VFC-13 Saint Adversary ‘Remove Before Flight’ Keychain

Description

VFC-13 Saint Adversary Remove Before Flight Key Rings — U.S. Navy Key Ring

The Fighting Saints — Fighter Squadron Composite 13

VFC-13 “Fighting Saints” is the U.S. Navy Reserve’s premier West Coast adversary squadron, providing the highest quality dissimilar air combat training (DACT) to Navy and Marine Corps fleet squadrons, carrier air wings, USAF units, and Canadian forces. Based at NAS Fallon, Nevada—the Navy’s primary location for carrier-based tactical aircrew training—the Fighting Saints use the radio callsign “Bogey” as they replicate advanced threat scenarios for America’s combat aviators.

The squadron traces its origins to 1 September 1973, when Fleet Composite Squadron Thirteen (VC-13) was established at NAS New Orleans during the post-Vietnam reorganization of the Naval Reserve. Initially flying F-8H Crusaders with personnel from former squadrons VSF-76 and VSF-86, VC-13 transitioned to A-4 Skyhawks in 1974 and relocated to NAS Miramar in 1976 to meet growing West Coast demand for adversary services. Redesignated VFC-13 in April 1988, the squadron operated F/A-18 Hornets before transitioning to the F-5E/F Tiger II in 1996 when it moved to NAS Fallon, taking over the adversary mission from VFA-127 “Desert Bogeys.” The Fighting Saints have earned two Battle “E” Efficiency Awards, consecutive CNO Safety Awards, and the Golden Wrench Maintenance Award.

In the 2020s, VFC-13 began transitioning from the F-5N to Block 32 F-16C Fighting Falcons acquired from the U.S. Air Force, providing more advanced fourth-generation threat simulation. The first F-16C arrived in October 2022, and by 2023 the squadron had completed its first SFARP exclusively with the new platform.

Perfect For: Current and former VFC-13 personnel, Navy and Marine Corps adversary aviators, F-5 and F-16 pilots, NAS Fallon-based aircrew, TOPGUN graduates, and aviation enthusiasts who appreciate the art of threat replication.

This Remove Before Flight key ring celebrates the Fighting Saints’ critical mission—training the fleet’s combat aviators against the most realistic threats possible.

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