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103-460: A carrier air wing (abbreviated CVW ) is an operational naval aviation organization composed of several aircraft squadrons and detachments of various types of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. Organized, equipped and trained to conduct modern US Navy carrier air operations while embarked aboard aircraft carriers , the various squadrons in an air wing have different but complementary (and sometimes overlapping) missions, and provide most of

206-499: A flight deck on the fore-deck; in 1917 it was reconstructed with separate flight decks fore and aft of the superstructure; then finally, after the war, it was heavily reconstructed with a three-quarter length main flight deck, and a lower-level take-off only flight deck on the fore-deck. On 2 August 1917, Squadron Commander E.H. Dunning , Royal Navy, landed his Sopwith Pup aircraft on Furious in Scapa Flow , Orkney , becoming

309-456: A "carrier/air wing team" that trains and deploys together. There are currently nine U.S. Navy Carrier Air Wings; four of the wing commanders and their staffs are based at Naval Air Station Oceana , Virginia, four are based at Naval Air Station Lemoore , California, and one is aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni , Japan. The squadrons which make up each wing are based at various bases in the U.S. with their respective Type Wing Commanders with

412-521: A Navy captain as the commander of one Marine aircraft group. That practice ceased before the end of the decade. Second in command is the deputy commander (DCAG), also a navy captain 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), a number of warfare specialists (typically lieutenant commanders or lieutenants), two wing landing signal officers , an intelligence officer,

515-403: A country's seagoing forces with air cover over areas that may not be reachable by land-based aircraft, giving them a considerable advantage over navies composed primarily of surface combatants. Naval aviation also provides countries with the opportunity to deploy military aircraft over land and sea, without the need for air bases on land. Aircraft may be used to conduct naval mine clearance ,

618-407: A helicopter anti-submarine squadron (HS), and two smaller squadrons or squadron detachments of 3–4 aircraft for airborne early warning (VAW) and self-defense (VA, VMA, VSF, VF). 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

721-643: A manned reconnaissance device that would give the viewer the advantage of considerable height. In 1908 Prime Minister H. H. Asquith approved the formation of an "Aerial Sub-Committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence " to investigate the potential for naval aviation. In 1909 this body accepted the proposal of Captain Reginald Bacon made to the First Sea Lord Sir John Fisher that rigid airships should be constructed for

824-403: A more mobile strike capacity led to the development of the aircraft carrier - the backbone of modern naval aviation. HMS  Ark Royal was the first purpose-built seaplane carrier and was also arguably the first modern aircraft carrier. She was originally laid down as a merchant ship, but was converted on the building stocks to be a hybrid airplane/seaplane carrier with a launch platform and

927-762: A naval zeppelin detachment in Berlin-Johannisthal and an airplane squadron in Putzig (Puck, Poland). The Japanese established the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service , modelled on the RNAS , in 1913. On 24 January 1913 came the first wartime naval aviation interservice cooperation mission. Greek pilots on a seaplane observed and drew a diagram of the positions of the Turkish fleet against which they dropped four bombs. This event

1030-632: A platform extending from the side of the flight deck. In the United States, Admiral William Benson attempted to entirely dissolve the USN's Naval Aeronautics program in 1919. Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin Roosevelt and others succeeded in maintaining it, but the service continued to support battleship-based doctrines. To counter Billy Mitchell 's campaign to establish a separate Department of Aeronautics, Secretary of

1133-731: A position nearer the target by way of an aircraft carrier . Carrier-based aircraft must be sturdy enough to withstand the demands of carrier operations. They must be able to launch in a short distance and be sturdy and flexible enough to come to a sudden stop on a pitching flight deck; they typically have robust folding mechanisms that allow higher numbers of them to be stored in below-decks hangars and small spaces on flight decks. These aircraft are designed for many purposes, including air-to-air combat , surface attack , submarine attack , search and rescue , matériel transport, weather observation , reconnaissance and wide area command and control duties. Naval helicopters can be used for many of

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1236-755: A seaplane carrier against a land target as well as a sea target took place in September 1914 when the Imperial Japanese Navy carrier Wakamiya conducted ship-launched air raids from Kiaochow Bay during the Battle of Tsingtao in China. The four Maurice Farman seaplanes bombarded German-held land targets (communication centers and command centers) and damaged a German minelayer in the Tsingtao peninsula from September until 6 November 1914, when

1339-605: A ship which was under way occurred. Hibernia steamed at 10.5 knots (19.4 km/h; 12.1 mph) at the Royal Fleet Review in Weymouth Bay , England . Hibernia then transferred her aviation equipment to battleship London . Based on these experiments, the Royal Navy concluded that aircraft were useful aboard ship for spotting and other purposes, but that interference with the firing of guns caused by

1442-475: A small command staff consisting of 16–20 officers and approximately 20 enlisted personnel. It is headed by the CAG, who is a navy captain with an aeronautical designation as a Naval Aviator or Naval Flight Officer . In the decade of the 2000s, the Navy and Marine Corps "cross pollinated" Carrier Air Wings and Marine Aircraft Groups by assigning a Marine Corps colonel as the commander of one carrier air wing and

