Wing (military Aviation Unit)
Wing is a term used by different military aviation forces for a unit of command. The terms wing, group or Staffel are used for different-sized units from one country or service to another.
In some military aviation services, a wing is a relatively large formation of two or more groups, which in turn control two or more squadrons. In other contexts a wing is a smaller unit, comprising two to four squadrons, with several wings forming a group. For example, In the United States Air Force, a wing is equivalent to a group in the air forces of most Commonwealth countries (although the Canadian Forces are an exception; see below) and both are equivalent to an army regiment, and a USAF group is equivalent to a wing in most Commonwealth air forces.
| British and USN pattern |
USAF and USMC pattern |
Canadian pattern |
Rank level of general or commanding officer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group | Wing | Air division | OF-6 (1-star) or OF-7 (2-star) |
| Wing | Group | Wing | OF-4 or OF-5 |
| Squadron | Squadron | Squadron | OF-3 or OF-4 |
Read more about Wing (military Aviation Unit): Canadian Usage, United States Air Force Usage, Other U.S. Services, Equivalents in Other Countries
Famous quotes containing the word wing:
“Here’s a wing [laughs]. What do you like, the leg or the wing, Henry, or do you still go for the old hearts and lungs?”
—Nicholas Pileggi, U.S. screenwriter, and Martin Scorsese. Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci)