- Yes
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Unlike the standard low-visibility grey paint scheme used on most fleet Super Hornets, this livery features dark blue tails with yellow trim, yellow squadron markings, and yellow modex numbers. The aircraft carries modex 200/300/301 and serves as the squadron’s CAG/show bird.
VFA-83 Insignia
VFA-83 history
VFA-83’s most recent deployment was 2023-2024, striking Houthi targets over Yemen as part of what the Navy eventually named Operation Poseidon Archer. This particular jet deployed with the squadron aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) for that cruise, so there’s a good chance it saw combat sorties itself, though I haven’t found tail-number-specific confirmation of individual strikes.
VFA-83 was originally established in 1950 as VF-916 the “Roaring Bulls” a reserve unit out of NAS Squantum in Massachusetts flying F4U Corsairs, they got called to active duty and deployed in the Mediterranean Sea in early 1951 and later picked up F9F Panthers. In February 1953 they were redesignated VF-83, then in 1955 became an attack squadron, VA-83, and finally settled on the “Rampagers” name and insignia.
in 1988 the Squadron was once again redesignated to VFA-83 for the switch away from A-7’s to multirole aircraft/missions with the F/A-18.
VFA-83 has a extensive mission history in the middle east taking part in many operations from Operation El Dorado Canyon in 1986 using A-7’s through Desert Storm, Operation Southern Watch, the Iraq War, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Inherent Resolve against ISIS, to the most recent deployment against Houthis in 2023-2024 being part of the initial opening strikes, and flying over 1000 combat sorties using F/A-18E/F’s during Operation Poseidon Archer.
