VQ-6

Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron 6 (VQ-6) was a former squadron of the U.S. Navy's Atlantic Fleet. During its short-lived career, it was the second of two squadrons to operate the ES-3A Shadow, an ELINT version of the Lockheed S-3 Viking.
History.
Early Years.
VQ-6 was founded on August 5, 1991 at NAS Cecil Field in Jacksonville, Florida. This was after the only carrier capable ELINT aircraft at the time, the EA-3B Skywarrior, was retired from service by VQ-2. After VQ-5 received the ES-3A in May 1992, VQ-6 became the second to receive the aircraft on August 19, 1992. A year later between April 13, 1993 and May 18, 1993, the squadron participated in workup trials on the USS "America" CV-66.
VQ-6 Detachment A made their first deployment on the USS "Saratoga" CV-60 between January 12 and June 24, 1994 as part of Carrier Air Wing 17 (CVW-17). This would be the only deployment they would make on the carrier. During their thirteen deployments, they participated in Operation Southern Watch as well as NATO operations in Bosnia from the USS "Theodore Roosevelt" CVN-71 and the "America". Other Carriers that VQ-6 deployed onboard included USS Washington CVN-73 (including its maiden cruise in 1994) as part of CVW-7 and CVW-1, USS "Dwight D. Eisenhower" CVN-69 as part of CVW-3, USS "John F. Kennedy" CV-67 with CVW-8 and the USS "John C. Stennis" CVN-74 during a world cruise with CVW-7 in 1998. During that cruise, the Stennis was featured in an episode of the Discovery Channel documentary series Extreme Machines.
Final Years.
During their last deployment, the squadron made their last deployment as Detachment A on the USS "Enterprise" CVN-65 as part of CVW-3, taking part in the strikes conducted in Operation Desert Fox.
On August 10, 1999, the last ES-3A were sent to AMARC at Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona. After this, on the 26th, a ceremony was held before the squadron was finally decommissioned on September 30, 1999.