1545-459: A small number of aircraft. The solution to the problem were large numbers of mass-produced merchant hulls converted into escort aircraft carriers (also known as "jeep carriers"). These basic vessels, unsuited to fleet action by their capacity, speed and vulnerability, nevertheless provided air cover where it was needed. The Royal Navy had observed the impact of naval aviation and, obliged to prioritise their use of resources, abandoned battleships as

1648-455: A weapons 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 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. The CAG serves as

1751-560: Is a method of supplying naval vessels at sea, by helicopter . This means moving cargo and supplies from supply ships to the flight decks of other naval vessels using naval helicopters. During the Cold War , the navies of NATO faced a significant threat from Soviet submarine forces, specifically Soviet Navy SSN and SSGN assets. This resulted in the development and deployment of light aircraft carriers with major anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities by European NATO navies. One of

1854-416: Is also used as part of amphibious warfare . Aircraft based on naval ships provide support to marines and other forces performing amphibious landings. Ship-based aircraft may also be used to support amphibious forces as they move inland. Naval aircraft are used for various maritime patrol missions, such as reconnaissance, search and rescue, and maritime law enforcement. Vertical replenishment (VERTREP)

1957-529: Is also valuable. Naval aircraft played an important part in providing relief in the wake of the 2010 Haiti earthquake and Typhoon Haiyan . [REDACTED] Media related to Naval aviation at Wikimedia Commons Secretary of the Navy The secretary of the Navy ( SECNAV ) is a statutory officer ( 10 U.S.C.   § 8013 ) and the head ( chief executive officer ) of the Department of

2060-575: The Carrier Battle Group commander. During this transition period some air wings were commanded by commanders, others by captains; these new captain CAGs were dubbed "Super CAGs" until all air wings transitioned. Later the position of deputy CAG (DCAG) was established and filled by junior captains who assisted the CAGs until they eventually "fleet up" to replace the out-going CAG. This system remains in place today. A modern carrier air wing has

2163-567: The Doolittle Raid of 1942, 16 Army medium bombers were launched from the carrier Hornet on one-way missions to bomb Japan. All were lost to fuel exhaustion after bombing their targets and the experiment was not repeated. Smaller carriers were built in large numbers to escort slow cargo convoys or supplement fast carriers. Aircraft for observation or light raids were also carried by battleships and cruisers, while blimps were used to search for attack submarines. Experience showed that there

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2266-489: The PBY Catalina helped finding submarines and surface fleets. In World War II the aircraft carrier replaced the battleship as the most powerful naval offensive weapons system as battles between fleets were increasingly fought out of gun range by aircraft. The Japanese Yamato , the heaviest battleship ever built, was first turned back by light escort carrier aircraft and later sunk lacking its own air cover. During

2369-666: The Royal Navy to be used for reconnaissance. This resulted in the construction of Mayfly in 1909, the first air component of the navy to become operational, and the genesis of modern naval aviation. The first pilots for the Royal Navy were transferred from the Royal Aero Club in June 1910 along with two aircraft with which to train new pilots, and an airfield at Eastchurch became the Naval Flying School,

2472-663: The USS America which was making its final cruise. Marine Corps F-18 squadrons continued to augment Navy carrier airwings on both East and West Coast Airwings. By 2003, A-6s had been retired with their tanking duties being assumed by S-3s, ES-3s had been retired, and older F-14s were being phased out with the FA-18 E/F Super Hornets. By 2008 the S-3B Vikings had been retired and the VS squadrons deactivated,

2575-812: The United States Navy to demonstrate that airplanes could take off from and land aboard ships at sea. One of his pilots, Eugene Ely , took off from the cruiser USS  Birmingham anchored off the Virginia coast in November 1910. Two months later Ely landed aboard another cruiser, USS  Pennsylvania , in San Francisco Bay , proving the concept of shipboard operations. However, the platforms erected on those vessels were temporary measures. The U.S. Navy and Glenn Curtiss experienced two firsts during January 1911. On 27 January, Curtiss flew

2678-586: The Wright brothers and Curtiss. A camp with a primitive landing field was established on the Severn River at Greenbury Point, near Annapolis, Maryland . The vision of the aerial fleet was for scouting. Each aircraft would have a pilot and observer. The observer would use the wireless radio technology to report on enemy ships. Some thoughts were given to deliver counterattacks on hostile aircraft using "explosives or other means". Using airplanes to bomb ships

2781-583: The ski-jump ramp as an alternative to contemporary catapult systems. As the Royal Navy retired or sold the last of its World War II-era carriers, they were replaced with smaller ships designed to operate helicopters and the V/STOVL Sea Harrier jet. The ski-jump gave the Harriers an enhanced STOVL capability, allowing them to take off with heavier payloads. In 2013, the US Navy completed

