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23 February 2025 Military Aviation » Naval Aviation » US/Canada » US Navy » Misc.  
 

US Navy – Misc

The following is a list of US Navy helicopters, that were visible on deck or operated to Malta. Occasionally an aircraft may visit in connection with a USN ship in harbour.
        
 


Kaman H-2 Sea Sprite


SERIAL/S SQUADRON SHIP DATE/NOTES
__9017   USS America 01.08.67.
__9771   USS Roosevelt 25.11.67.
__0181/31/HU HC-2 USS Roosevelt 10.04.71
__9770/20   USS Independence 29.01.68. Also seen departing Luqa on 29.06.68. (Aircraft information courtesy of Godfrey Mangion, from his Aviation MT Facebook page.)
__0175   USS Forrestal 19.09.68
150172/56/HT   USS Galveston Made an emergency landing on shore on 23.09.69. Most probably repaired on site. Helicopter was participating in rescue operations after a tanker, the Angel Gabriel, had run aground at Il-Gzira Point, limits of Marsascala due to a severe north-easterly gale.
152200   USS Springfield At Luqa during Jan-Jun 1966.
155204/124/HU HC-2 USS John F. Kennedy 14.01.71

        
 

Si. SH-3 Sea King


SERIAL/S SQUADRON SHIP DATE/NOTES
156499/007/AA HS-11 USS Forrestal 10.01.70
156502/___/AA HS-11 USS Forrestal 10.01.70
156500/000/AA HS-3 USS Forrestal 02.02.71
156503/003/AA HS-3 USS Forrestal 01.02.71
156505/505/AA HS-3 USS Forrestal 08.02.71
132700/443/AT HS-5 USS Wasp 09.02.71, ‘A’ variant.
______/442/AT HS-5 USS Wasp 06.02.71, ‘A’ variant.
        
 


Si. SH-60 Sea Hawk

SERIAL/S SQUADRON SHIP DATE/NOTES
163238/HQ   John L. Hall Ship was in harbour to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the awarding of the George Cross to Malta. Helicopter stayed on board ship.
163595/HP-447 HSL-44 'Swamp Foxes' Simpson FFG 56 Operated flights to Luqa on 15.11.00
164848 HSL-48 Monterey  
166322/41/BR HSC-28 Mount Whitney 28.09.09
166778 HSC-28 Mount Whitney 23.09.11
167847/37/BR HSC-28 Mount Whitney The ship entered Grand Harbour on Sunday morning, 09.02.20. Helicopter type is an MH-60S Knighthawk. (Information courtesy of John Visanich.)
        
 

