Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron One (VQ-1), known as the World Watchers, deactivate on 31 March 2025. A deactivation ceremony was held at Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island (WA) on 28 March 2025.
As part of this process, VQ-1 is retiring its remaining aircraft. The final EP-3E Aries II (BuNo 159893), the Navy’s last electronic reconnaissance aircraft of its type, was retired on 12 February 2025. Additionally, the squadron’s last P-3C Orion (BuNo 161588), used for training and transport, will be retired in an informal ceremony at NAS Whidbey Island on 20 February 2025.
The deactivation of VQ-1 marks the end of an era in manned airborne signals intelligence for the US Navy. The EP-3E Aries II is being replaced by the MQ-4C Triton, a high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle operated by Unmanned Patrol Squadron (VUP) 19 Big Red (PE), currently operating from NAS Jacksonville (FL). A second squadron, VUP-11 Pegasus (LE), will be established in Fiscal Year 2026 at Whidbey Island.
Operational demands previously delayed VQ-1’s deactivation. A Navy directive issued on 18 July 2023, initially scheduled operations to cease by 30 September 2024, with deactivation on 31 March 2025. However, this timeline was adjusted due to ongoing mission requirements.
Established on 1 June 1955, VQ-1 has played a pivotal role in aerial reconnaissance and signals intelligence for nearly seven decades. Its deactivation reflects the Navy’s transition toward advanced unmanned systems to fulfill intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions.
Credit photos: VQ-1
The above article was taken from https://www.scramble.nl/military-news/sundown-for-fleet-air-reconnaissance-squadron-one
Station HYPO 
31 March 2025 at 22:57
This is sad. The only (small) ray of sunshine is I started my career as an AW in VP-11 before becoming a CTA. VP-11 was disestablished in ’97. Good to see the lineage continued even if it is a VUP.
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1 April 2025 at 01:31
I was not surprised to read this but nevertheless felt nostalga. I spent some of the best years of my Navy career flying with VQ-1 in southeast and east Asia from 1967 until 1969. “The Q” was composed of a wonderful group of men, led by Captain Marvin Duke, an Annapolis graduate and a former Navy football player. He was one of the best pilots (and leaders) I’ve ever flown with; thankfully, when one of the missions I was on was challenged by hostile Chinese MiG19s, he flew us out of that dangerous jam successfully. VQ-1 played an important role in saving Navy and USAF pilots lives during that period and even chalked up one kill, a North Vietnamese MiG-21, in cooperation with the Navy’s nuclear-powered cruiser, the USS Long Beach. For obvious reasons, that was a taboo topic in the officers’ club back at NAS Atsugi.
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1 April 2025 at 12:57
Another sharp stick in the eye of Intelligence……
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1 April 2025 at 13:03
I did not attend. I moved from whidbey to Chesapeake, va late last year
dennis
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