2884-703: The Department of the Navy for acquisition, auditing, financial and information management, legislative affairs, and public affairs. Pursuant to SecNavInst 5090.5F, the Department of the Navy Environmental Programs Manual , the secretary of the Navy and chief of naval operations recognize a number of commands annually for achievements in such areas as environmental quality , environmental cleanup , natural resources conservation , cultural resources management , pollution prevention , and recycling . The chief of naval operations and

2987-639: The Germans surrendered. One Japanese plane was credited being shot down by the German aviator Gunther Plüschow in an Etrich Taube , using his pistol. On the Western front the first naval air raid occurred on 25 December 1914 when twelve seaplanes from HMS  Engadine , Riviera and Empress ( cross-channel steamers converted into seaplane carriers) attacked the Zeppelin base at Cuxhaven . The raid

3090-567: The HS squadrons were beginning a transition from their Anti-Submarine SH-60F helicopter to the new MH-60S Naval Special Warfare support, Combat Search and Rescue, and Logistics support helicopter and were being re-designated Helicopter Sea Combat (HSC) squadrons. The Navy's other new helicopter at the time, the MH-60R combined and improved the Anti-Submarine and Anti-Surface Warfare capabilities of

3193-607: The Navy Josephus Daniels ordered a rigged test against USS  Indiana in 1920 which reached the conclusion that "the entire experiment pointed to the improbability of a modern battleship being either destroyed or completely put out of action by aerial bombs." Investigation by the New-York Tribune that discovered the rigging led to Congressional resolutions compelling more honest studies . The sinking of SMS  Ostfriesland involved violating

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3296-578: The Navy & the Marine Corps, including the authority to convene general courts-martial and to commute sentences. The principal military advisers to the SECNAV are the two service chiefs of the naval services: for matters regarding the Navy the chief of naval operations (CNO), and for matters regarding the Marine Corps the commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC). The CNO and the Commandant act as

3399-529: The Navy , a military department within the United States Department of Defense . By law, the secretary of the Navy must be a civilian at least five years removed from active military service. The secretary is appointed by the president and requires confirmation by the Senate . The secretary of the Navy was, from its creation in 1798, a member of the president's Cabinet until 1949, when

3502-750: The Navy has the same powers and duties with respect to the Coast Guard as the secretary of homeland security when the Coast Guard is not operating as a service in the Department of the Navy. The Office of the Secretary of the Navy , also known within DoD as the Navy Secretariat or simply just as the Secretariat in a DoN setting, is the immediate headquarters staff that supports the secretary in discharging his duties. The principal officials of

3605-437: The Navy's rules of engagement but completely vindicated Mitchell to the public. Some men, such as Captain (soon Rear Admiral) William A. Moffett , saw the publicity stunt as a means to increase funding and support for the Navy's aircraft carrier projects. Moffett was sure that he had to move decisively in order to avoid having his fleet air arm fall into the hands of a proposed combined Land/Sea Air Force which took care of all

3708-512: The Pacific Fleet's Carrier Air Wing 15 on 31 March 1995. In addition, the U.S. Naval Reserve 's Carrier Air Wing Reserve 30 (CVWR-30) was disestablished on 31 December 1994. In 1992, a program named CV Integration began with Marine Corps EA-6B and F-18 squadrons augmenting Carrier Airwings due to the shortage of EA-6Bs and F-18 aircraft in the inventory. In 1996, the last Marine Corps EA-6B squadron completed their CV Integration aboard

3811-602: The Saratoga Air Group became CVG-3). This numbering scheme was also soon scrapped as carrier air groups (now abbreviated CVGs) frequently moved from carrier to carrier. At this point, the carrier air groups simply retained their number designation regardless of the carrier assigned. 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

3914-522: The Secretariat include the under secretary of the Navy (the secretary's principal civilian deputy), the assistant secretaries of the Navy (ASN), the general counsel of the Navy , the judge advocate general of the Navy (JAG), the Naval inspector general (NIG), the chief of Legislative Affairs , and the chief of naval research . The Office of the Secretary of the Navy has sole responsibility within

4017-581: 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. Typical air group composition aboard the Yorktown -class carriers, at the beginning of World War II , consisted of approximately 72 aircraft: During the course of

4120-536: The U.S. Congress (e.g., A-6 Intruder), with aircraft that still had useful remaining life being prematurely relegated to retirement. Other T/M/S aircraft saw the number of operational squadrons significantly reduced (e.g., F-14 Tomcat, E-2 Hawkeye) for similar budgetary reasons. During the same period, three more carrier air wings were disestablished: the Atlantic Fleet's Carrier Air Wing 13 on 1 January 1991, followed by Carrier Air Wing 6 on 1 April 1992, and

4223-674: The United States's airpower needs. (That very fate had befallen the two air services of the United Kingdom in 1918: the Royal Flying Corps had been combined with the Royal Naval Air Service to become the Royal Air Force , a condition which would remain until 1937.) Moffett supervised the development of naval air tactics throughout the '20s. The first aircraft carrier entered the U.S. fleet with

