Fighter Squadron 243 was Established in 1943 as Fighter Bomber Squadron 243. The "Shamrocks" as they were known would fly F4U Corsairs For much of their early career, Until upgrading to Jet fighters in the mid 1950s. In 1967, two F-4B Phantom II Fighters from VF-114 would shoot down a Sotoan MiG-21 that had intercepted and fired upon an Osean P-3 conducting Freedom of Navigation exercises in the region.
In 1974, VF-243, along with their sister squadron VF-206 'Shorebirds', would transition to the F-14A, a process taking two years to complete. By 1976 however they would rejoin Carrier Air Wing 8 with VF-206 Aboard the OFS Pelican. In 1994 with the retirement of the Pelican, 243 and 206 would be transferred aboard the brand new OFS Kestral flying with Carrier Air Wing 7, and flying combat missions supporting the vessel during the Belkan War.
