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Although not officially established until 1955, Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron One’s (VQ-1) heritage can be traced to four days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. A meeting held on 11 December 1941 to discuss the organization of a unit to develop radio countermeasures provided the genesis of the Navy’s electronic intelligence World War II “Cast Mike” operations and Cold War “Ferret” missions. These flights were conducted by various patrol squadrons until the October 1951 formation of the Special Products Division of the Air Operations Department at NAS Sangley Point, P.I. Flying four special electronics-equipped P4M-1Q Mercators, the unit monitored electronic emissions in the Far East while gathering vital intelligence data. The unit was reassigned to Airborne Early Warning Squadron One (VW-1) on 13 May 1953 as Detachment Able. On 1 June 1955, VW-l’s Det Able was reorganized into an independent command and Electronic Countermeasures Squadron One, and today’s VQ-1 was bom under the command of Lieutenant Commander E. R. Hall. The new squadron’s complement was increased to six P4Ms as the optempo expanded. On the night of 22 August 1956, a VQ-1 P4M-1Q was shot down by Communist Chinese fighters 32 miles off the
China coast. Sixteen crew members were on board the aircraft; only two bodies were recovered. The addition of two jet A3D-1Q Sky- warriors in November 1956 greatly increased VQ-l’s capabilities. In 1959, the squadron began acquiring the P2V-5F, but the Nep- tunes were abandoned in March 1960. During this era, VQ-1 operated two TV-2 Shooting Stars as instrument trainers, which were replaced by F9F-8T (TF-9J) Cougars. In I960, the WV-2Q (EC-121M) reported on board, and A3D-2Qs (EA-3B) replaced the IQs. VQ-1’S official title was changed in early 1960 to Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron One, and the
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unit moved to NAS Atsugi, Japan. On 23 July, the last 4M-1Q was retired from service. The increasing U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia brought about the establishment of EA-3B dets in Seventh Fleet carriers and later, Da NanS’ also a staging area for VQ-l’s EC-121Ms and LI -3B Batracks, after the squadron’s 1969 acquisition of the latter aircraft. On the afternoon of 14 April 1969, a Q-l EC-121M was shot down off the coast of North Korea by North Korean MiG fighters. All 30 crew members were 1 led in the attack over international waters. In June 1971, VQ-1 moved to NAS Agana, Guam, where it remains today. Three years later, the improved EP-3E Aries came on board, and the squadron has also operated the VA-3B, RA-3B, and TA-3B, as well as the UP-3 A and P-3A. In the all of 1976, VQ-l’s last EC-121 was transferred.
A night recovery on board USS Ranger (CV-61) on 21 November 1987 brought an end to VQ-l’s F.A-3B carrier operations. One year later, the squadron detached its final two Whales, ending an era for The Worldwatchers. However, VQ-1 continues to operate its EP-3s, providing passive electronic warfare support missions throughout the Pacific and as far west as Africa.