Welcome to Official Website of the Patrol Squadron (VP) 45 Pelicans! "With combat ready aircraft and aircrews, we kill ships and submarines when directed."

Patrol Squadron 45 (VP-45) is a maritime patrol squadron of the United States Navy. The squadron was established on 1 November 1942 and is based at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, United States. Since 2014, VP-45 is equipped with the Boeing P-8 Poseidon aircraft.

Fully qualified and eager to deploy, VP-45 set a new precedent as the first East coast VP squadron to deploy to FIFTH and SEVENTH Fleet. Simultaneously forward deployed in five countries, the...

Aug 11, 2024 · To provide a wealth of information about arguably the consistently most outstanding U.S. Navy Patrol Squadron in history and to allow an avenue for former shipmates to reconnect and re-establish friendships.

VP-45 PBY-5 being salvaged at Casco Cove, August 1943. 10 March – April 1943: VP-45 was established at NAS Seattle, Washington, as a seaplane squadron flying the PBY-5 Catalina.The actual training of the squadron took place at NAS Whidbey Island, Washington, through mid-April 1943.During this period VP-45 came under the operational control of FAW-6.

Redesignated Patrol Squadron FORTY-FIVE (VP-45) on 1 September 1948, the third squadron to be as-signed the VP-45 designation. The squadron’s first insignia was submitted to CNO for approval in January 1944, and was approved on 1 February. The central character of the design was a sea monster wrapping its coils around a helpless.

VP-45 First Day. Commanding Officer Cmdr. Clayton E. Hunt. Cmdr. Clayton E. Hunt, a native of Alachua, Florida, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the United States Naval Academy in 2008 and was awarded a Master of Arts in Defense and Strategic Studies from the United States Naval War College in 2022. He was ...

Apr 18, 2017 · The "Pelicans" of Patrol Squadron 45 (VP-45) closed out a seven-month deployment to the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations (AOO) as the last P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft returned to...

VP-45, with twelve aircraft and nearly three hundred men, set up a ground school training program which showed the Middies the mission, need and capabilities of a seaplane squadron. This ground school training prepared the Midshipmen for their indoctrination flights in the Martin P5M Marlin seaplane.

VPNAVY is dedicated to the men and women of the United States Navy flying ASW VP/VPB Patrol Aircraft past and present. VPNAVY has attempted to collect every available piece of information via the InterNet.