Collection: VFA-125 Rough Raiders

The Rough Raiders were established as VFA-125 on November 13, 1980, at NAS Lemoore, California, becoming the U.S. Navy's first F/A-18 Hornet squadron. VFA-125 received its first Hornets in 1981 and served as the West Coast Fleet Replacement Squadron, training pilots and maintenance personnel for the Navy's growing F/A-18 community.

For three decades, the Rough Raiders played a central role in preparing aircrew and maintainers for service in operational Hornet squadrons. In 2010, VFA-125 was deactivated and its F/A-18 training mission was incorporated into VFA-122. The Rough Raiders name returned when VFA-125 was reestablished at NAS Lemoore in 2017 as the Navy's West Coast Fleet Replacement Squadron for the F-35C Lightning II.

Today, VFA-125 trains Navy and Marine Corps pilots to operate the carrier-based F-35C Lightning II. As the Navy's F-35C Fleet Replacement Squadron, the Rough Raiders play a critical role in preparing aviators for fifth-generation carrier aviation, continuing a training mission that began with the introduction of the F/A-18 Hornet more than four decades ago.