VP-60

VP-60 insignia

VP-60 was a Patrol Squadron of the U.S. Navy Reserve, based at NAS Glenview, Illinois. Its nickname was the Cobras. The squadron was established on 1 November 1970, and disestablished on 1 September 1994.^[1]

Significant events

• 1 Nov 1970: VP-60 was one of 12 VP and three VR squadrons established in 1970 as a continuation of a program initiated in July 1968 to give Naval Air Reserve squadrons an improved combat readiness. The concept, known as the 12/2/1 had 12 VP squadrons under two commands, Commander Fleet Air Reserve Wings Atlantic and Commander Fleet Air Reserve Wings Pacific, both under the control of one central authority, Commander Naval Air Reserve. VP- 60 was established at NAS Glenview, Ill., under Commander Reserve Patrol Wings, Atlantic. It was formed by combining personnel from VPs 70V1, 70V2, 70V3 and 49V4, at NAS Glenview and NAS Twin Cities, Minn. The squadron conducted flying operations with nine SP-2H Neptunes.

• 1 Jul 1975: Administrative control for VP-60 was transferred from Commander Reserve Patrol Wings, Atlantic to Commander Reserve Patrol Wings, Pacific.

• Jun–Nov 1980: The Cobras transitioned from the P- 3A airframe to the P-3B. The B-model Orions came with more powerful engines and improved avionics. Transition training was completed in November.

• 27 Mar 1981: VP-60 deployed to NAF Kadena, Okinawa, with detachments at NAS Whidbey Island, Wash., and NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii. Crews operating with the two detachments completed basic and advanced antisubmarine warfare qualification flights in the weapons systems trainer. The unit at Kadena provided the only available on-the-spot sea-air rescue support in April when one of the Navy’s SSBNs collided with a Japanese freighter that resulted in the sinking of the freighter.

• Mar 1983: The first of the squadron’s 10 P-3B Orions was sent to the Naval Air Rework Facility (NARF) at NAS Alameda, Calif., for retrofit to the P-3B Tactical Navigational Modification (TAC/NAV MOD).

• 1993: In its last year of operational flying, VP-60 provided support to UNITAS XXXIV/93, a series of ASW exercises conducted with naval units in Uruguay.

• 17Aug 1993: VP-60 was selected to conduct a live over-the-horizon HARM (high-speed antiradiation missile) and Harpoon launch at NAS Point Mugu, Calif. The exercise was unique in that the crew launched their Harpoon using coordinated satellite targeting data delivered straight to the cockpit instead of the aircraft’s onboard radar data.

• 1 Sep 1994: VP-60 was disestablished at NAS Glenview, Ill.^[1]

Aircraft Assignment

The squadron first received the following aircraft on the dates shown:^[1]

• SP-2H 1 Nov 1970
• P-3A 1975
• P-3B Jun 1980
• P-3B MOD Mar 1983

See also

• Maritime patrol aircraft
• List of Lockheed P-3 Orion variants
• Squadron (aviation)
• Naval aviation
• List of inactive United States Navy aircraft squadrons
• List of United States Navy aircraft squadrons
• History of the United States Navy

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons.

1. Roberts, Michael D. (2000). Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons, Volume 2, Chapter 3, Section 10: Patrol Squadron Histories for VP-49 to VP-61. Washington, D.C.: Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy. pp. 314–316. Retrieved 2015-01-24.