Various types

AIRCRAFT SERIAL/S SQUADRON SHIP NOTES
?     Donner (LSD 20) 8 helicopters (probably Sikorsky H-34 Choctaw) from this ship stayed at Luqa between 05-13.09.64. Donner would again anchor at Malta with the USS San Marcos LSD-25 in 1967.
B/V UH-46A 150967 Hutron 4 Sylvannia At Luqa during Jan-Jun 1966.
B/V CH-46 Sea Knight 152492 HC-6/DET.86 Concord Helicopter noted on ship when in Grand Harbour. (Aircraft sighting details courtesy of the late Godfrey Mangion, from his Aviation MT Facebook page.)
B-V CH-46 153411/10/HW   Concord Noted on 25.10.69
D. A-1 Skyraider       Noted on Park 4 on 17.05.67. No other details known. (Aircraft sighting details courtesy of the late Godfrey Mangion, from his Aviation MT Facebook page.)
D. EA.1F Skyraider 132506/752 VAQ-33 John F. Kennedy Arrival date unknown, but departed on 22.11.69. Ship had not entered harbour. (Aircraft sighting details courtesy of the late Godfrey Mangion, from his Aviation MT Facebook page.)
D. A-3 Skywarrior 8     Noted at Luqa on 02.07.68. These aircraft were devoid of any squadron markings or full serials, with just the star-and-bar and usually a single digit serial. Known to have come from Rota in Spain. (Aircraft sighting details courtesy of the late Godfrey Mangion, from his Aviation MT Facebook page.)
D. A-3 Skywarrior 138963/412/AG     Noted at Luqa Airport on 20.08.68. Ship unknown. (Aircraft sighting details courtesy of the late Godfrey Mangion, from his Aviation MT Facebook page.)
D. A-3 Skywarrior 142244/002/ZR VAH-10 Independence Aircraft noted at Luqa on 02.10.70. (Aircraft sighting details courtesy of the late Godfrey Mangion, from his Aviation MT Facebook page.)
D. EA-3B Skywarrior 2 VQ-2 Landed at Luqa on 03.05.69. As was normal for visits by this aircraft type, aircraft was devoid of any markings except for a star and strip and the a single/double digit serial one the nose and fin. (Aircraft sighting details courtesy of the late Godfrey Mangion, from his Aviation MT Facebook page.)
D. C-118A 152688/7V c/n 44627. Previously 53-3256 with the US AF. Re-registered N203CM to Circle M. Aviation Ltd on 31.12.86. According to www.rzjets.net, it is on display at the Toncontin International Airport, Tegucigalpa, Honduras. (Aircraft sighting courtesy of the late Godfrey Mangion, from his Aviation MT Facebook page.)
D. C-118 152689/7D     Noted at Luqa on 19.07.69. (Aircraft sighting details courtesy of the late Godfrey Mangion, from his Aviation MT Facebook page.)
Gr. A-6 Intruder 155640/503/AC VA-75 'The Sunday Punchers' Saratoga Aircraft noted on 14.07.70. (Aircraft sighting details courtesy of the late Godfrey Mangion, from his Aviation MT Facebook page.)
Gr. A-6 Intruder     F.D.R. Aircraft noted on 26.02.71. Aircraft sighting details courtesy of the late Godfrey Mangion, from his Aviation MT Facebook page.)
Gr. C-1A Trader __6025 VR-24   Departed Luqa on 27.09.68, arrival date unknown. (Aircraft sighting details courtesy of the late Godfrey Mangion, from his Aviation MT Facebook page.)
Gr. C-1A 146028 VR-24   c/n 58. Seen on 09.05.69. (Aircraft sighting details courtesy of the late Godfrey Mangion, from his Aviation MT Facebook page.)
Gr. C-1A 146034 VR-24   c/n 64. Seen on 09.05.69. (Aircraft sighting details courtesy of the late Godfrey Mangion, from his Aviation MT Facebook page.)
Gr. C-1 Trader __6048 VR-24   (Aircraft sighting details courtesy of the late Godfrey Mangion, from his Aviation MT Facebook page.)
Gr. C-2A Greyhound 155123/123/JM VR-24 Aircraft noted departing on 15.07.70. (Aircraft sighting details courtesy of the late Godfrey Mangion, from his Aviation MT Facebook page.)
Gr. C-2 Greyhound 155124 VR-24   Landed at Luqa on 19.09.68. (Aircraft sighting details courtesy of the late Godfrey Mangion, from his Aviation MT Facebook page.)
Gr. C-2A Greyhound 162159/46 Gerald R. Ford Two visits on 11.08.23 ferrying a delegation between the airport and the carrier. Aircraft had also visited Luqa back in April 1989.

(Aircraft sighting details courtesy of John Visanich, from his Malta Airport Movements Facebook page.)
Gr. C-2A Greyhound 162172/26/JM     Seen on 29.06.90 & 05.07.90.
Gr. E-1B Tracer 148136/706/AE Photographed departing Luqa on 10.02.70, the aircraft was based on the USS F. D. Roosevelt. (Aircraft sighting courtesy of the late Godfrey Mangion, from his Aviation MT Facebook page.)
Gr. E-2 Hawkeye Two different aircraft seen at Park 2. Full serials and date of sighting unknown, but had ‘761’ and ‘763’ on the nose. (Aircraft sighting courtesy of the late Godfrey Mangion, from his Aviation MT Facebook page.)
Gr. S-2 Tracker 153582/115/AT VS-22 Wasp Same day arrival & departure at Luqa on 10.02.71. (Aircraft sighting details courtesy of the late Godfrey Mangion, from his Aviation MT Facebook page.)
Gr. WF-2 Tracer 147235 VAW-12   Noted at Luqa on unknown date in 1960.
        
 

 

AIRCRAFT SERIAL/S SQUADRON SHIP NOTES
L. C-130F Hercules 149797/JM VR-24   Departed Luqa on 17.01.71. (Aircraft sighting details courtesy of John Visanich, from his Malta Airport Movements Facebook page.)
L. C-130 __5314   Kearsarge August 2002
L. C-130T 164993/CW VR-54   Noted at Luqa on 27.04.98.

