NWEF Albuquerque

Naval Weapons Evaluation Facility, Kirkland AFB, Albuquerque, NM

Point of Contact = Squadron Duty Officer (SDO). See FAQ/Research/Contact link under [SA] in the menu.





The Skyhawk Association NWEF website page is dedicated to Commander Henry Hooker Strong, Jr. Cdr Strong was the A-4 Project Officer [as a LT.] at NWEF in 1962-1963 and who, while CO of VA-212, was lost during a strike on the Ben Thuy road bridge three miles south of the city of Vinh on 25 May 1972. Cdr Strong's A-4F Skyhawk BuNo 155045, NP-301, operating from the USS Hancock was last seen by his wingman as he rolled in on the target. Several of the Skyhawks were hit and damaged by the intense flak that filled the air over the target. Some of the pilots thought they heard the Commander report "feet wet" as he crossed the coast but there was no sign of an ejection or wreckage. The most likely cause of the loss is that the aircraft was shot down by flak

Henry Hooker Strong, Jr. was born 27 February 1933 and resided in North Wales PA.

A Board of Inquiry was convened aboard the USS Hancock shortly after CDR Strong disappeared and determined there was a slight chance CDR Strong could have ejected from the crippled aircraft without being seen by other aircrews. However, he wouldn't have escaped detection and capture once on the ground. Because of this small chance for survival, the Board of Inquiry declared CDR Strong to be Missing in Action. CDR Strong was promoted to the rank of Captain during the period he was listed as MIA.




 
Naval Weapons Evaluation Facility,
(NWEF) Albuquerque, NM
Patch from G. Verver
 

Heritage-Patches

The Naval Weapons Evaluation Facility (NWEF) Albuquerque, NM began in 1949 as a Naval Air Detachment at Kirtland AFB created in response to the Navy's increasing involvement with nuclear weapons and was later expanded into the Naval Air Special Weapons Facility with a NOTS detachment providing technical staff. NWEF was formally established in 1961 with the combination of its military and technical sub elements to carry out special-weapons integration, safety engineering, operational evaluation, and Fleet support.

Sources

David Weber

Gary Verver

T.E. Woolcock

Commanding Officers

No info yet.

Awards

No info yet.

Base Tail ID

No info yet.

Hosted Units

No info yet

Aircraft

19xx - - - - - - - - Beechcraft U-8G Seminole

19xx - - - - - - - - Chance Vought A-7C Corsair II

19xx - - - - - - - - Chance Vought TA-7C Corsair II

19xx - - - - - - - - Douglas AD-6 Skyraider

195x - - - - - - - - Douglas A3D-1 (A-3A) Skywarrior *

16 April 1956- - - - Douglas A4D-1 (A-4A) Skyhawk *

9 August 1957- - - - Douglas A4D-2 (A-4B) Skyhawk *

18 February 1960 - - Douglas A4D-2N (A-4C) Skyhawk *

18 October 1962- - - Douglas A4D-5 (A-4E) Skyhawk *

17 May 1967- - - - - Douglas A-4F Skyhawk

20 March 1970- - - - Douglas TA-4F Skyhawk

30 January 1971- - - Douglas A-4M Skyhawk

19xx - - - - - - - - Douglas C-118B Liftmaster

19xx - - - - - - - - Douglas TA-4F Skyhawk

19xx - - - - - - - - Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk

19xx - - - - - - - - Grumman F9F-8T Cougar

19xx - - - - - - - - McDonnell/Douglas FA/18A Hornet

196x - - - - - - - - North American A3J-1/A-5A Vigilante

19xx - - - - - - - - North American FJ-4B/AF-1E  Fury

19xx - - - - - - - - Rockwell OV-10A Bronco

* November 30, 1962

A3D-1 designation changed to A-3A

A4D-1 designation changed to A-4A

A4D-2 designation changed to A-4B

A4D-2N designation changed to A-4C

A4D-5 designation changed to A-4E

For A-4 Skyhawk aircraft assigned to this unit see lower in this page:

Events

No info yet.