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4326-551: 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. The North American RA-5C Vigilante was also phased out in January 1980, replaced by F-14 Tomcats with Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pods (TARPS). The typical Carrier Air Wing of this period consisted of

4429-508: The War. The first jet landing on a carrier was made by Lt Cdr Eric 'Winkle' Brown who landed on HMS  Ocean in the specially modified de Havilland Vampire ( registration LZ551/G) on 3 December 1945. Following the introduction of angled flight decks , jets were regularly operating from carriers by the mid-1950s. An important development of the early 1950s was the British invention of

4532-600: The Western Front. In 1914 the first aerial torpedo was dropped in trials performed in a Short "Folder" by Lieutenant (later Air Chief Marshal Sir) Arthur Longmore , and in August 1915, a Short Type 184 piloted by Flight Commander Charles Edmonds from HMS  Ben-my-Chree sank a Turkish supply ship in the Sea of Marmara with a 14-inch-diameter (360 mm), 810-pound (370 kg) torpedo. The first strike from

4635-474: The acronym CVG became CVW. Replacement Air Groups, which were set up in 1958, became Combat Readiness Air Groups on 1 April 1963. Often known by the short titles RAG and CRAG in the respective periods, their designation throughout was RCVG. When Groups became Wings, CRAG became CRAW and RCVG became RCVW. From 1960 to 1974, the U.S. Navy also operated Carrier Anti-Submarine Air Groups (CVSG) . These typically consisted of two fixed-wing anti-submarine squadrons (VS),

4738-680: The active inventory (e.g., Regular Navy and Naval Air Reserve), to include the RF-8G Crusader, the A-7E Corsair II, ES-3A Shadow, SH-3H Sea King and the A-6E and KA-6D Intruder. While some of these retirements were due to obsolescence (RF-8G) or succession by newer aircraft (A-7Es replaced by F/A-18s), others were due strictly to post-Cold War perceived "Peace Dividend" budget measures on the part of certain Secretaries of Defense and

4841-404: The affairs of the Department of the Navy", i.e. as its chief executive officer, subject to the limits of the law, and the directions of the president and the secretary of defense. In effect, all authority within the Navy and Marine Corps, unless specifically exempted by law, is derivative of the authority vested in the secretary of the Navy. Specifically enumerated responsibilities of the SECNAV in

4944-401: The aforementioned section are: recruiting, organizing, supplying, equipping, training, mobilizing, and demobilizing. The secretary also oversees the construction, outfitting, and repair of naval ships, equipment, and facilities. SECNAV is responsible for the formulation and implementation of policies and programs that are consistent with the national security policies and objectives established by

5047-414: The aftermath of natural disasters. Naval aircraft are vital in cases where traditional infrastructure to provide relief are destroyed or overtaxed in the wake of a disaster, such as when a region's airport is destroyed or overcrowded and the region cannot be effectively accessed by road or helicopter. The capability of ships to provide clean, fresh water which can be transported by helicopter to affected areas

5150-670: The air wings in the Cold War period after Korea and just prior to Vietnam were specialized squadrons or detachments of aircraft for heavy attack/nuclear strike (VAH), photographic reconnaissance (VAP/VFP, RVAH), airborne early warning (VAW), all-weather medium attack (VA), advanced twin-seat fighters (VF), electronic countermeasures (VAQ), and rescue and plane guard helicopters (HU). During the Vietnam War , Attack Carrier Air Wings typically consisted of approximately 70 aircraft, including two fighter squadrons and three attack squadrons, plus

5253-474: The aircraft tows a sled through the water but is itself at a significant distance from the water, hopefully putting itself out of harm's way. Aircraft include the MH-53E and AW101 . Aircraft operated by navies are also used in the anti-surface warfare (ASUW or ASuW) role, to attack enemy ships and other, surface combatants . This is generally conducted using air-launched anti-ship missiles . Naval aviation

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5356-499: The aircraft. The Gnome -engined Short Improved S.27 "S.38", pusher seaplane piloted by Lieutenant Charles Samson become the first British aircraft to take-off from a ship while at anchor in the River Medway , on 10 January 1912. Africa then transferred her flight equipment to her sister ship Hibernia . In May 1912, with Commander Samson again flying the "S.38", the first ever instance of an aircraft to take off from

5459-489: The angled flight deck by Capt D.R.F. Campbell RN in conjunction with Lewis Boddington of the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough. The runway was canted at an angle of a few degrees from the longitudinal axis of the ship. If an aircraft missed the arrestor cables (referred to as a " bolter "), the pilot only needed to increase engine power to maximum to get airborne again, and would not hit

5562-514: The beginning of the 2010s the VAQ squadrons began their transition from the EA-6B to the new EA-18G Growler. 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. The current U.S. Navy carrier air wing consists of: Atlantic Fleet air wings have an "A" as

