VAW-112 Golden Hawks E-2Cs Return Home to NBVC Point Mugu after 7-month deployment

David Cenciotti
2 Min Read

The “Golden Hawks” of VAW-112 returned to Naval Base Ventura County Point Mugu following a seven month deployment to the Western Pacific and South China Sea.

On Aug. 9 four E-2C Hawkeye aircraft and their 19 aircrew members,belonging to the VAW-112 “Golden Hawks,” returned to NBVC Point Mugu on Aug. 9.

VAW-112 Golden Hawk 1

Launching from USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74), the squadron flew 428 missions in support of Freedom of Navigation Operations in the South China Sea, the Foal Eagle, Balikatan and RIMPAC Exercises during which its Hawkeyes acted as airborne command and control platforms, positioning themselves between the ship and the other aircraft to relay communications, identify and track air traffic and surface traffic, coordinate air to air refueling, handle aircraft emergencies and provide information from the battlefield to warfare commanders through data-link and satellite radio communications.

Total flight hours for the deployment were 1,618.

VAW-112 Golden Hawk 2

Shorealone Films photographer Matt Hartman went to NBVC Point Mugu to meet the “Golden Hawks” as they were welcomed home by family, friends and co-workers.

VAW-112 Golden Hawk 3

VAW-112 Golden Hawk 4

VAW-112 Golden Hawk 5

All images: Matt Hartman

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David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.
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