Attack Squadron 127 (VA-127) was a US Navy training squadron that operated for over 30 years, from the early 1960s until the arrival of the F/A-18 Hornet. It was established on June 15, 1962, at NAS Lemoore, California. Initially, it focused on advanced training for all-weather jet operations. The squadron was known as the “Royal Blues” until 1980 and then became the “Cylons” from 1981 onward. It changed its designation to VFA-127 on March 1, 1987, and was disbanded on March 23, 1996. Before it became Attack Squadron 127, the unit worked as VA-126 Detachment Alfa, providing basic training for West Coast pilots. After its establishment, VA-127’s role was to prepare pilots for advanced all-weather jet operations and to offer refresher training for light-jet attack pilots. The squadron began training with the TF-9J Cougar, but its role changed when the A-4 Skyhawk arrived. By the late 1960s, the Skyhawk became important to Attack Squadron 127’s mission.
In June 1970, the Navy named Attack Squadron 127 as its only A-4 Replacement Air Wing squadron. The new role turned VA-127 into more than just an instrument-training unit. The training program included weapons delivery, using both conventional and nuclear weapons, as well as airborne electronic countermeasures, low-level navigation, aerial refueling, defensive tactics, and carrier qualifications for day and night operations. Pilots and enlisted personnel trained on both A-4 and TA-4 models, and the squadron also provided jet transition and refresher training. VA-127’s training role expanded beyond the US Navy. In 1971, it started training Argentine Navy personnel on the A-4. It continued a program that had previously focused on American naval aviators. The same year, the squadron began training pilots from Singapore’s Air Defense Command, giving Attack Squadron 127 a more international role. In 1975, the squadron’s mission changed again when the Fleet Replacement Pilot training and the Fleet Replacement Aviation Maintenance Program ended. Attack Squadron 127 then focused on basic and refresher all-weather instrument training, foreign pilot training, and jet transition and refresher training. It also took on a more important role in air combat maneuvering.
In November 1975, the Chief of Naval Operations officially assigned Attack Squadron 127 to air combat maneuvering adversary training. Instead of mainly preparing pilots to join operational attack squadrons, the unit now prepared them to fight against different opponents in simulated air combat. On October 1, 1983, VA-127 stopped its instrument-training mission and started focusing on adversary training, which involved practicing dissimilar air combat maneuvers. In October 1987, Attack Squadron 127 moved from NAS Lemoore to NAS Fallon, Nevada. The squadron started flying the T-38B and QT-38A Talon, as well as the F-5E/F Tiger II. The lightweight Tiger II was ideal for training, allowing Navy pilots to practice against aircraft different from those they usually flew. The same year, on March 1, the squadron became Fighter Squadron 127 (VFA-127). In 1992, VFA-127 received the F/A-18 Hornet aircraft. It was a big shift from the A-4 Skyhawk and F-5 Tiger II that the squadron had used for most of its history. However, the squadron’s main job remained the same, and it continued training Navy and Marine Corps pilots for air combat. VFA-127 continued to operate from NAS Fallon as part of the Navy’s advanced adversary-training program until it was disbanded on March 23, 1996.
