VF - 194 Fighter squadron VF - 194 " Red Lightnings " was an aviation unit of the United States Navy . It was established in 1952 and disestablished in 1978 . It was reactivated for a short time again between 1986 and 1988 . Squadron lineage . The US Navy does not recognize the tradition of squadrons once they have been disestablished . Therefore , even if there is a squadron with the same designation and nickname , it is officially a totally new squadron . Three different squadrons have been designated VF - 194 since 1948 . VF - 194 Main Battery ( 1950 - 1955 ) . The first VF - 194 was established on 15 July 1948 as VF - 153 " Thundercats " , flying the Grumman F8F - 2 Bearcat . On 15 February 1950 the squadron was redesignated VF - 194 and changed its nickname to " Main Battery " . In 1951 this VF - 194 transitioned to the Douglas AD - 2 Skyraider which it flew through various marks until being equipped with the Grumman A - 6 Intruder in 1966 . As an attack squadron it was redesignated VA - 196 on 4 May 1955 . It was finally disestablished on 21 March 1997 . VF - 194 Yellow Devils ( 1955 - 1958 ) . On 18 May 1955 a second VF - 194 was established , nicknamed the " Yellow Devils " . It was equipped with the McDonnell F2H - 3 Banshee and made a single deployment to the Western Pacific on the aircraft carrier from August 1957 to April 1958 as part of Air Task Group 3 ( ATG - 3 ) . Only eight days after the end of this deployment VF - 194 and ATG - 3 were disestablished on 10 April 1958 . VF - 194 Red Lightnings ( 1952 - 1977 and 1986 - 1988 ) . The U . S . Navy fighter squadron VF - 194 was established as VF - 91 on 26 March 1952 and equipped with the Grumman F9F - 2 Panther . The squadron was assigned to Carrier Air Group 9 ( CVG - 9 ) and made its first deployment on the from December 1952 to August 1953 to Korea and the Western Pacific . In 1954 the squadron exchanged their Panthers for the swept wing Grumman F9F - 6 Cougar . Between 11 May 1954 and 12 December 1954 VF - 91 circumnavigated the world aboard the . From February to June 1956 VF - 91 made its next deployment on the , this time equipped with the F9F - 8 Cougar . The F9F - 8s were replaced by the North American FJ - 3 Fury in 1957 and the squadron made a Western Pacific cruise aboard the between September 1957 and April 1958 . In 1959 VF - 91 transitioned to the Vought F - 8C Crusader and made three deployments aboard the between 1960 and 1963 . On 1 August 1963 VF - 91 was redesignated VF - 194 and reassigned to Carrier Air Wing Nineteen . Between 1964 and 1973 VF - 194 made eight deployments to the Vietnam War , two aboard the ( 1964 , 1965 / 66 ) , two aboard the " Ticonderoga " ( 1966 / 67 , 1967 / 68 ) and the last four aboard the " Oriskany " . During these deployments the squadron flew the F - 8E from 1965 to 1968 and then the F - 8J . After the end of the US involvement in Vietnam in 1973 , VF - 194 made another two cruises to the Western Pacific aboard the " Oriskany " . VF - 194 and its sister squadron VF - 191 were the last US Navy fighter squadrons equipped with the F - 8 Crusader . When the " Oriskany " was retired as the last active Essex - class carrier , VF - 194 received the McDonnell Douglas F - 4J Phantom in 1976 . Together with VF - 191 the squadron was reassigned to Carrier Air Wing Fifteen . However , after only one deployment aboard the the squadron was disestablished on 1 March 1978 . On 1 December 1986 a new VF - 194 was established , which claimed the unit ' s name and markings . After training with VF - 124 the squadron was due to deploy on board the flying the Grumman F - 14A Tomcat as part of CVW - 10 . However , VF - 194 was disbanded on 30 April 1988 , before the cruise could take place .