The VFA-201, Strike Fighter Squadron was an aviation unit of the United States Naval Reserve based at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas (USA). It was established in 1970 as part of Reserve Carrier Air Wing 20 (CVWR-20) and deactivated in 2007. During its service VFA-201 could be identified by the tail code "AF" and nose numbers (MODEX) in the "100" series, typically 100 to 113. The squadron's nickname was the Hunters. History The United States Naval Reserve fighter squadron VF-201 was established at NAS Dallas on 25 July 1970, succeeding VF-124D1. It first flew the Vought F-8H Crusader, and in 1976 it transitioned to the McDonnell Douglas F-4N Phantom II. In 1984, the squadron transitioned to the F-4S Phantom II, the most advanced Phantom to enter service with the United States Navy. Soon the U.S. Navy moved to the policy that reserve units would have the same equipment as front line units, VF-201 transitioned to the Grumman F-14A Tomcat in early 1987 and was the last Navy squadron to fly the F-4. It took six months to complete the transition and soon VF-201 was carrier qualified on board the aircraft carrier . Even some of the F-14As received came directly from the production line at Grumman, and the unit received the final F-14A ever built. Within years the squadron was capable of dropping unguided bombs, cluster munitions TALD decoys, air laid mines, practice bombs, marker flares and various laser-guided bombs as the F-14 was reconfigured as a strike fighter. In 1993 they won the Battle “E” award and in 1994 the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Safety “S” award. The strike capability of the F-14 has been proven in exercises such as the deployment the squadron made to NAS Fallon in 1995 as part of training for the reserve air wing CVWR-20. Later the unit would also be able to conduct TARPS reconnaissance missions, which were originally carried out by VF-202. But as some front line F-14 squadrons saw disestablishment during the 1990s, so did the two reserve fighter squadrons and VF-202 was disestablished. Due to budgetary cutbacks in active fleet aggressor squadrons, VF-201 also began flying as aggressors when needed. In 1996 VF-201, along with the rest of RCVW-20, deployed on the , during this deployment VF-201 had the opportunity to fire live weapons. The unit fired 7 AIM-9 Sidewinders, 6 AIM-7 Sparrows and 1