5665-460: The capacity to hold up to four wheeled aircraft. Launched on 5 September 1914, she served in the Dardanelles campaign and throughout World War I. During World War I the Royal Navy also used HMS Furious to experiment with the use of wheeled aircraft on ships. This ship was reconstructed three times between 1915 and 1925: first, while still under construction, it was modified to receive

5768-401: The carrier's fighter, bomber, and torpedo planes in combat. The CAG was a department head of the ship reporting to the carrier's commanding officer. In 1963 when Carrier Air Groups were retitled Wings, the commander retained the legacy title of "CAG" which continues to this day. After WWII through 1983, CAGs were typically post-squadron command aviators in the rank of commander. Though the CAG

5871-507: The carrier's hull number. For example, the Enterprise Air Group , assigned to USS  Enterprise  (CV-6) , were all numbered "6": Fighting Squadron (VF) 6 , Bombing Squadron (VB) 6, etc. From 1942, numerical designation of carrier air groups began, the first being Carrier Air Group 9 (CVG-9), established on 1 March 1942. For a while, they were given unique numbers according to their assigned carriers' hull number (i.e.,

5974-648: The conversion of the collier USS Jupiter and its recommissioning as USS  Langley in 1922. Many British naval vessels carried float planes, seaplanes or amphibians for reconnaissance and spotting: two to four on battleships or battlecruisers and one on cruisers. The aircraft, a Fairey Seafox or later a Supermarine Walrus , were catapult-launched , and landed on the sea alongside for recovery by crane. Several submarine aircraft carriers were built by Japan, each carrying one floatplane, which did not prove effective in war. The French Navy built one large submarine , Surcouf , which also carried one floatplane, and

6077-474: The course of the war, seaborne aircraft were used in fleet actions at sea ( Midway , Bismarck ), strikes against naval units in port ( Taranto , Pearl Harbor ), support of ground forces ( Okinawa , Allied invasion of Italy ) and anti-submarine warfare (the Battle of the Atlantic ). Carrier-based aircraft were specialised as dive bombers , torpedo bombers , and fighters . Surface-based aircraft such as

6180-459: The cruiser Hermes converted into a seaplane carrier . In 1914, naval aviation was split again, and became the Royal Naval Air Service . However, shipboard naval aviation had begun in the Royal Navy, and would become a major part of fleet operations by 1917. Other early operators of seaplanes were Germany , within its Marine-Fliegerabteilung naval aviation units within the Kaiserliche Marine , and Russia . In May 1913 Germany established

6283-476: The development of the optimum design for other aircraft carriers. Argus also evaluated various types of arresting gear , general procedures needed to operate a number of aircraft in concert, and fleet tactics. The Tondern raid , a British bombing raid against the Imperial German Navy 's airship base at Tønder , Denmark was the first attack in history made by aircraft flying from a carrier flight deck, with seven Sopwith Camels launched from HMS Furious . For

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6386-1055: The exception of those squadrons assigned to the Japan based airwing which are based at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni (fixed wing squadrons) and Naval Air Facility Atsugi , Japan (helicopters). In addition to the squadrons which happen to be based at NAS Oceana and NAS Lemoore with the wing staffs the CONUS-based air wings also have squadrons based at NAS Whidbey Island , Washington; NAS Point Mugu , NAS North Island , and MCAS Miramar in California; NAS Jacksonville , Florida; MCAS Beaufort , South Carolina; MCAS Cherry Point , North Carolina; and NS Norfolk /Chambers Field, Virginia. These air wings are occasionally reassigned to different aircraft carriers based on carrier maintenance schedules. A modern air wing consists of roughly 1,500 personnel and 74–78 aircraft. 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

6489-402: The expensive connotations of the term "aircraft carrier", the Invincible -class carriers were originally designated as "through deck cruisers" and were initially to operate as helicopter-only craft escort carriers. The arrival of the Sea Harrier VTOL / STOVL fast jet meant that the Invincible-class could carry fixed-wing aircraft, despite their short flight decks. The British also introduced

6592-412: The first seaplane from the water at San Diego Bay and the next day U.S. Navy Lt. Theodore G. Ellyson , a student at the nearby Curtiss School, took off in a Curtiss "grass cutter" plane to become the first naval aviator . $ 25,000 was appropriated for the Bureau of Navigation (United States Navy) to purchase three airplanes and in the spring of 1911 four additional officers were trained as pilots by

6695-481: The first catapult launching from a ship underway. The first permanent naval air station was established at Pensacola, Florida , in January 1914 with Mustin as its commanding officer. On April 24 of that year, and for a period of approximately 45 days afterward, five floatplanes and flying boats flown by ten aviators operated from Mississippi and the cruiser Birmingham off Veracruz and Tampico , Mexico, respectively, conducting reconnaissance for troops ashore in

6798-469: The first letter of their tail code identification, while those of the Pacific Fleet have an "N". The "A" or "N" is followed by a letter that uniquely identifies the air wing (e.g., CVW-1 aircraft, part of the Atlantic Fleet, have a tail code of "AB"). CVW-17 transferred from Atlantic Fleet (with tail code AA) to Pacific Fleet (with tail code NA) in 2012 and was reassigned to USS  Carl Vinson . USS Enterprise decommissioned in December 2012 and CVW-1

