VX-30

Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 30
Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 30
	VX-30 Insignia
Active	May 1995 - present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Navy
Type	Test & Evaluation
Role	RDT&E, Surveillance
Part of	Naval Air Systems Command
Garrison/HQ	NAS Point Mugu
Nickname(s)	"Bloodhounds"
Motto(s)	"Relentless Pursuit of Excellence"
Colors	Yellow, Black
Mascot(s)	Cerberus
Decorations	Chief of Naval Operations Aviation Safety Award (2010)
Commanders
Commanding Officer	CDR Sam Hanaki
Aircraft flown
Fighter	F-4 Phantom (retired) F-14 Tomcat (retired) F/A-18 Hornet (retired)
Reconnaissance	S-3 Viking, P-3 Orion
Transport	C-130

VX-30 Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 30 (AIRTEVRON THREE ZERO, nickname The Bloodhounds) is a United States Navy air test and evaluation squadron based at Naval Air Station Point Mugu, California. Using the tail code BH, they are the only squadron currently supporting the S-3B Viking platform, as well as flying Lockheed P-3 Orion and the Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft, in support of the United States Navy's Sea Test Range, off the shores of central California.

History

Aircraft Flown

Current aircraft

VX-30 is one of the most diverse squadrons in the Navy today, as its flight line encompasses three different Naval Aviation platforms. Each one of these platforms is used in various Research Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) of current and future weapons systems, which are being tested at Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division both at Point Mugu and China Lake.

C-130 / KC-130 Hercules

VX-30 uses the C-130 and KC-130 extensively as an aerial refueling platform for units that are conducting tests on the Sea Test Range, as well as for surveillance and clearance on during hazardous operations that are being conducted on the range as well. To this date, the squadron flies the oldest C-130s in active military history, dating back to 1957.

P-3 Orion

The squadron's most used aircraft is the P-3 Orion. These aircraft are used in conjunction with the testing on the Sea Test Range for surveillance and clearance, as well as providing telemetry data during missile testing. VX-30 also flies two of the fleet's only "Billboard" NP-3D, a P-3A that has been upgraded with a large billboard-esqe radar, that can provide over-the-horizon radar capabilities. The NP-3D aircraft were also used to support five NASA Space Shuttle missions using the Cast Glance optical system to monitor re-entry.

S-3 Viking

The newest acquisition on the flight line are the S-3 Viking. First appearing in late-2009, they are used for their surveillance capabilities on the Sea Test Range. Because of their agility and speed, they are able to much more quickly identify and locate various vessels which may impact the operations being conducted. In November 2010, VX-30 helped to celebrate the Centennial of Naval Aviation by sporting an S-3 with a paint scheme that dates back to aircraft that were flying during the Battle of Midway.^[1]^[2]