Carrier Air Wing Two

Mission

To conduct carrier air warfare operations and assist in the planning, control, coordination and integration of seven air wing squadrons in support of carrier air warfare including; Interception and destruction of enemy aircraft and missiles in all-weather conditions to establish and maintain local air superiority. All-weather offensive air-to-surface attacks, Detection, localization, and destruction of enemy ships and submarines to establish and maintain local sea control. Aerial photographic, sighting, and electronic intelligence for naval and joint operations. Airborne early warning service to fleet forces and shore warning nets. Airborne electronic countermeasures. In-flight refueling operations to extend the range and the endurance of air wing aircraft and Search and rescue operations.

Subordinate units

CVW-2 consists of 9 Squadrons

History

CVW-2 was established on 1 May 1945 as Carrier Air Group 74 (CVBG-74), and originally comprised 96 F4U-4/FG-1D Corsairs and 46 SBW-4E Helldivers. CVBG-74 was assigned to the newly commissioned aircraft carrier USS Midway (CVB-41). In March 1946, the air group took part in Operation Frostbite, which tested carrier air operations in Arctic waters. Redesignated CVBG-1 on 15 November 1946, the first true deployment took the Air Group to the Mediterranean Sea from October 1947 to March 1948 aboard Midway. Renamed CVG-2 in 1948, the air group made another Mediterranean delployment aboard USS Coral Sea (CVB-43), in 1949. Between 1950 and 1952, the Air Group saw action during the Korean War in support of the Inchon invasion, the bombing of Seoul, securing the Kimpo Airfield, as well as leading four Carrier Air Groups on a long-range strike coordinated with USAF jets against the Suiho Dam on 23 – 24 June 1952, being assigned to USS Boxer (CV-21), USS Valley Forge (CV-45), and USS Philippine Sea (CV-47).

Between 1953 and 1958, CVG-2 made three deployments to the Western Pacific aboard the carriers USS Yorktown (CVA-10), USS Essex (CVA-9), and USS Shangri-La (CVA-38). For the next seven years, CVG-2 was then again assigned the Midway. In 1961, the first A4D-2 Skyhawks came aboard while patrolling the Formosa Straits during tensions between Taiwan and China. In late 1963, the Air Group's first deployment with F-4 Phantoms began, and on 20 December the Air Wing was redesignated Attack Carrier Air Wing Two (CVW-2).

Vietnam

The first of seven combat deployments to Southeast Asia began in 1965. CVW-2 was credited with the first three confirmed Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 kills over North Vietnam. In July 1966, the Air Wing marked its first all-Phantom deployment and E-2A Hawkeyes joined the air wing, again assigend to the Coral Sea. Coordinated carrier operations in the Gulf of Tonkin earned the air wing the Navy Unit Commendation in February 1967.

Peacetime

The air wing began a long affiliation with USS Ranger (CVA-61) during the 1967-68 deployment which lasted until 1993, after which Ranger was decommissioned. New A-7A Corsairs and A-6A Intruders made CVW-2 the first all jet Attack Carrier Air Wing. CVW-2 spent thirty days of the deployment in the Sea of Japan reacting to North Korea's seizure of USS Pueblo (AGER-2), earning the Air Wing the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and Meritorious Unit Commendation. During its last Vietnam deployment, which began in December 1972, CVW-2 introduced laser-guided bombs (LGBs) to Navy combat operations with great success. Strikes by VA-145 destroyed fourteen of fifteen targeted bridges within three hours. CVW-2 made its first peacetime deployment in over twelve years in 1974. CVW-2 was then redesignated Carrier Air Wing Two as part of the CV concept. In 1978-79, anti-submarine combat units joined the team with VS-29 flying S-3A Vikings and HS-2 in SH-3D Sea Kings During the subsequent 1979 deployment, RVAH-7, as part of CVW-2, marked the final operational overseas deployment of the RA-5C Vigilante.

VF-1 and VF-2 flying the F-14A Tomcat were assigned for the September 1980 deployment, four months of which were spent in the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf awaiting the release of the U.S. hostages in Iran. The Air Wing made its tenth straight deployment aboard Ranger in 1982 before bing reassiged to USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) for a single deployment in 1984.