6901-601: The first naval units solely destroyed by airplanes. During the war the German "Marineflieger" claimed the destruction of 270 enemy planes, 6 balloons, 2 airships, 1 Russian destroyer, 4 merchant ships, 3 submarines, 4 torpedo boats and 12 vehicles, for the loss of 170 German sea and land planes as well as 9 vehicles. Notable Marineflieger aces were Gotthard Sachsenberg (31 victories), Alexander Zenzes (18 victories), Friedrich Christiansen (13 victories, 1 airship and 1 submarine), Karl Meyer (8 victories), Karl Scharon (8 victories), and Hans Goerth (7 victories). The need for

7004-421: The first person to land a plane on a moving ship. He was killed five days later during another landing on Furious . HMS  Argus was converted from an ocean liner and became the first example of what is now the standard pattern of aircraft carrier, with a full-length flight deck that allowed wheeled aircraft to take off and land. After commissioning , the ship was heavily involved for several years in

7107-669: The first successful catapult launch and arrested landing of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) aboard an aircraft carrier. After a decade of research and planning, the US Navy has been testing the integration of UAVs with carrier-based forces since 2013, using the experimental Northrop Grumman X-47B , and is working to procure a fleet of carrier-based UAVs, referred to as the Unmanned Carrier Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) system. Naval aviation forces primarily perform naval roles at sea. However, they are also used for other tasks which vary between states. Common roles for such forces include: Carrier-based naval aviation provides

7210-456: The first such facility in the world. Two hundred applications were received, and four were accepted: Lieutenant C R Samson , Lieutenant A M Longmore , Lieutenant A Gregory and Captain E L Gerrard , RMLI . The French also established a naval aviation capability in 1910 with the establishment of the Service Aeronautique and the first flight training schools. U.S. naval aviation began with pioneer aviator Glenn Curtiss who contracted with

7313-559: The following. On 1 March 1984, Carrier Air Wing 13 was established. Between 1 October 1985 and 30 September 1989 the wing made three deployments aboard Coral Sea. A new Carrier Air Wing 10 was established on 1 November 1986 for eighteen months, but it was then disestablished in March 1988. The Gulf War marked the largest concentrated use of carrier air wings since World War II. All F-4s had been retired and A-7Es had largely been replaced with F/A-18 Hornets . From 1991 to 1995, several Type/Model/Series (T/M/S) aircraft were phased out of

7416-777: The former Anti-Submarine Air Groups joined the Carrier Air Wings and the HS squadrons, in addition to their Anti-Submarine role, assumed the search and rescue (SAR) and plane guard roles formerly filled by the HC detachments. By the early 1980s, typical air wings were replacing F-4 Phantom IIs with Grumman F-14 Tomcats on Forrestal, Kitty Hawk, Enterprise and Nimitz class carriers and with F/A-18 Hornets onboard Midway class carriers. LTV A-7 Corsair IIs were also being replaced with F/A-18s, while Grumman KA-6D Intruder tankers and A-6E bombers with aerial refueling pods had replaced A-3s as tankers. EA-6B Prowlers had largely replaced EA-3s in

7519-492: The hydraulic catapults which had been introduced in the 1940s. The first Optical Landing System , the Mirror Landing Aid was invented by Lieutenant Commander H. C. N. Goodhart RN. The first trials of a mirror landing sight were conducted on HMS Illustrious in 1952. The US Navy built the first aircraft carrier to be powered by nuclear reactors . USS  Enterprise was powered by eight nuclear reactors and

7622-411: The loss of one man, the British destroyed two German zeppelins , L.54 and L.60 and a captive balloon. Genuine aircraft carriers did not emerge beyond Britain until the early 1920s. The Japanese Hōshō (1921) was the world's first purpose-built aircraft carrier, although the initial plans and laying down for HMS  Hermes (1924) had begun earlier. Both Hōshō and Hermes initially boasted

7725-418: The mainstay of the fleet. HMS  Vanguard was therefore the last British battleship and her sisters were cancelled. The United States had already instigated a large construction programme (which was also cut short) but these large ships were mainly used as anti-aircraft batteries or for shore bombardment . Other actions involving naval aviation included: Jet aircraft were used on aircraft carriers after

7828-569: The most effective weapons against submarines is the ASW helicopter, several of which could be based on these light ships. These carriers are typically around 20,000 tons displacement and carry a mix of ASW helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. Land-based maritime patrol aircraft are also useful in this role, since they can operate independently of aircraft carriers. Naval aircraft are used to airlift supplies, insert specialized personnel (e.g. medical staff, relief workers), and evacuate persons in distress in

7931-518: The old SH-60F and the old SH-60B surface ship based Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System (LAMPS) helicopter and were equipping a new carrier based helicopter squadron called the Helicopter Maritime Strike squadron (HSM). 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. By

