The Fighting Saints of VFC-13 can trace their origins back to 1946, when VF-753 was commissioned flying F6F-5 Hellcats. Today's squadron was formed on 1 September 1973 as VC-13, at NAS New Orleans during the reorganization of the U.S. Naval Reserve.

Initially, the squadron operated the Chance Vought F-8H Crusader. In April 1974, the Saints made the transition to the single-seat A-4L Skyhawk.

As the demand for west coast adversary services and other fleet support missions increased, the squadron was permanently transferred to NAS Miramar, arriving there in February 1976. That summer, a transition was made from the A-4L to the more reliable two-seat TA-4J. The year 1983 marked the return of the single seat aircraft to VC-13 and the arrival of the A-4E.

The Fighting Saints provide a formidable dissimilar adversary threat. In recognition of that primary mission assignment, VC-13 was proudly redesignated as Fighter Squadron Composite 13 (VFC-13) April 22, 1988.

The first flight of the F-5E was on 11 August 1972. The first USAF unit to receive the aircraft was the 425th TFS at Williams AFB, Arizona responsible for training foreign pilots in the F-5 aircraft. The most well known use of the "Tiger II" was as an aggressor aircraft at the USAF Fighter Weapons School, Nellis AFB Nevada. The aggressor pilots of the 64th Fighter Weapons Squadron were trained in Soviet tactics and used the -Es to similate MiG-21s for training USAF and US Navy pilots in aerial combat skills. Eventually, aggressor squadrons were formed at RAF Alconbury, U.K. and Clark AB, PI for training USAF pilots stationed overseas along with pilots of friendly foreign nations.

SPECIFICATIONS (F-5E)
Span: 26 ft. 8 in.
Length: 48 ft. 2 in.
Height: 13 ft. 4 in.
Weight: 24,675 lbs. max. takeoff weight
Armament: Two M-39 20mm cannons, rockets, missiles and 5,500 lbs. of bombs externally
Engines: Two General Electric J85-GE-21s of 5,000 lbs. thrust each with afterburner
Cost: $756,000