| Unit Name: | VQ-5 Sea Shadows |
| Dates: | 15 August 1991 – 31 July 1999 |
| Country: | United States |
| Branch: | United States Navy |
| Type: | Fleet Air Reconnaissance |
| Garrison: | NAS Agana (1991–1995), NAS North Island (1995–1999) |
| Nickname: | Seashadows |
| Battles: | 1994 North Korean nuclear crisis Third Taiwan Strait Crisis Operation Desert Fox |
| Aircraft Electronic: | ES-3A Shadow |
Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron 5 (VQ-5) was a former squadron of the U.S. Navy that was established on 15 August 1991.[1] During its short-lived career, it was one of two squadrons assigned in the U.S. Navy to operate the ES-3A Shadow, which was a specialised version of the S-3 Viking used for over-horizon tracking and electronic intelligence.
In 1991, with the retirement of the EA-3B Skywarrior after 40 years of flying the US Navy,[2] the Navy prepared for the delivery of their new ES-3As. Before this, VQ-5 was established on 15 August of that year at NAS Agana, Guam, receiving their first 2 S-3A Vikings for pilot and crew training on 10 November 1991. On 8 May 1992, the first ES-3A was delivered to VQ-5, with ES-3A's VQ-5 Det. A, on board the, [3] becoming the first ES-3A unit to deploy on a carrier.[4]
Starting in 1994, VQ-5 operated in detachments were deployed to numerous carrier air wings. As part of a 7th Fleet directive that year, it assigned a two-plane permanently attached detachment (VQ-5 Detachment 5) to Carrier Air Wing 5 based in Japan with the Independence. Unlike CVW-5 which was based at NAF Atsugi, VQ-5 Det. 5 was based in NAF Misawa. During that same year, they participated in operations in the Western Pacific during the tensions in the Korean Peninsula.[5] VQ-5 also deployed to CVW-15 on board the during 1994 before their disestablishment in 1995.[6]
In 1995, with the impending closure of NAS Agana in Guam, the Sea Shadows moved to NAS North Island in San Diego. During the 1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis, VQ-5 was deployed on two carriers in the region, the USS Nimitz as well as the USS Independence.[7] Other deployments to carriers in the following years included CVW-14 and CVW-11 on board the,[8] as part of CVW-9,[9] with CVW-11 and CVW-14[10] and the with CVW-2.[11]
In 1998, VQ-5 made their last cruise ever as Detachment C deployed with the Carl Vinson and CVW-11 during Operation Desert Fox before returning in May 1999. VQ-5 never deployed again and remained back in North Island. In June 1999, a ceremony was held for the decommissioning of the squadron although they were officially inactivated on 31 July 1999.