Patrol Wing A Patrol Wing ( PatWing ) is a United States Navy aviation unit . The commander of a Patrol Wing is known as the ComPatWing or COMPATWING . Currently there are three Patrol and Reconnaissance Wings : Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 2 . Patrol Wing Two was established at FAB Pearl Harbor on 1 October 1937 . On 15 September 1942 , FAW - 2 was relocated to NAS Kaneohe Bay , where it remained until 1949 . Redesignated Fleet Air Wing Two 1 Nov 1942 at NAS Kaneohe , Hawaii ; On 30 June 1949 , it was relocated to Barber ' s Point . Redesignated Patrol Wing 2 30 Jun 1973 . Patrol Wing 2 was disestablished on 8 June 1993 . Fleet Wing Two , redesignated as Commander , Patrol Wing Two , assumed operational control of the Barbers Point - based patrol squadrons when Fleet Air Hawaii decommissioned in 1973 . After the disestablishment of Patrol Wing 2 on 8 June 1993 , Commander , Patrol and Reconnaissance Forces , US Pacific Fleet ( formerly Commander , Patrol Wings , Pacific ) commanded the line patrol squadrons . Since the 1950s Barbers Point was most famous for its " Rainbow Fleet " — the patrol squadrons that routinely deployed with P - 2 and later P - 3 aircraft to the northern and western Pacific , Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf . These squadrons tracked Soviet submarines patrolling off the western coast of the United States and supported operations in the Vietnam War , the Gulf War and most recently the NATO air campaign over Kosovo . Of the squadrons present during the 1960s and 1970s , VP - 28 was disestablished in the 1970s and VP - 6 , VP - 17 , and VP - 22 were disestablished by the mid - 1990s , leaving only VP - 1 and VP - 4 . During the mid - 1990s , however , two squadrons , VP - 9 and VP - 47 , transferred to the Rainbow Fleet from NAS Moffett Field , Calif . , when Moffett Field was disestablished as a USN installation and transferred to NASA and the California Air National Guard as a " Moffett Federal Airfield " via BRAC action . VP - 1 later transferred to Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 10 and relocated to NAS Whidbey Island , Wash . The Rainbow Fleet also was the home of Special Projects Patrol Squadron Two ( VPU - 2 ) since 1982 . The end of the Cold War , in which NAS Barbers Point figured so heavily , also eventually brought about its closure . Congress accepted the recommendation of the 1993 Base Realignment and Closure Commission ( BRAC ) that NAS Barbers Point be closed . In 1998 , the wing was temporarily redesignated as Commander , Patrol and Reconnaissance Force , Pacific . VP - 4 , VP - 9 , VP - 47 , VPU - 2 and HSL - 37 were moved to then Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay , now Marine Corps Air Facility Kaneohe Bay , part of Marine Corps Base Hawaii , located on the windward side of Oahu . Later redesignated as Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing Two , the wing currently includes VP - 4 , VP - 9 , VP - 47 , and VPU - 2 . The wing previously included VP - 1 , VP - 6 , VP - 17 and VP - 22 , which were deactivated in the Navy ' s post - Cold War drawdown in the mid - 1990s . Former patrol wings . Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing One . Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing One , Naval Support Facility Kamiseya , Japan , may have been redesignated Fleet Air Forward after 2008 . PATRECONWING ONE , formerly Patrol Wing One and Fleet Air Wing One , fought in the Korean War . Patrol Wing One was established as Patrol Wing 1 1 Oct 1937 ; and redesignated from Fleet Air Wing One at Noumea on 1 November 1942 . In December 1942 it was relocated to Espiritu Santo ; and in March 1943 to Guadalcanal , and in February 1944 to Munda . In July 1944 it was relocated to Espiritu Santo , and on 11 September 1944 relocated to the Schouten Islands aboard . On 15 October 1944 the wing was relocated to Ulithi , and on 30 December 1944 relocated to Saipan . On 19 February 1945 it was relocated to Iwo Jima during invasion operations aboard Hamlin ( AV 15 ) ; on 10 March 1945 relocated to NAF Agana , Guam ; and on 26 March 1945 : Relocated to Kerama Rhetto aboard Hamlin . On 14 July 1945 it was relocated to NAF Chimu Wan , Okinawa . On 16 July 1950 Fleet Air Wing One was relocated to Naval Air Station Agana , Guam , to NAF Naha , Okinawa . In the 3rd Quarter 1952 was relocated to NAS San Diego , Calif . In the 4th Quarter 1954 : Relocated to NAF Naha , Okinawa . Mid - 1958 : Relocated to Buckner Bay , Okinawa , aboard assigned flagship . In mid - 1965 : Relocated to NAF Naha , Okinawa . On 30 June 1973 it was redesignated PatWing - 1 . On 1 June 1999 it was redesignated Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing One . Fleet Air Wing Three . Previously Patrol Wings were known as Fleet Air Wings . Among previous Fleet Air Wings were Fleet Air Wing Three , which participated in Operation Strikeback in the Atlantic . FAW - 3 was redesignated at NAS Coco Solo , Panama , on 1 November 1942 . On 1 July 1950 it was relocated to NAS Quonset Point , R . I . In mid - 1957 it was relocated to NAS Brunswick , Maine . On 30 June 1971 FAW - 3 was disestablished . Fleet Air Wing Four ( FAW - 4 ) was redesignated at NAS Kodiak , Alaska , on 1 November 1942 . On 15 March 1943 : Relocated from NAS Kodiak to NAS Adak , Alaska . On 26 April 1944 : Relocated from NAS Adak , Alaska , to NAF Attu , Aleutian Islands . On 17 April 1949 : Relocated to NAS Whidbey Island , Wash . , COMFAIR Seattle became dual hatted with additional duty as FAW - 4 in May 1949 . 