Photos

March 1958: NASWF Albuquerque A4D-1 Skyhawk BuNo 137830 in formation with USAF B-52 s/n 53-383. Naval Aviation News photo.

Circa 1958: View of NASWF FJ Fury, HSS-1 and A4D-1 Skyhawk BuNo 137827 that participated in Operation Plumbob which determined the response of Naval aircraft to a nuclear explosion. Naval Aviation News photo.

Circa 1958: Left side view of NASWF A4D-1 Skyhawk BuNo 137827 that participated in Operation Plumbob which determined the response of Naval aircraft to a nuclear explosion. Naval Aviation News photo.

Circa 1958: Left side view of NASWF A4D-1 Skyhawk BuNo 137827 as CDR Montunnas points to the Operation Plumbob insignia. Note the Danger Radiation sign. Naval Aviation News photo.

Circa 1958: NASWF Douglas photo of A4D-1 Skyhawk BuNo 137827. Left front view of Skyhawk BuNo 137827 with the Operation Plumbob insignia on the nose parked on the ramp next to BuNo 137831. Douglas photo.

Circa 1958: Upper right front view of NASWF A4D-1 Skyhawk BuNo 137831 in flight above the Hoover Dam - Lake Mead area. Naval Aviation News photo.

Left rear in-flight view of Naval Weapons Evaluation Facility A4D-2 Skyhawk BuNo 142818. Unknown via W. Mutza.

Left front view of Naval Weapons Evaluation Facility A-4C Skyhawk BuNo 145074 parked on the ramp. Unknown via W. Mutza.

NOV69: Left side view of Naval Weapons Evaluation Facility A-4C Skyhawk BuNo 145074 parked on the ramp. Nick Williams via Gary Verver.

NOV69: Left front view of Naval Weapons Evaluation Facility A-4C Skyhawk BuNo 145074 parked on the ramp with a Walleye on the center-line. Nick Williams.

Right side view of Naval Weapons Evaluation Facility A-4M Skyhawk BuNo 158148, parked on the flight line in the black white paint scheme. Unknown via Tailhook Association.

JUL74: Left front view of Naval Weapons Evaluation Facility A-4M Skyhawk BuNo 158148, parked on the flight line in the black white paint scheme. Unknown via Tailhook Association.

OCT78: Right side view of Naval Weapons Evaluation Facility TA-4F Skyhawk BuNo 152847, #02.  Another shot. Unknown via Gary Verver.

MAY78: Left front view of Naval Weapons Evaluation Facility TA-4F Skyhawk BuNo 152847, #02 at Kirtland AFB. Rob Mignard.

15JUN79: Right side view of Naval Weapons Evaluation Facility A-4M Skyhawk BuNo 160245, #05, parked the ramp. Bruce Trombecky via Tailhook Association.

09 JAN 1981: NWEF A-4M BuNo 160040, 09 January 1981 at Kirtland AFB. Photo by G. LeBaron.


Off-Duty Photos

No info yet.

A-4 Skyhawk aircraft assigned to this unit:

