Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 121 (VAW-121), also known as the "Bluetails", is an Airborne Early Warning (AEW) and Command and control (C2) squadron of the United States Navy, operating the E-2D Hawkeye. Established in 1967, the squadron is based at NAS Norfolk. It is currently assigned to Carrier Air Wing 7 and deploys aboard the aircraft carrier . Squadron History 1960s Along with VAW-122, VAW-123 and VAW-120, VAW-121 was created out of the "super squadron" VAW-12 on 1 April 1967. Until then, VAW-12 had deployed 4-plane detachments to accompany carrier air wings. 1970s Unlike its siblings, VAW-121 flew the E-1B Tracer, until the mid-1970s. This was due to the fact there were still carriers in the fleet that were not capable of handling for the larger E-2 Hawkeye, principally and the Essex-class carriers. In 1977 VAW-121 made its first deployment as part of Carrier Air Wing Seven (CVW-7) on the newly commissioned . 1980s In 1980 VAW-121 deployed for 347 days at sea with Dwight D. Eisenhower/CVW-7 setting a modern-day record that would not be broken until the deployment of during Operation Enduring Freedom. In 1981 the squadron deployed for three months to NAS Keflavik, Iceland, in support of the Icelandic Defense Force. Upon their return, VAW-121 deployed to the North Atlantic for a large NATO exercise in which VAW-121 kept squadron aircraft continuously airborne for 23 days. The squadron returned to the Mediterranean Sea in January 1982 and was awarded its third consecutive Battle "E" and AEW Excellence Awards, both firsts for a VAW squadron. During this deployment, the squadron was involved in overseeing the evacuation of Americans from Beirut. Returning from the three-month winter deployment to Iceland, the squadron found themselves again in the North Atlantic conducting three CVBG operations with and , the later deploying with the new Sea Harrier. The 1983 Mediterranean deployment included contingency operations near Libya and periods of 95 and 92 consecutive days at sea in support of multi-national peacekeeping forces in the Eastern Mediterranean. 1990s March 1990 saw VAW-121 embark on USS Dwight D. Eisenhower for another Mediterranean deployment. This deployment was highlighted by 15 days of around the clock operations in the Red Sea in support of the initial phase of Operation Desert Shield when external AEW support was non-existent. Once again, in March 1991, VAW-121 was awarded both the Battle "E" and AEW Excellence Awards for 1990. In September