3C aircraft from five countries enhance RIMPAC `98 by Christi Erwin, RIMPAC `98 Combined Information Bureau..." [06AUG98]
NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii (NNS) -- Like an eagle hunting for fish, a P-3C Orion can loiter over a spot of ocean for hours, searching for its prey.
While the square-winged, four-engine turboprops don't have the same flash and swagger of an aircraft carrier's jet fighters, the patrol squadrons from five nations are creating a sensation of their own during the month-long RIMPAC `98 maritime exercise here.
Barbers Point is home to three P-3 patrol squadrons -- VP-4, VP-9 and VP-47 -- and host to squadrons from Australia, Canada, Japan and the Republic of Korea during RIMPAC `98. During the exercise -- which includes more than 50 ships, 200 aircraft and nearly 28,000 people -- the submarine hunters train with each other, as well as various ships and subs from six participating Pacific Rim nations.
"Because of RIMPAC, the crews are gaining valuable flight time and experience," said LCDR Tom Kollie, a VP-4 tactical coordinator. "Through RIMPAC `98 we are able to train with other countries' aircraft and watercraft," Kollie said. "This helps us insure we are productive in our training for our missions."
Since 1962, the VP-4 has been an anti-submarine warfare workhorse of the Navy, combining long range and excellent fuel economy with increasingly sophisticated avionics and technology.
The versatile aircraft are used by a number of countries worldwide for a variety of missions, including seeking and destroying submarines and ships, maritime patrol, laying mines, and search and rescue.While searching for a submarine, the aircraft can circle ominously above for hours and drop dozens of canister-shaped listening devices into the ocean. The devices, called sonobuoys, transmit information overhead to the VP-4 with its advanced submarine-detection sensors.
The crew can determine if the detected signal is from a submarine, a ship, a whale or an earthquake on the ocean floor. The P-3C is the Navy's sole land-based anti-submarine warfare aircraft. It does not operate off an aircraft carrier, but its crew checks in with the battle group to do whatever tasking is necessary.
"RIMPAC `98 enables the squadrons and submarines to search for and hide from another country's aircraft and subs," said LT Susan Papp, a VP-4 mission commander from Valley Forge, Pa. "That's a goal of the exercise -- having the different nations work together as a multi-national force. It also provides the aircraft and submarine crews with realistic scenarios.[06AUG98]
Circa 1997
A BIT OF HISTORY: "...Patrol Squadron Nine (VP-9), based at NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii, has been selected to receive the fleet's first AIP (anti-surface warfare improvement program) versions of the P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft. Included in the AIP upgrade, which optimizes the aircraft for littoral warfare, are installation of a long-range high-resolution radar, a long-range electro-optical sensor with a digital camera, and various new communications systems; the upgrade also adds AGM-65F Maverick missiles and the AGM-84E SLAM (standoff land-attack missile) to the squadron's weapons inventory. The SLAM will give the P-3 its first significant land-attack capability..." Sea Power - December 1997 Page 18 [31DEC97]
Circa 1996
A BIT OF HISTORY: "00APR96--NAVY SQUADRONS MOVE FROM BARBERS POINT TO NAS Kaneohe Bay, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...The Navy has decided to relocate three squadrons of P-3C Orion aircraft and associated personnel from Naval air Station NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii, to Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH), NAS Kaneohe Bay, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, by 1999. This move follows the 1993 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) committee's decision to close NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii, which also called for moving one squadron of SH-60 Seahawk helicopters from Barbers Point to NAS Kaneohe Bay, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Patrol squadrons VP-4, VP-9 and VP-47, and Anti-Submarine Warfare Helicopter Squadron 37 are scheduled to move. Along with these squadrons, some additional commands will move from NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii to MCBH NAS Kaneohe Bay, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, including Commander, Patrol Wings Pacific. There