The 1990s followed with major changes to the air wing. The A-7Es were replaced by F/A-18 Hornets, and the SH-3 Sea Kings were replaced with SH-60s while the E-2Cs and the A-6Es received major upgrades. CVW-11's first deployment was 's maiden voyage, cruising around South America to its new home in California. The 1991 Gulf War accelerated CVW-11s training schedule and a deployment began in May 1991. En route to the Persian Gulf, CVW-11 participated in Operation Fiery Vigil, the evacuation from Subic Bay during the Mt Pinatubo eruptions in the Philippines.