The Fighting Blacklions were established as Fighter Squadron 213 (VF-213) on June 22, 1955, at NAS Moffett Field, California. The squadron began flying the F2H Banshee before transitioning to the F4D Skyray, F3H Demon, and eventually the F-4 Phantom II. During the Vietnam War, the Blacklions completed six combat deployments, flying more than 11,500 combat missions and delivering more than 6,000 tons of ordnance.
In 1976, VF-213 transitioned to the F-14A Tomcat, beginning nearly three decades with one of Naval Aviation's most iconic fighters. The Blacklions flew the Tomcat during operations including Praying Mantis, Desert Storm, Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. In 2001, VF-213 helped lead the first strikes into Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. The squadron later flew the F-14D and participated in the final operational deployment and combat missions of the Tomcat.
In 2006, the Blacklions transitioned to the two-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet and were redesignated VFA-213. The squadron subsequently flew combat missions during Operations Enduring Freedom and Inherent Resolve, including leading the first coalition strike into Syria against ISIS in 2014. Today, VFA-213 continues to fly the F/A-18F Super Hornet, carrying forward more than seven decades of Fighting Blacklion history.
