CAGs are typically qualified to fly at least two types of aircraft in the Carrier Air Wing inventory. Carrier Air Groups of four types were designated according to their assigned ship, as CVBG for Battle Carrier, CVG for Attack Carrier, CVLG for Light Carrier and CVEG for Escort Carrier. Two years later, on 1 September 1948, all carrier air groups became CVG regardless of their carrier affiliation. On 20 December 1963, Carrier Air Groups were retitled Wings, and the acronym CVG became CVW. The typical Carrier Air Wing of this period consisted of the following. During the Vietnam War, Attack Carrier Air Wings typically consisted of approximately 70 aircraft, including two fighter squadrons and three attack squadrons, plus the special squadrons and detachments (VAW, VAQ, RVAH or VFP, VQ, HC or HS). The first formal system for air group identification (Visual Identification System for Naval Aircraft) was established in January 1945. This consisted of geometric symbols that identified the parent carrier, not the air group. In reality, a solar hot water system normally pays for itself in only four to eight decades and may be expected to last for 40 decades or longer. In 1996, the last Marine Corps EA-6B squadron completed their CV Integration aboard the USS America which was making its final cruise.

We also can use creams that replace natural moisturizing factors that our genes have slacked off in making. The Gulf War marked the largest concentrated use of carrier air wings since World War II. Due to the ongoing combat and the end of the war, a mix of identification codes was used in late 1945. Starting in late 1946, the letters identified the carrier air group, and not the carrier. One Helicopter Sea Combat (HSC) Squadron of eight MH-60S Seahawks. Between 1 October 1985 and 30 September 1989 the wing made three deployments aboard Coral Sea. Also on the staff are an operations officer (typically a commander), a number of warfare specialists (typically lieutenant commanders or lieutenants), two wing landing signal officers, an intelligence officer, a weapons officer and a maintenance officer. The first Carrier Air Groups (as they were then called) were activated in 1937. From July 1937 to mid-1942, Carrier Air Groups were permanently assigned to and identified by their parent aircraft carrier, and group squadrons were numbered according to the carrier’s hull number. The CAG was a department head of the ship reporting to the carrier’s commanding officer. The CAG reports to a rear admiral in the position of commander, Carrier Strike Group and is equal 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.

Initially and during WWII, the commander of the air group (known as the “CAG”) was the most senior officer of the embarked squadrons and was expected to personally lead all major strike operations, co-ordinating the attacks of the carrier’s fighter, bomber, and torpedo planes in combat. In 1983, Secretary of the Navy John Lehman elevated the CAG position to a captain’s billet and on-par with aircraft carrier’s commander while embarked, both officers reporting directly to the Carrier Battle Group commander. Today’s 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. One Carrier Airborne Early Warning (VAW) Squadron, with four E-2C Hawkeyes or five E-2D “Advanced” Hawkeyes. One Helicopter Maritime Strike (HSM) Squadron of eleven MH-60R Seahawks, 5-8 of which are typically based in detachments on other ships of the carrier strike group.

The HSM squadrons ultimately replaced the VS and HS squadrons as the carrier air wing’s Anti-Submarine and Anti-Surface Warfare squadron and the VS tanking role was assumed by the airwing Super Hornet squadrons. The first deployment of an F-35C squadron was in 2021. 2021 was also the year of the last deployment of an F/A-18C Hornet squadron (VMFA-323). Four Strike Fighter (VFA) Squadrons, with ten or twelve F/A-18E/F Super Hornets each, or three Super Hornet Squadrons and one ten aircraft squadron of F-35C Lightning IIs (over forty strike fighters total). In up to four airwings the F-35C Lightning II squadron could be a U.S. Marine Corps Fighter Attack (VMFA) Squadron as the Marine Corps is transitioning four of its squadrons to the F-35C. 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 Lockheed ES-3A Shadow in the carrier-based VQ mission. One Electronic Attack (VAQ) Squadron, made up of seven EA-18G Growlers. In the mid 1970s the Navy decommissioned its Anti-Submarine Aircraft Carriers (CVS) and its Attack Carriers (CVA) were re-designated CV.