Organization
A carrier air wing has a small staff of 16-20 officers and approximately 20 enlisted personnel. It is headed by the "CAG" (Commander, Air Group—a legacy term from the earlier term for the Air Wing) who is a Navy Captain or a Marine Corps Colonel with an aeronautical designation as a Naval Aviator or Naval Flight Officer. Although eligible, Marine to "CAG" or "DCAG" (Deputy Commander) positions are limited to 1 to 2 Air Wings.
Second in command is the Deputy Commander (DCAG), also a Navy Captain or Marine Colonel aviator or NFO, who "fleets up" to the CAG position after about 18 months. Also on the staff are an Operations Officer (typically a Commander or Lieutenant Commander), a number of warfare specialists (typically Lieutenant Commanders or Lieutenants), two Wing Landing Signal Officers, an Intelligence Officer, and a Maintenance Officer. The air wing staff is often supplemented with squadron personnel, such as the squadron intelligence officers. 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 aircraft carrier as well as the embarked Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) Commander and the attached guided missile cruiser commanding officer. The CAG serves as the Strike Group's Strike Warfare Commander, responsible for all offensive strike operations (including Tomahawk Missiles). CAGs are typically qualified to fly at least two types of aircraft in the Carrier Air Wing inventory.
The 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. No two U.S. Navy carrier air wings are identical in composition, but typically modern air wings consists of:
- Two Strike Fighter (VFA) Squadrons with 12-14 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets;
- Two Strike Fighter (VFA) Squadrons of 10-12 F/A-18C Hornets, with one of these often provided by a U.S. Marine Corps Fighter Attack (VMFA) Squadron;
- One Electronic Attack (VAQ) Squadron of 4-6 EA-6B Prowlers or EA-18G Growlers;
- One Carrier Airborne Early Warning (VAW) Squadron of 4-6 E-2C Hawkeyes;
- A detachment from a Fleet Logistics Support (VRC) Squadron Detachment of 2 C-2 Greyhounds;
- One Helicopter Antisubmarine (HS) Squadron of 6-8 SH-60F & HH-60H Seahawks or Helicopter Sea Combat (HSC) Squadron of 5-6 MH-60S Seahawks;
- One Helicopter Maritime Strike (HSM) Squadron of 5 MH-60R Seahawks.
Read more about this topic: Carrier Air Wing
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