15 February 1954 : COMFAIR Seattle redesignated COMFAIR Whidbey and FAW - 4 ( dual hatted ) . On 15 March 1970 FAW - 4 was disestablished . Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing Five . Patrol Wing and Reconnaissance Wing Five ( previously Patrol Wing Five ) at NAS Brunswick , Maine was disbanded in 2009 when that installation closed due to BRAC action . It had previously included VP - 8 , VP - 10 , VP - 11 , VP - 23 , VP - 26 , VP - 44 , VPU - 1 and the Navy Reserve ' s VP - 92 . With the decision to close NAS Brunswick , VP - 8 , VP - 10 , VP - 26 and VPU - 1 were transferred to Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing Eleven at NAS Jacksonville , Florida , VP - 11 , VP - 23 and VP - 44 having been previously decommissioned during the Navy ' s post - Cold War drawdown of the mid - 1990s which eliminated 50 % of the Navy ' s active duty patrol squadrons . VP - 92 was disestablished in 2007 as part of the BRAC action closing NAS Brunswick and the Navy ' s reduction of its thirteen patrol squadrons in the Navy Reserve to two patrol squadrons . VP - 92 had previously been assigned to Reserve Patrol Wing Atlantic ( RESPATWINGLANT ) , but was transferred to COMPATRECONWING FIVE following RESPATWINGLANT ' s inactivation and VP - 92 ' s relocation from NAS South Weymouth , Massachusetts to NAS Brunswick when NAS South Weymouth was closed due to an earlier BRAC decision in the mid - 1990s . Reserve Patrol Wing Atlantic . Reserve Patrol Wing Atlantic ( RESPATWINGLANT ) was established in 1970 and initially located at NAS Norfolk , Virginia through 2000 , subsequently relocating to NAS Willow Grove , Pennsylvania . A subordinate element of then - Naval Air Reserve Force ( NAVAIRESFOR ) , RESPATWINGLANT provided then - Naval Reserve ( now Navy Reserve ) maritime patrol aircraft , flight crews and maintenance / support personnel in seven Reserve patrol squadrons ( VP ) in augmentative support to Commander , U . S . Patrol Wings Atlantic , later Commander , U . S . Patrol Wings , and now Commander , Patrol and Reconnaissance Group . RESPATWINGLANT was the Echelon IV command for VP - 62 at NAS Jacksonville , Florida ; VP - 64 and VP - 66 at NAS Willow Grove , Pennsylvania ; VP - 67 at NAS Memphis , Tennessee ; VP - 68 at NAF Washington / Andrews AFB , Maryland ; VP - 92 at NAS South Weymouth , Massachusetts ; and VP - 94 at NAS New Orleans , Louisiana . Upon the inactivation of RESPATWINGLANT in 2004 , the transition of VP - 64 to a fleet air logistics squadron redesignated as VR - 64 , and the inactivation of all but two remaining Atlantic Fleet Reserve VP squadrons , operational control / administrative control ( OPCON / ADCON ) of VP - 62 was passed to Commander , Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing Eleven and OPCON / ADCON of VP - 92 to Commander , Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing Five . Reserve Patrol Wing Pacific / Patrol Wing Four . Reserve Patrol Wing Pacific ( RESPATWINGPAC ) , later dual - designated as Patrol Wing Four ( PATWING FOUR ) , was established in 1970 and located at NAS Moffett Field , California . A subordinate element of then - Naval Air Reserve Force ( NAVAIRESFOR ) , RESPATWINGPAC provided then - Naval Reserve maritime patrol aircraft , flight crews and maintenance / support personnel in six Reserve patrol squadrons ( VP ) in augmentative support to Commander , U . S . Patrol Wings Pacific , later Commander , U . S . Patrol Wings , and now Commander , Patrol and Reconnaissance Group . RESPATWINGLANT was the Echelon IV command for VP - 60 and VP - 90 at NAS Glenview , Illinois ; VP - 65 at NAS Point Mugu , California ; VP - 69 at NAS Whidbey Island , Washington ; VP - 91 at NAS Moffett Field , California and VP - 93 at NAF Detroit / Selfridge ANGB , Michigan . Following the closure of NAS Moffett Field in the mid - 1990s due to BRAC action , RESPATWINGPAC / PATWING FOUR and VP - 91 remained at the renamed Moffett Federal Airfield as a tenant activity named Naval Air Facility Santa Clara . Upon the inactivation of VP - 91 , RESPATWINGLANT / PATWING FOUR and the inactivation of all but one remaining Pacific Fleet Reserve VP squadron , operational control / administrative control ( OPCON / ADCON ) of VP - 69 was passed to Commander , Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing Ten . Other Patrol Wings . Other Fleet Air Wings included Fleet Air Wing Four , which fought in the Aleutian Islands campaign alongside Eleventh Air Force . During the winter of 1943 – 44 , the burden of operations against the Kuriles was carried by Navy Consolidated PBY Catalina s and Lockheed Ventura of Fleet Air Wing Four . They carried small bomb loads and their primary objective was the securing of nighttime reconnaissance photographs . Fleet Air Wing Six , which participated in the Korean War .