  • Douglas A4D-1 (A-4A) Skyhawk
    • 137820 C/N 11290
      • 04 Oct 1957 - NASWF - Kirtland AFB, NM
      • 28 Feb 1958 - NATC R&D - NAS Patuxent River, MD
    • 137827 C/N 11297
      • 16 Apr 1956 - NASWF - Kirtland AFB, NM
      • 15 Nov 1956 - BAR R&D - El Segundo, CA
      • 24 Mar 1957 - NASWF - Kirtland AFB, NM
      • 03 Sep 1957 - BAR R&D - El Segundo, CA
      • 13 Jan 1958 - NASWF - Kirtland AFB, NM
      • 22 Aug 1958 - BAR R&D - El Segundo, CA
    • 137831 C/N 11301
      • 13 Mar 1958 - NASWF - Kirtland AFB, NM
      • 22 Aug 1958 - BAR R&D - El Segundo, CA
    • 142170 c/n 11424
      • 24 Apr 1957 - NASWF - Kirtland AFB, NM
      • 12 Nov 1957 - NAMC - NAS Philadelphia, PA
  • Douglas A4D-2 (A-4B) Skyhawk
    • 142090 c/n 11344
      • 09 Aug 1957 - NASWF - Kirtland AFB, NM
      • 29 Mar 1960 - O&R BUWEPS FR - NAS Quonset Point, RI
    • 142682 c/n 11744
      • 01 Sep 1970 - NWEF - Kirtland AFB. NM
      • 20 Sep 1970 - Stricken - 3S
    • 142818 c/n 11880
      • 30 Nov 1961 - NWEF - Kirtland AFB, NM
      • 23 Jul 1964 - O&R BUWEPS FR - NAS Alameda, CA
      • 30 Jul 1964 - NWEF - Kirtland AFB, NM
      • 24 Apr 1969 - NWEF Kirtland - Convert to TA-4B
      • 24 Oct 1969 - NARF - NAS Jacksonville, FL
  • Douglas A4D-2N (A-4C) Skyhawk
    • 145074 c/n 12320
      • 18 Feb 1960 - NASWF - Kirtland AFB, NM
      • 23 Jul 1964 - O&R BUWEPS FR - NAS Alameda, CA
      • 02 Sep 1964 - NASWF - Kirtland AFB, NM AFB, NM
      • 02 Jul 1970 - NATF - NAS Lakehurst, NJ
      • 12 Mar 1976 - NWEF - Kirtland AFB, NM
      • 29 Mar 1976 - Stricken - 3SO
  • Douglas A4D-5 (A-4E) Skyhawk
    • 149654 c/n 12979
      • 18 Oct 1962 - NWEF - Kirkland AFB, NM
      • 24 Jul 1963 - USNMC RDT&E - NAS Point Mugu, CA
    • 150135 c/n 13188
      • 09 Jan 1969 - NWEF - Kirtland AFB, NM
      • 02 May 1974 - MARTD - NAS South Weymouth, MA
  • Douglas TA-4F Skyhawk
    • 152847 C/N 13493
      • 20 Mar 1970 - NWEF - Kirtland AFB, NM
      • 01 Jun 1971 - NWEF Kirtland - Convert to TA-4J
      • 18 Jun 1979 - NATC RDT&E - NAS Patuxent River, MD
  • Douglas A-4F Skyhawk
    • 154174 c/n 13631
      • 17 May 1967 - NWEF - Kirtland AFB, NM
      • 13 Jul 1967 - VA-192 - USS Ticonderoga
  • Douglas A-4M Skyhawk
    • 158148 c/n 14110
      • 15 Jan 1974 - NWEF - Kirtland AFB, NM
      • 05 Aug 1974 - NATF - NAS Lakehurst, NJ
    • 158154 c/n 14116
      • 30 Jan 1971 - NWEF - Kirtland AFB, NM
      • 16 Jun 1971 - VMA-324 - MCAS Beaufort, SC
    • 158185 c/n 14147
      • 17 Dec 1971 - NWEF - Kirtland AFB, NM
      • 18 Dec 1971 - Designated JA-4M
      • 02 Feb 1972 - Designated A-4M
      • 24 Feb 1972 - VMA-331 - MCAS Beaufort, SC
    • 158425 c/n 14247
      • 18 Jul 1986 – NWEF - Kirtland AFB, NM
      • 14 May 1987 – VX-5 - NAF China Lake, CA
    • 159481 c/n 14422
      • 03 Oct 1975 - NWEF - Kirtland AFB, NM
      • 03 Oct 1975 - VMA-223 - MCAS Yuma, AZ
    • 160245 c/n 14588
      • 20 Apr 1979 - NWEF - Kirtland AFB, NM
      • 16 Jan 1980 - NWC - NWC China Lake, CA

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