Official USMC VMA(AW)-533 Hawks Decal

Description

Officially Licensed USMC VMA(AW)-533 Hawks Sticker — Marine All-Weather Attack Squadron 533 Vinyl Sticker

The Hawks of VMA(AW)-533—one of the Marine Corps’ elite all-weather attack squadrons that brought the A-6 Intruder’s devastating precision bombing capability to every climate and every conflict.

Marine All-Weather Attack Squadron 533 (VMA(AW)-533), the “Hawks” (also known as the “Nighthawks” and “Ed’s Angels”), was one of the United States Marine Corps’ premier all-weather attack squadrons, operating the Grumman A-6 Intruder—the twin-engine, two-seat medium attack bomber that gave the Navy and Marine Corps the ability to deliver precision ordnance in any weather, day or night, when all other tactical aircraft were grounded. The A-6 Intruder’s Digital Integrated Attack Navigation Equipment (DIANE) system made it the most capable all-weather attack platform of its era.

VMA(AW)-533 was activated on 1 June 1962 and deployed to Vietnam, where the Hawks flew A-6A Intruders on some of the most dangerous and complex bombing missions of the war—striking targets in North Vietnam, along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, and in support of Marine ground forces during the Battle of Khe Sanh and the Tet Offensive. The Intruder’s ability to navigate at low altitude in instrument meteorological conditions and deliver ordnance with pinpoint accuracy made VMA(AW)-533 one of the most valuable squadrons in the Marine air arsenal during monsoon seasons when other aircraft could not fly.

The A-6 Intruder served the Marine Corps from 1964 until the type’s retirement in 1993, and VMA(AW)-533 was among the squadrons that operated the aircraft throughout its illustrious career. The Hawks deployed to the Western Pacific, participated in numerous exercises and operational deployments, and maintained the Marine Corps’ all-weather deep strike capability during the Cold War. The Intruder community’s legacy of flying into the worst weather to deliver ordnance on target established a tradition of precision attack that lives on in today’s F/A-18 and F-35 communities.

Perfect For: VMA(AW)-533 Hawks members and veterans, A-6 Intruder community members, Marine Corps all-weather attack aviation enthusiasts, Vietnam War Marine aviators, and collectors of classic Marine Corps squadron memorabilia.

The Hawks of VMA(AW)-533—masters of all-weather attack, flying the mighty Intruder through the worst skies on earth to put bombs on target when no one else could.

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