Naval Air Station Oceana
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Naval Air Station Oceana is a United States Navy master jet base, located in the city of Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Home to sixteen fighter squadrons - two squadrons of F-14 Tomcats and thirteen of F/A-18 Hornets and F/A-18 Super Hornets. The base is the sole East Coast Master Jet Base and home to all the east coast fighter (VF) and strike-fighter (VFA) units (excluding Marine Corps squadrons). Training is conducted by VFA-106 Gladiators in their F/A-18C/D Hornets and F/A-18E/F Super Hornets. Tomcat training was conducted by the now disestablished VF-101 Grim Reapers.
During the 2005 round of BRAC base closures, it was decided that NAS Oceana could remain open only if certain conditions are met. The most contentious of these requirements is that the city of Virginia Beach buy and condemn approximately 3,400 residences and an unknown number of businesses in crash zones surrounding the base. The BRAC commission proposes moving the fighters to Cecil Field, a deactivated base which is located near Jacksonville, Florida if NAS Oceana does not meet that and several other conditions.
In October 2005, Jacksonville removed itself from the process, deciding against reopening Cecil Field as a Master Jet Base. On December 20, 2005 the Virginia Beach City Council passed numerous ordinances enacted to satisfy BRAC, but did not act to condemn any of the homes in the designated areas.
Squadrons
| F-14 Tomcats | F/A-18 Hornets |
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External links
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