U.S. Navy’s Premiere Advanced Training Squadron

By Russ Albertson

Lieutenant Junior Grade Wes Tanner breaks away from us landing at NAS Kingsville. (Russ Albertson)VT-21, the “Red Hawks,” is one of the US Navy’s premiere advanced training squadrons, located at NAS Kingsville in southern Texas.  Along with VT-22, this base is home to Training Air Wing 2 and provides advanced jet training for new Navy and Marine Aviators. 

VT-21 has its roots in training squadron ATU-202, which was established in 1951 flying the Grumman F-6F Hellcat.  ATU-202 was designated VT-21 in 1960 and since then the squadron has operated the Grumman F-9F Panther, Grumman F-9F8 Cougar, and the Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk. 

Presently the Red Hawks, along with VT-22, operate approximately 107 McDonnell Douglas/ British Aerospace T-45 Goshawks at NAS Kingsville. The Goshawk was chosen to replace the aging Rockwell T-2 Buckeye and the Douglas TA-4 Skyhawk. The T-45 is a British designed aircraft based on the Hawker Siddeley Hawk that was first flown in 1974 as an advanced jet trainer for the Royal Air Force.  In 1977, Hawker Siddeley merged with British Aerospace and continues to produce the Hawk.