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This article is about the naval unit. For the video game, please see Carrier Air Wing.

Aircraft from Carrier Air Wing TWO fly in formation above the USS Abraham Lincoln.

A Carrier Air Wing (formerly called a Carrier Air Group and abbreviated as CVW) is a naval aviation organization comprised of squadrons and detachments. Organized, equipped and trained to embark in aircraft carriers, the airwing provides most of the striking power, and often much of the electronic warfare capabilities, of a carrier battle group. The makeup of an Air Wing provides the Carrier Battle Group (CVBG) Commander the tactical flexibility to handle any arising threats at sea or over coastal lands.

A modern U.S. Navy carrier air wing consists of:

• Three Strike Fighter Squadrons (VFA) of F/A-18 Hornets
• One additional Marine Fighter Attack Squadron of F/A-18 Hornets provided by the U.S. Marine Corps (VMFA)
• One Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) of EA-6B Prowlers
• One Sea Control Squadron (VS) of S-3B Vikings
• One Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) of E-2C Hawkeyes
• A detachment from a Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) of C-2 Greyhounds
• One Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron (HS) of SH-60F & HH-60H Seahawks.

A U.S. Navy air wing has a small staff headed by the "CAG" (legacy term from the earlier Commander, Air Group term for the Air Wing) who is a Navy Captain (or a Marine Corps Colonel (O-6) in some cases). Although eligible, Marine to "CAG" or "DCAG" (Deputy Commander) positions are limited to 1 to 2 Air Wings. The air wing staff is often supplemented with squadron personnel, such as the squadron intelligence officers. When embarked, the CAG reports to a Rear Admiral in the position of Commander, Carrier Strike Group and is coequal in stature with the Commanding officer of the Carrier as well as the embarked Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) Commander.

The Air Wing composition allows for broad striking power hundreds of miles from the carriers position while providing defense in depth through early warning and detection of airborne, surface and subsurface targets and rapid prosecution of these threats.

The Carrier Air Wing originated with the commissioning of the first aircraft carriers in the United States Navy. In the years prior to World War II the Carrier Air Group would be given the same number as the hull number of the carrier they were attached to, with Air Group 1 flying from USS Langley (CV-1), Air Group 2 flying from USS Lexington (CV-2), and so on. In the early months of the war the need to replace the Air Groups that were decimated at the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway made such arrangements impossible, and Carrier Air Group numbers became independent of the carriers they were assigned to.

As naval aircraft evolved the system of designation and naming of carrier air wings likewise changed. Each air wing was designed to be a balanced mix of fighting power and defense to provide the maximum benefit in combat to commanders. As weapons systems changed so too did the need for them in an air wing, such as Torpedo Attack Squadrons and Attack Squadrons.

Currently, the planned structure for the Carrier Air Wing in the coming years will be more integrated into the battle group (Carrier Strike Group). The main striking force will be four squadrons of F/A-18 Hornets, two of which, at least, as Super Hornet "E" and "F" variants. Later on F-35 Lighting II is planned to be introduced in place of some Hornet/Super Hornet squadrons. Beginning with 2009 the EA-6B Prowler squadrons will be transitioning to the EA-18G Growler. The S-3B Vikings are currently in the Viking Sundown Program, making their final deployments in 2007 before being stricken from the Navy, while the E-2 Hawkeyes will remain (also, an upgraded version, called E-2D is planned).

The biggest proposed change will be with the SH-60 Seahawk. The plan is to have one squadron of the MH-60R model, called a "Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron" (HSM) permanently assigned to the carrier with detachments on the escort ships, and a squadron of the MH-60S model, called the "Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron" (HSC) concurrently based on the carrier and strike group supply ships.

Current

• CVW-1 deploys aboard USS Enterprise
• CVW-2 deploys aboard USS Abraham Lincoln
• CVW-3 deploys aboard USS Harry S. Truman
• CVW-5 forward deployed to Japan aboard USS Kitty Hawk (USS George Washington was scheduled to deploy to Japan July 2008 and assume Carrier Air Wing FIVE)
• CVW-7 deploys aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower
• CVW-8 Freedom Fighters deploys aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt
• CVW-9 Shogun deploys aboard USS John C. Stennis
• CVW-11 deploys aboard USS Nimitz
• CVW-14 deploys aboard USS Ronald Reagan
• CVW-17 assigned to USS George Washington, at the moment having no full complement of squadrons.
• CVWR-20 was a deployable reserve carrier air wing, stationed at NAS Atlanta, but as a result of cost-cutting measures reduced to a non-deployable air wing.

See List of United States Navy aircraft wings.

Carrier Air Wing Three article at GlobalSecurity.org

Official United States Navy site on Pacific Fleet airwings

Federation of American Scientists (FAS) "DOD 101" article on airwings