Airborne Early Warning Squadron One (VW-1) was established on 18 June 1952 at NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii, where it flew the PB-1W. The PB-1W led the way for the WV-1 and WV-2 (later EC-121K) Warning Star, a modification of the Lockheed Super Constellation airliner. In 1954, it became the first operational squadron to be equipped with the WV-2.
VW-1’s primary mission was to provide airborne early warning to the U.S. Seventh Fleet. VW-1’s extensive commitments in the Western Pacific during the 1950s led to a home base change in 1957 to NAS Agana, Guam, after a brief assignment to NAS Moffett Field, California. These detachments to the Far East supported the air defense of the Nationalist Chinese government during the Taiwan Strait crisis.
In July 1961, VW-1 absorbed sister squadron VW-3 and assumed the secondary mission of weather reconnaissance, particularly typhoon tracking, with which the squadron came to be most identified. The squadron adopted the name Typhoon Trackers and performed in that role until 1971, using WV-3 (WC-121N) aircraft.
In 1965, VW-1 assumed the training role for all Pacific Fleet C-121 crews. That year the squadron also took on the TACAMO mission (strategic communications relay for fleet ballistic-missile submarines) from Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 21 (VR-21). Two C-130G (later EC-130G) Hercules communications aircraft were taken on charge until July 1968, when the TACAMO detachment was established as Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron Three (VQ-3).
The Tonkin Gulf Crisis in August 1964 led to the establishment of a VW-1 detachment at NAS Sangley Point in the Philippines to provide early warning coverage to units of the Seventh Fleet in the Tonkin Gulf during the Vietnam War. This detachment later moved to Chu Lai, South Vietnam, and then in 1969 to nearby Da Nang. The need for the detachment’s EC-121K, WC-12N, and EC-121P aircraft declined as the numbers of E-2 Hawkeyes increased on carriers deployed to Yankee Station.
VW-1 was disestablished on 1 July 1971, when its typhoon-tracking mission, some of its aircraft, and many of its personnel were absorbed by VQ-1.