The Stingers were established as Fighter Squadron 113 (VF-113) on July 15, 1948. Flying the F4U Corsair, the squadron participated in the first U.S. Navy strikes of the Korean War before later transitioning to the F9F Panther and Cougar. In March 1956, VF-113 was redesignated VA-113 and transitioned to the A-4 Skyhawk, beginning a new chapter as an attack squadron.
The Stingers flew combat missions during the Vietnam War in both the A-4 Skyhawk and A-7 Corsair II, including operations during Linebacker II. On March 25, 1983, VA-113 was redesignated VFA-113 and transitioned to the F/A-18 Hornet. In 1985, VFA-113 and VFA-25 made the first operational carrier deployment of the F/A-18 Hornet, marking an important milestone in Naval Aviation history.
After more than three decades flying variants of the Hornet, VFA-113 transitioned to the F/A-18E Super Hornet beginning in 2015. Today, the Stingers continue to fly the single-seat F/A-18E, carrying forward a Naval Aviation legacy spanning the Korean War, Vietnam, and modern combat operations.
