page_title: Carrier air wing
section_title: Current Carrier Air Wing
hierarchical_section_title: Carrier air wing / Carrier Air Group/Wing composition / Current Carrier Air Wing
caption_attribution_description: English: Aircraft assigned to Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW-5) perform a formation flight in front of Mount Fuji, Japan on 12 April 2007. CVW-5 was embarked aboard the carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63). The carrier operated from Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan. Visible aircraft are (from left to right): Grumman E-2C NP Hawkeye (VAW-113 Liberty Bells), Grumman C-2A Greyhound (VRC-30, Det. 5 Passwords), Grumman EA-6B Prowler (VAQ-136 Gauntlets), McDonnellDouglas F/A-18F Super Hornet (VFA-102 Diamondbacks), F/A-18E Super Hornet (VFA-27 Royal Maces), F/A-18C(N) Hornet (VFA-192 Golden Dragons), and a F/A-18C(N) Hornet (VFA-195 Dambusters).
context_page_description: A carrier air wing is an operational naval aviation organization composed of several aircraft squadrons and detachments of various types of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. Organized, equipped and trained to conduct modern US Navy carrier air operations while embarked aboard aircraft carriers, the various squadrons in an air wing have different but complementary missions, and provide most of the striking power and electronic warfare capabilities of a carrier battle group. While the CVBG term is still used by other nations, the CVBG in US parlance is now known as a carrier strike group.
  Until 1963, Carrier Air Wings were known as Carrier Air Groups. Carrier Air Wings are what the United States Air Force would call "composite" wings, and should not be confused with U.S. Navy Type Wings, which are primarily administrative and training commands composed of squadrons of the same type of carrier-based aircraft when not deployed. The United States Marine Corps equivalent command-level organization to a CVW is the Marine Aircraft Group. However, MAGs are shore-based and may contain any combination of aircraft squadrons and aviation support units.
context_section_description: By 2008 the S-3B Vikings had been retired and the VS squadrons deactivated, the HS squadrons were beginning a transition from their Anti-Submarine SH-60F helicopter to the new MH-60S Naval Special Warfare support, Combat Search and Rescue, and Logistics support helicopter and were being re-designated Helicopter Sea Combat (HSC) squadrons. The Navy's other new helicopter at the time, the MH-60R combined and improved the Anti-Submarine and Anti-Surface Warfare capabilities of the old SH-60F and the old SH-60B surface ship based Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System (LAMPS) helicopter and were equipping a new carrier based helicopter squadron called the Helicopter Maritime Strike squadron (HSM). The HSM squadrons ultimately replaced the VS and HS squadrons as the carrier air wing's Anti-Submarine and Anti-Surface Warfare squadron and the VS tanking role was assumed by the airwing Super Hornet squadrons.  By the beginning of the 2010s the VAQ squadrons began their transition from the EA-6B to the new EA-18G Growler.
  Today's air wing composition is designed to allow for broad striking power hundreds of miles from the carrier's position, while providing defense in depth of the battle group through early warning and detection of airborne, surface and subsurface targets.  The current U.S. Navy carrier air wing consists of:
  Four Strike Fighter (VFA) Squadrons, with twelve F/A-18E/F Super Hornets each, or ten F/A-18C Hornets each (over forty strike fighters total). The typical mix is one F/A-18F (two-seat) Super Hornet squadron, and three single-seat F/A-18E Super Hornet squadrons or a mix of F/A-18E Super Hornet and F/A-18C Hornet squadrons, though some air wings have two F/A-18F (two-seat) squadrons. In two airwings one of the F/A-18C Hornet squadrons is a U.S. Marine Corps Fighter Attack (VMFA) Squadron.
  One Electronic Attack (VAQ) Squadron, made up of five EA-18G Growlers.
  One Carrier Airborne Early Warning (VAW) Squadron, with four E-2C Hawkeyes or five E-2D "Advanced" Hawkeyes
  One Helicopter Sea Combat (HSC) Squadron of eight MH-60S Seahawks
  One Helicopter Maritime Strike (HSM) Squadron of eleven MH-60R Seahawks, 3–5 of which are typically based in detachments on other ships of the carrier strike group.
  A Fleet Logistics Support (VRC) Squadron Detachment of two C-2A Greyhounds;
caption: Carrier Air Wing Five aircraft in 2007.
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