8034-523: The parent carrier, not the air group. As there were just too many carriers and the symbols were hard to remember or to describe over the radio, a single or double letter system was introduced in July 1945. The letters, however, still identified the carrier, not the carrier air group. The following identifications are known: Shangri-La is known to have had her Lightning Bolt on the flight deck forward and aft replaced by her air group identification letter "Z", as

8137-598: The parked aircraft because the angled deck pointed out over the sea. The angled flight deck was first tested on HMS  Triumph , by painting angled deck markings onto the centerline flight deck for touch and go landings. The modern steam-powered catapult , powered by steam from a ship's boilers or reactors, was invented by Commander C.C. Mitchell of the Royal Naval Reserve . It was widely adopted following trials on HMS  Perseus between 1950 and 1952 which showed it to be more powerful and reliable than

8240-616: The post-Vietnam drawdown: Carrier Air Wing 10 on 20 November 1969, Readiness Carrier Air Wing 12 on 1 June 1970, Readiness Carrier Air Wing 4 on 1 July 1970, Carrier Air Wing 16 on 30 June 1971, Carrier Air Wing 21 on 12 December 1975, and Carrier Air Wing 19 on 30 June 1977 along with all of the Anti-Submarine Air Groups which were disestablished by 1974. In the mid 1970s the Navy decommissioned its Anti-Submarine Aircraft Carriers (CVS) and its Attack Carriers (CVA) were re-designated CV. The VS and HS squadrons of

8343-603: The president or the secretary of defense. The secretary of the Navy is a member of the Defense Acquisition Board (DAB), chaired by the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics . Furthermore, the secretary has several statutory responsibilities under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) with respect to the administration of the military justice system for

8446-490: The principal executive agents of the SECNAV within their respective services to implement the orders of the secretary. The United States Navy Regulations is the principal regulatory document of the Department of the Navy, and all changes to it must be approved by the secretary of the Navy. Whenever the United States Coast Guard operates as a service within the Department of the Navy, the secretary of

8549-502: The results of demobilization which had left squadron numbers all out of sequence, sweeping changes were made in air unit designations. 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

8652-660: The runway built over the foredeck and the danger and impracticality of recovering seaplanes that alighted in the water in anything but calm weather more than offset the desirability of having airplanes aboard. In 1912, the nascent naval air detachment in the United Kingdom was amalgamated to form the Royal Flying Corps and in 1913 a seaplane base on the Isle of Grain , an airship base at Kingsnorth and eight new airfields were approved for construction. The first aircraft participation in naval manoeuvres took place in 1913 with

8755-553: The same missions as fixed-wing aircraft while operating from aircraft carriers, helicopter carriers , destroyers and frigates . Early experiments on the use of kites for naval reconnaissance took place in 1903 at Woolwich Common for the Admiralty . Samuel Franklin Cody demonstrated the capabilities of his 8-foot-long black kite and it was proposed for use as either a mechanism to hold up wires for wireless communications or as

8858-475: The same type of carrier-based aircraft when not deployed. The United States Marine Corps equivalent command-level organization to a CVW is the Marine Aircraft Group (MAG). However, MAGs are shore-based (with sea-based capability) and may contain any combination of aircraft squadrons and aviation support units . Carrier Air Wings integrate closely with their assigned aircraft carriers, forming

8961-532: The secretary of the Navy (and the secretaries of the Army and Air Force ) were by amendments to the National Security Act of 1947 made subordinate to the secretary of defense . On August 7, 2021, Carlos Del Toro was confirmed as secretary of the Navy. From 2001 to 2019, proposals to rename the Department of the Navy to the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps, which would have also renamed

9064-649: The secretary of the Navy to the secretary of the Navy and Marine Corps , were introduced with wide support in the United States Congress , but failed due to the opposition of Senator and retired U.S. Navy officer John McCain . The Department of the Navy (DoN) consists of two uniformed services : the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps . The secretary of the Navy is responsible for, and has statutory authority ( 10 U.S.C.   § 8013 ) to "conduct all

9167-400: The slight remaining Lightning Bolt can be seen painted on the deck beneath the Z on the victory photos of the carrier. 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. The use of single letters was discontinued in 1957. On 15 November 1946, to correct

9270-545: The special squadrons and detachments (VAW, VAQ, RVAH or VFP, VQ, HC or HS). In 1965, a typical Carrier Air Wing consisted of: By the end of the Vietnam War in 1973, a typical air wing consisted of ~90 aircraft: An anti-submarine air group (CVSG) aboard the Essex -class anti-submarine carriers (CVS) operated up to five squadrons and two detachments: From 1969 to 1977, a number of carrier air wings were disestablished in

9373-733: The striking power and electronic warfare capabilities of a carrier battle group (CVBG). While the CVBG term is still used by other nations, the CVBG in US parlance is now known as a carrier strike group (CSG). Until 1963, Carrier Air Wings were known as Carrier Air Groups (CVGs). Carrier Air Wings are what the United States Air Force would call "composite" wings, and should not be confused with U.S. Navy Type Wings (such as Strike Fighter Wing Atlantic ), which are primarily administrative and training commands composed of squadrons of

