Carrier Air Wing - 1983 Invasion of Grenada

1983 Invasion of Grenada

By the early 1980s, typical air wings were replacing F-4s with F-14 Tomcat and/or F/A-18 Hornets onboard USS Coral Sea and USS Midway, the A-7's were also being replaced with F/A- 18s, KA-6D tankers and A-6E bombers with aerial refueling pods had replaced A-3 as tankers, and EA-6B Prowlers had largely replaced EA-3s in the VAQ mission, although detachments of EA-3s from fleet air reconnaissance squadrons (VQ) soldiered on through the late 1980s as ELINT aircraft until replaced by the ES-3A Shadow in the carrier-based VQ mission.

• 2 fighter squadrons (VF) of F-4s or F-14s or 2 strike fighter squadrons (VFA) of F/A-18s
• 2 attack squadrons (VA) of 12 A-7Es or 2 strike fighter squadrons of 12 F/A-18s
• 1 all-weather attack squadron (VA) 10-12 A-6E (including 4 KA-6D tankers).
• 1 early warning squadron (VAW) of 4-6 E-2Cs
• 1 tactical electronic warfare squadron (VAQ) of 4-6 EA-6Bs
• 1 anti-submarine squadron (VS) of 8
• 1 helicopter anti-submarine squadron (HS) of 6 SH-3H Sea Kings
• detachments of EA-3B air reconnaissance and RF-8G light photographic reconnaissance aircraft

On March 1, 1984, Carrier Air Wing 13 was established. Between October 1, 1985 and September 30, 1989 the wing made three deployments aboard Coral Sea. Carrier Air Wing 10 was re-established on 1 November 1986 for eighteen months but then disestablished again in March 1988.