The squadron deployed to NAF Kadena in Okinawa in early March 1980, maintaining a detachment at Diego Garcia; this was the first Southeast Asian deployment by an East Coast patrol squadron since 1967. The detachment at Diego Garcia was a response to the Soviet buildup of military forces in the Persian Gulf. VP-26 returned to NAS Brunswick in September and received the Navy Expeditionary Medal for its Indian Ocean activities; it also received the 1981 CNO Safety Award. In early May 1981, VP-26 deployed to NS Rota and Lajes Field. On 1 July 1982, VP-26's Special Projects detachment became a separate squadron, Special Projects Patrol Squadron VPU-1, after being a VP-26 detachment since 1969. That month, VP-26 deployed to NAS Keflavik. Three crews were detached for three months to the Western Pacific to augment WESTPAC Harpoon capabilities. Before leaving NAS Keflavik, VP-26 crews had operated from Bodø Main Air Station, Andøya and Stavanger, Norway; Thule AB, Greenland; RAF Machrihanish and RAF Kinloss, Scotland; RAF Mildenhall and RAF St Mawgan, England; Valkenburg Naval Air Base, the Netherlands; Nordholz, Germany; Rota, Spain; Lajes Field, Azores; Misawa and Kadena, Japan; Cubi Point, Philippines, and U-Tapao in Thailand. Returning to NAS Brunswick in December 1982, it was the first occupant of newly built Hangar #5.
