Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron Nine (HS-9) was established at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, on 4 June 1976, equipped with the SH-3H Sea King. The Sea Griffins carried on the traditions of an earlier HS-9, which served from June 1956 to October 1968. After initial workups, HS-9 was assigned to Carrier Air Wing Eight (CVW-8) for the next IS years, making its first Mediterranean deployment on board the USS Nimitz (CVN-68). The Sea Griffins participated in the motion picture The Final Countdown while working up for their next deployment.
HS-9 returned to the Mediterranean in 1978 and 1979, and was diverted with the Nimitz to the Arabian Sea in January 1980 in response to the hostage crisis in Iran. During its 198182 deployment, HS-9 pioneered the "flex-deck" concept by operating detachments from the Nimitz to the nuclear powered guided-missile cruisers USS Texas (CGN-39) and Mississippi (CGN-40). From 1982 through 1987, HS-9 made four more deployments on board the Nimitz, operating in the Caribbean, Mediterranean. North and South Atlantic, and Eastern Pacific, and left the ships for the last time in July 1997 when the Nimitz was transferred to the U.S. Pacific Fleet.
The Sea Griffins accompanied CVW-8 when it transferred to the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), deploying to the North Atlantic in 1988 and to the Mediterranean in 1989.
Deploying to the Persian Gulf in January 1991 on board the Theodore Roosevelt, HS-9 distinguished itself during Operation Desert Storm combat operations against Iraqi forces. By this time, the squadron was equipped with night-vision goggles, the global positioning system, and the downed aviator locating system. HS-9 forward deployed detachments on the Spruance (DD-963)-class destroyers USS Leftwich (DD-984) and USS Oldendorf (DD-972) and located and destroyed 13 antiship mines. While supporting special operations forces, HS-9 crews captured 35 Iraqi prisoners of war. HS-9 also participated in Operation Provide Comfort, the effort to provide relief to Kurds in northern Iraq.
In October 1991, the Sea Griffins joined CVW-17 and deployed for the last time, to the Mediterranean on the USS Saratoga (CV-60). Before returning home in November 1992, the squadron participated in Operation Provide Promise in the Adriatic Sea off war-torn Bosnia. As part of the post-Cold War drawdown, HS-9 was disestablished on 30 April 1993.