will be a total of 32 P-3C Orion aircraft and 10 SH-60 Seahawk helicopters making the move. By keeping the squadrons and 2,200 associated military personnel and civilian employees in Hawaii, the local economy will retain an estimated $84 million in annual revenue from salaries plus goods and services purchased by the Navy. The decision to move three patrol squadrons to MCBH NAS Kaneohe Bay, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii allows the Navy to keep the aircraft strategically located in the mid-Pacific, where they train regularly with Hawaii-based surface ships and submarines, and make regular deployments to the Western Pacific, Indian Ocean and Arabian Gulf regions. The decision also uses the capacity of MCBH NAS Kaneohe Bay, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to its best advantage. Before the 1993 BRAC decision, six patrol squadrons were based at NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii. Two squadrons have since Disestablished as part of the Navy's force reductions, and a third has moved to NAS Whidbey Island, Washington. With the three remaining P-3C squadrons moving to MCBH NAS Kaneohe Bay, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, the Pacific Fleet's six P-3C squadrons will be divided evenly between Kaneohe Bay and Whidbey Island when NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii closes in 1999." http://www.navy-reserve.org/9604/nra9604g.html
Circa 1995
A BIT OF HISTORY:  "...Deployments, Change-Of-Command, Awards, Records, Etc. - Naval Aviation News - July - August 1995.." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1990s/1995/ja95.pdf [12NOV2004]
 
Circa 1993
A BIT OF HISTORY:  "...VP Deployments, Change-Of-Command, Etc. - Naval Aviation News - July - August 1993.." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1990s/1993/ja93.pdf [12NOV2004]
A BIT OF HISTORY:  "...Records, History, Etc. - Naval Aviation News - May - June 1993.." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1990s/1993/mj93.pdf [12NOV2004]
Circa 1994
A BIT OF HISTORY:  "...Awards, Major Deployments, Etc. - Naval Aviation News - July - August 1994.." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1990s/1994/ja94.pdf [12NOV2004]
Circa 1991
A BIT OF HISTORY:  "...History - Naval Aviation News - September-October 1991..." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1990s/1991/so91.pdf [24OCT2004]
A BIT OF HISTORY:  "...History - Naval Aviation News - May-June 1991..." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1990s/1991/mj91.pdf [24OCT2004]
A BIT OF HISTORY:  "...History - Naval Aviation News - March-April 1991..." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1990s/1991/ma91.pdf [24OCT2004]
Circa 1992
A BIT OF HISTORY:  "...Base Closures, Change-Of-Command, Records, Etc. - Naval Aviation News - May-June 1992.." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1990s/1992/mj92.pdf [11NOV2004]
A BIT OF HISTORY:  "...Change-Of-Command, Safe Flying, Etc. - Naval Aviation News - January-February 1992.." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1990s/1992/jf92.pdf [11NOV2004]
Circa 1990
A BIT OF HISTORY: "...Misawa welcomes Cheney; provides aircraft, facilities tour - By Rob Jagodzinski, Stars and Stripes - Pacific edition, Monday, February 26, 1990..." WebSite: Stars and Stripes http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=35477&archive=true [23APR2006]
At tour's end, Cheney disappeared into a U.S. Navy P-3C Orion aircraft of VP-9, deployed to NAF Misawa, Japan from NAS Moffett Field, California near San Francisco.
Navy Capt. James S. Falls, commander of NAF Misawa, Japan, briefed the secretary on the Orion, which can hunt enemy subs with sonar and destroy them with depth charges and torpedoes. When Cheney emerged from the aircraft, Navy LT Dan Rupinski, a VP-9 flight officer, gave him a photo and plaque.
A BIT OF HISTORY:  "...History - Change-Of-Command - Page 6, 7, 30 and 31 - Naval Aviation News - September-October 1990..." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1990s/1990/so90.pdf [22OCT2004]
A BIT OF HISTORY:  "...History - Change-Of-Command - Page 8, 28 and 30 - Naval Aviation News - March-April 1990..." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1990s/1990/ma90.pdf [22OCT2004]
A BIT OF HISTORY: "...Modernization Under Way - Page 8 to 9 - Naval Aviation News - March-April 1990..." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1990s/1990/ma90.pdf [22OCT2004]
"VP-9 History Summary Page"
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