VQ-4

Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron FOUR (VQ-4), also known as the "Shadows," was established in July 1968 to provide strategic airborne communications for the U.S. Navy’s TACAMO ("Take Charge and Move Out") mission. Originally flying EC-130G aircraft, the squadron transitioned to the EC-130Q, and later to the Boeing E-6A Mercury in the 1990s, enhancing its capability to relay messages from national command authorities to U.S. nuclear forces. VQ-4 played a vital role during the Cold War, maintaining continuous airborne alert and readiness. Based at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, VQ-4 continues to support national strategic deterrence and global communications as a key component of the Navy’s airborne command and control structure.