The Warhawks were established as Attack Squadron 97 (VA-97) on June 1, 1967. The squadron entered combat during the Vietnam War the following year, flying the A-7 Corsair II. During more than two decades with the A-7, the Warhawks completed numerous deployments and became the first squadron to achieve five years and more than 25,000 flight hours without a mishap in the aircraft.
In 1991, VA-97 transitioned to the F/A-18 Hornet and was redesignated VFA-97. The Warhawks subsequently participated in operations including Southern Watch, Restore Hope, Desert Fox, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and New Dawn. In 2013, the squadron transitioned from the F/A-18C Hornet to the F/A-18E Super Hornet.
In 2021, VFA-97 became the Navy's second strike fighter squadron to transition to the F-35C Lightning II, bringing fifth-generation carrier aviation capability to the Warhawks' long combat heritage. Today, the squadron continues to fly the F-35C, carrying forward a Naval Aviation legacy that began during the Vietnam era.
