The Golden Warriors were established as Attack Squadron 87 (VA-87) on February 1, 1968, flying the A-7 Corsair II. The squadron flew its first combat missions in March 1969, striking targets in South Vietnam. Over the following years, VA-87 operated extensively in the Mediterranean and Middle East, including support of U.S. interests during the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, the Iranian hostage crisis, peacekeeping operations in Lebanon, and Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada.
In 1986, VA-87 was redesignated VFA-87 and transitioned to the F/A-18 Hornet. The Golden Warriors went on to fly combat missions during Desert Storm, Southern Watch, Allied Force, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and Inherent Resolve. In June 2017, a VFA-87 pilot shot down a Syrian Su-22, recording the Navy's first air-to-air victory since the Gulf War and the first air-to-air kill by an F/A-18E Super Hornet.
VFA-87 transitioned to the F/A-18E Super Hornet in 2015. Today, the Golden Warriors continue to fly the single-seat F/A-18E, carrying forward a Naval Aviation legacy that began during the Vietnam War and has continued through decades of carrier-based combat operations.
