There are hundreds of US Navy aircraft squadrons which are not currently active dating back to before World War II (the U.S. Navy operated aircraft prior to World War I, but it did not organize them in squadrons until after that war). To be more accurate: there are hundreds of former U.S. Navy aircraft squadrons which have been disestablished and no longer exist and there are approximately 40 or so U.S. Navy aircraft squadrons which have been deactivated and which currently exist only "on paper" in an inactive status. These disestablished and/or deactivated squadrons are sometimes incorrectly referred to as "decommissioned" squadrons, but proper usage prior to 1998, was that squadrons were "established" and "disestablished" and after 1998, squadrons are "established", "deactivated" and sometimes "reactivated". It has never been correct to refer to U.S. Navy aircraft squadrons as being "commissioned" and "decommissioned", ships are commissioned and decommissioned, U.S. Navy aircraft squadrons are not.
Disestablished or deactivated helicopter squadrons
Disestablished and Deactivated Utility (HU) squadrons and Combat Support (HC) squadrons and HC designations no longer in use The HU designation was the first designation created for Navy helicopter squadrons. It was created in 1948 with the establishment of the Navy's first two operational helicopter squadrons: "Utility" squadrons One and Two (HU-1 and HU-2). In July 1965 the "Combat Support" designation (HC) was created when the three existing "Utility" squadrons (HU-1, HU-2 and HU-4) were redesignated "Combat Support" squadrons. The HC designation was used to designate squadrons whose primary function was either logistics or the provision of utility services with two notable exceptions; HC-7 and HC-9 were Combat Search and Rescue squadrons. In April 2005 all existing HC squadrons but one were redesignated Helicopter Sea Combat (HSC) squadrons and the single remaining HC squadron (the second squadron to be designated HC-4) was deactivated on 28 September 2007. Since 28 September 2007 the HC designation exists only as the designation for that single inactive squadron.
HU/HC squadrons were numbered sequentially beginning with HU-1/HC-1 with odd numbers given to Pacific Fleet squadrons and even numbers to Atlantic Fleet squadrons. The jump from HC-11 to HC-16 occurred because HC-16 was originally established by the Naval Air Training Command as HCT-16 to provide Plane Guard services aboard the Naval Air Training Command's training Aircraft Carrier USS Lexington (AVT-16). It was redesignated HC-16 when it was administratively transferred from the Naval Air Training Command to Commander, Naval Air Forces Atlantic Fleet in 1977. HC-85 was a redesignation of the Navy Reserve's HS-85 and it kept its designation number through the redesignation.
The table below does not list disestablished squadrons; it is a list of squadron designations which are no longer in use. Some of the squadron designations in the table belonged to squadrons which have been disestablished, some are former designations of HSC squadrons which are still active, and one is a designation of a currently inactive squadron.
Note: The parenthetical (1st), (2nd), (3rd) etc... appended to some designations in the table below are not a part of the squadron designation system. They are added to indicate that the designation was used more than once during the history of U.S. Naval Aviation and which use of the designation is indicated. Absence indicates that the designation was used only once.
Disestablished and Deactivated Anti-submarine (HS) squadrons and HS designations no longer in use The HS designation was created in 1951 to designate Anti-Submarine squadrons and was in use until the last active HS squadron was redesignated to Helicopter Sea Combat (HSC) squadron on 1 June 2016. The designation has not been in active use since.
HS designations were numbered sequentially beginning with HS-1 without regard to carrier air group (later carrier air wing) assignment, though; odd numbered designations were given to Atlantic Fleet squadrons and even numbered designations to Pacific Fleet squadrons (the opposite of the HC designation scheme). USNR HS designations were numbered in accordance with the Reserve Carrier Air Antisubmarine Groups (CVSGR) for which they were established for assignment: HS-74 and HS-75 to CVSGR-70, and HS-84 and HS-85 to CVSGR-80.