VX - 9 VX - 9 . Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Nine , ( " AIRTEVRON NINE " , commonly referred to by its nickname , " The Vampires " ) is a United States Navy air test and evaluation squadron based at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake , California . Using the tail code " XE " , the squadron operates numerous aircraft and helicopters of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps . History . Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Nine ( VX - 9 ) , originally Air Development Squadron Five ( VX - 5 ) , was commissioned on June 18 , 1951 at Naval Air Station Moffett Field , California , with 15 officers , 100 enlisted men , and nine AD Skyraider aircraft . The squadron was under the operational control of Operational Development Force ( now Commander Operational Test and Evaluation Force ) , was assigned to develop and evaluate aircraft tactics and techniques for delivery of airborne special weapons . In the 1970s , the squadron was renamed Air Test and Evaluation Squadron FIVE , but retained its VX - 5 designation . Over the years , VX - 5 has maintained numerous detachments around the U . S . to take full advantage of the variety and diversity of facilities available , and to help keep the Squadron abreast of the latest fleet tactics . These detachments have included NAS Oceana , Virginia ; Naval Weapons Evaluation Facility at Kirtland AFB , New Mexico ; NAS Whidbey Island , Washington ; and the former NAS Sanford , Florida . In July 1956 VX - 5 moved to the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake , California , as an independent tenant command because of the availability of vastly improved ranges and instrumentation facilities . In January 1985 , the VX - 5 Detachment at Whidbey Island , which oversaw developments relating to the EA - 6B weapon system , was relocated to China Lake . Since then , temporary detachments have been made nationwide from Alaska to Florida , as required to test airborne weapons in a variety of conditions . The squadron have , due to changes and improvements in Navy weapon system , evolved over the years to include independent operation test and evaluation of all air - dropped munitions destined for operational use of the US Navy and US Marine Corps as well as development of tactics to be used with the new weapon system , and incorporation of electronic warfare advances into the self - defense capability of attack aircraft . In June 1993 , the Chief of Naval Operations directed that the naval fighter aircraft community ' s Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Four VX - 4 at NAS Point Mugu , California and VX - 5 to be merged into a single operational test and evaluation squadron to be designated as VX - 9 , with a permanent F - 14 Tomcat Detachment to be located at Point Mugu . This initiative was launched as part of the " right - sizing " reductions of U . S naval forces in the aftermath of the Cold War . Current operations . Today , VX - 9 has 67 officers , 350 enlisted personnel and 28 aircraft including the F / A - 18E / F Super Hornet , F / A - 18 Hornet , EA - 6B Prowler , AV - 8B Harrier , and AH - 1 Cobra . Until the retirement of the F - 14 Tomcat , the unit had 4 F - 14As , 3 F - 14Bs and 4 F - 14Ds . Typically , aircrews are qualified in more than one of these aircraft types which increases their versatility and provides a broader base of expertise that can be applied to each project . VX - 9 ' s mission has grown to include the operational evaluation of attack , fighter , and electronic warfare aircraft , weapons systems and equipment , and to develop tactical procedures for their employment .