(Aircraft sighting details courtesy of John Visanich, from his Malta Airport Movements Facebook page.)
L. C-130T 164996/RU-996 VR-55   c/s CVN 6522, noted on 22.12.22. This may have been in connection with the presence of the USNS survey ship Bruce C. Heezen.
L. C-130 165313     Same day arrival/departure on 29.09.22. This may have been in connection with the presence of the USNS survey ship Bruce C. Heezen.
L. C-130T 165378/378/JW VR-62 USS San Jacinto Aircraft, c/s CVN6527, arrived/departed at Luqa on 27.06.22. Ship had entered on the 26th. This particular aircraft was equipped with the new generation 8-bladed props although retaining the Allison T56 turboprop engines. (Sighting details courtesy of John Visanich.)
L. C-130T Hercules 165379/379/BD   Mount Whitney c/s CNV6072, arrived on 13.03.12 in connection with the ship, which had entered Grand Harbour for maintenance.
L. P2V-7 Neptune 147947/23/LB VP-7   Seen on 08.12.68 landing at Luqa. Departure date unknown. The aircraft was again seen on 31.01.69. (Aircraft sighting details courtesy of the late Godfrey Mangion, from his Aviation MT Facebook page.)
L. P2V-7 148341/31/LH VP-21   Date unknown, but as it was noted landing at Hal Far due to Luqa being closed for runway re-surfacing, this would date it between January – March 1969. Seen again on 25.04.69. (Aircraft sighting details courtesy of the late Godfrey Mangion, from his Aviation MT Facebook page.)
L. SP-2H 148362/23/LJ VP-23   Exact date of sighting unknown, but year is 1969.

(Aircraft sighting details courtesy of John Visanich, from his Malta Airport Movements Facebook page.)
L. P.3A Orion 152177/30/LM VP-44 c/n 5147. Landed at Luqa on 25.01.70.

(Aircraft sighting details courtesy of the late Godfrey Mangion, from his Aviation MT Facebook page.)
L. P-3 Orion 152758/LD VP-10 c/n 5201. Noted landing at Luqa on 10.06.71. After withdrawal from service and storage at Tucson, AZ. And scrapped by HVF West.(Aircraft sighting details courtesy of the late Godfrey Mangion, from his Aviation MT Facebook page.)
L. P.3B HW Orion 153448/34/LK VP-26 c/n 5244. Noted at Hal-Far on 25.01.69, as Luqa was undergoing runway re-surfacing at the time. Soc 018.01.03. At one time considered for transfer to Pakistan, but apparently offer was not taken up. (Aircraft sighting details courtesy of the late Godfrey Mangion, from his Aviation MT Facebook page.)
L. P-3C-AIP Orion 162775 VP-4 Skinny Dragons c/n 5801. Seen at Luqa on 01.02.15. Aircraft was built as a P-3C III, converted to AIP standard. WFU 2017. (Aircraft sighting courtesy of the late Godfrey Mangion, from his Aviation MT Facebook page.)
McD F-4 Phantom       Noted on Park 4 on 17.05.67. No other details known. (Aircraft sighting details courtesy of the late Godfrey Mangion, from his Aviation MT Facebook page.)
______/112/AC McD F-4J Phantom VF-31 Saratoga Landed at Luqa on 12.07.70. (Aircraft sighting details courtesy of the late Godfrey Mangion, from his Aviation MT Facebook page.)
McD F-4J Phantom 155824/213/AC VF-103 Saratoga Noted at Luqa airport on 18.07.70, but ship hadn’t enter Harbour. (Aircraft sighting details courtesy of the late Godfrey Mangion, from his Aviation MT Facebook page.)
McD F-4J Phantom 155826/200/AC VF-103 Saratoga Noted at Luqa airport on 18.07.70, but ship hadn’t enter Harbour. (Aircraft sighting details courtesy of the late Godfrey Mangion, from his Aviation MT Facebook page.)
Northrop/Grumman MQ-8B 168441-17, 168452-28, ______-26   Simpson It is believed this is the first time that drone helicopters were seen on board a ship in Malta.
Si. UH-34 Sea Horse __3935/44/HW HC-6   Noted on 07.09.69.
Si. CH-53 ___540 HC-4   Seen on 27.09.91 & 04.10.91.
S. S-58 143935/HW HC-6   Landed at Luqa Malta on 07.09.69. Ship unknown. (Aircraft sighting details courtesy of the late Godfrey Mangion, from his Aviation MT Facebook page.)
S. C-26 910502     Same day arrival/departure on 11.02.20 in connection with USS Mount Whitney being in harbour.
S. C-26 900528     Same day arrival/departure on 09.01.19, with another visit as CNV6781 on the 12th, probably in connection with the visit of the USS Arlington
S. C-26 900530     Same day arrival/departure on 19.01.18 as CNV6581. The USS Mount Whitney entered harbour on the same day.
S. C-26 900531     Arrived on 19.01.18 as CNV6593, departing on the 20th as CNV6583. Returned on the 21st as CNV6601, departure date unknown. The USS Mount Whitney was in harbour at the time.
        
 
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