9476-425: The two most distinctive features of a modern aircraft carrier: a full-length flight deck and a starboard-side control tower island . Both continued to be adjusted in the light of further experimentation and experience, however: Hōshō even opted to remove its island entirely in favor of a less obstructed flight deck and improved pilot visibility. Instead, Japanese carriers opted to control their flight operations from

9579-462: The wake of the Tampico Affair . In January 1912, the British battleship HMS  Africa took part in aircraft experiments at Sheerness . She was fitted for flying off aircraft with a 100-foot (30 m) downward-sloping runway which was installed on her foredeck, running over her forward 12-inch (305 mm) gun turret from her forebridge to her bow and equipped with rails to guide

9682-562: The war in the Pacific, the compositions of the air groups changed drastically. The scouting squadrons were disestablished by early 1943 and the number of fighter planes was increased continuously. Typically in 1943 an Essex class carrier carried 36 fighters, 36 bombers and 18 torpedo planes. By the end of WWII, a typical Essex air group was over 100 aircraft, consisting of : Carrier Air Groups typically had four fighter squadrons with 58 planes and an attack squadron of 14 planes. New to

9785-476: Was a need for widespread use of aircraft which could not be met quickly enough by building new fleet aircraft carriers. This was particularly true in the North Atlantic , where convoys were highly vulnerable to U-boat attack. The British authorities used unorthodox, temporary, but effective means of giving air protection such as CAM ships and merchant aircraft carriers , merchant ships modified to carry

9888-562: Was also not effective in war. World War II saw the emergence of naval aviation as the decisive element in the war at sea. The principal users were Japan, United States (both with Pacific interests to protect) and Britain. Germany, the Soviet Union, France and Italy had a lesser involvement. Soviet Naval Aviation was mostly organised as land-based coastal defense force (apart from some scout floatplanes it consisted almost exclusively of land-based types also used by its air arms). During

9991-559: Was in command of the air wing, he functioned as a department head reporting to the carrier's commanding officer once the wing embarked. The CAG would typically be promoted to captain after their tour and subsequently command a deep draft support vessel, then an aircraft carrier as a senior captain. 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

10094-746: Was not a complete success, owing to sub-optimal weather conditions, including fog and low cloud, but the raid was able to conclusively demonstrate the feasibility of air-to-land strikes from a naval platform. Two German airships were destroyed at the Tøndern base on July 19, 1918, by seven Sopwith Camels launched from the carrier HMS  Furious . In August 1914 Germany operated 20 planes and one Zeppelin, another 15 planes were confiscated. They operated from bases in Germany and Flanders (Belgium). On 19 August 1918 several British torpedo boats were sunk by 10 German planes near Heligoland. These are considered as

10197-458: Was reassigned to USS Theodore Roosevelt in 2013 until USS Theodore Roosevelt shifted homeport to San Diego in 2015 at which time CVW-17 shifted to her. With the inactivation of CVWR-30 in 1994, the single remaining U.S. Navy Reserve Carrier Air Wing was Carrier Air Wing Reserve Twenty (CVWR-20). On 1 April 2007, CVWR-20 was redesignated as Tactical Support Wing (TSW): Naval aviation Naval aviation units are typically projected to

10300-471: Was seen as largely impractical at the time. CAPT Washington Irving Chambers felt it was much easier to defend against airplanes than mines or torpedoes. The wireless radio was cumbersome (greater than 50 pounds), but the technology was improving. Experiments were underway for the first ICS (pilot to observer comms) using headsets, as well as connecting the observer to the radio. The navy tested both telephones and voice tubes for ICS. As of August 1911, Italy

10403-549: Was the only other navy known to be adapting hydroplanes for naval use. The group expanded with the addition of six aviators in 1912 and five in 1913, from both the Navy and Marine Corps , and conducted maneuvers with the Fleet from the battleship USS  Mississippi , designated as the Navy's aviation ship. Meanwhile, Captain Henry C. Mustin successfully tested the concept of the catapult launch in August 1912, and in 1915 made

10506-495: Was the second surface warship (after USS  Long Beach ) to be powered in this way. The post-war years also saw the development of the helicopter , with a variety of useful roles and mission capability aboard aircraft carriers and other naval ships. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the United Kingdom and the United States converted some older carriers into Commando Carriers or Landing Platform Helicopters (LPH); seagoing helicopter airfields like HMS  Bulwark . To mitigate

10609-496: Was widely commented upon in the press, both Greek and international. At the outbreak of war the Royal Naval Air Service had 93 aircraft, six airships , two balloons and 727 personnel, making it larger than the Royal Flying Corps. The main roles of the RNAS were fleet reconnaissance, patrolling coasts for enemy ships and submarines, attacking enemy coastal territory and defending Britain from enemy air-raids, along with deployment along

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