CVW-2 returned to Ranger in 1987, largely composed of Grumman aircraft. The "Grumman Air Wing" deployed to the Western Pacific/Indian Ocean in July 1987 flying many "Earnest Will" escort missions into the Persian Gulf. CVW-2 also flew in support of U.S. military assaults on oil platforms used as staging bases for Iranian militia attacking tankers in the Persian Gulf. From February to August 1989, Ranger/CVW-2 conducted normal patrol operations in the Western Pacific/Indian Ocean. Following that deployment, VMA(AW)-121 left CVW-2 and was replaced by VA-155. Following Ranger´s decommissioning, CVW-2 was reassigned to USS Constellation (CV-64) in 1993 for the next ten years.

Gulf War

1 April 1997, 18 June 1999 and 16 March 2001 marked the beginnings of Western Pacific and Persian Gulf deployments for CVW-2 and the Constellation. Throughout these combined 18 months of deployed time, CVW-2 has successfully conducted a total of over 33 weeks of high tempo operations in the Persian Gulf, including more than 13,000 sorties while in Fifth Fleet’s Area of Responsibility. Operations during the last three deployments have included joint-combined exercises with forces from allied countries in the Persian Gulf region, as well as exercises with Saudi Arabian, Qatari, Kuwait, and Bahrain. In addition to flying training missions, CVW-2 has flown over 3,500 sorties in support of Operation Southern Watch, enforcing the no-fly zone over Southern Iraq and CVW-2 aircrew lead the opening strikes on Baghdad at the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom. CVW-2 and the Constellation flew 26 continuous days of combat over Iraq, clearing the way for our ground force advance on Baghdad.

Port calls during the past three deployments have included stops in Sydney and Perth, Western Australia, Manama (Bahrain), Jebel Ali (United Arab Emirates), Singapore, Kelang (Malaysia), Hong Kong (China), Pusan (Korea), Yokosuka (Japan), and Hawaii.

After Constellation decommissioned in August 2003, Carrier Air Wing Two shifted carriers to the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72). CVW-2 joined Abraham Lincoln by September 2004.

21st Century

During its 2004-2005 deployment, Carrier Air Wing Two executed 4400 fixed-wing sorties for a total of 7588 flight hours, as well as 1518 rotary-wing sorties for a total of 4401 flight hours. The air wing also completed 4455 flight deck landings (traps) while also flying 1737 humanitarian relief missions in support of Operation Unified Assistance between 26 December 2004 and 3 February 2005.

During its 2006 deployment, Carrier Air Wing Two participated in three major exercises (i.e., Foal Eagle 06, Valiant Shield 06, RIMPAC 06), and its aircraft flew 7,871 sorties, with a total of 7,578 catapult launches from the flight deck of the Abraham Lincoln. Between 24–31 March 2006, during Foal Eagle 2006 exercises, strike squadrons VFA-2, VFA-34, VFA-137, and VFA-151 from Carrier Air Wing Two teamed with U.S. Air Force aircraft from the 18th Wing based at Kadena Air Base to provide combat air patrols and coordinated bombing runs via the exercise’s Combined Air Operations Center.

During its 2008 deployment, Carrier Air Wing Two flew approximately 7,100 sorties, totaling more than 22,000 flight hours, which included 2,307 combat sorties that dropped 255,963 pounds (116,102,863.8 kg) of ordnance in support of Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan (OEF-A) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) as a part of the U.S. Fifth Fleet.

When Abraham Lincoln began its Refueling and Complex Overhaul in 2013, CVW-2 was reassigned to USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76). It made only a short deployment aboard Ronald Reagan during exercise RIMPAC between June and August 2014, before the carrier was stationed in Japan. CVW-2 then accompanied USS George Washington (CVN-73) for her voyage around South America from September to December 2015.

In 2016, CVW-2 was reassigned to USS Carl Vinson. The wing began its next scheduled deployment to the Western Pacific aboard Carl Vinson on 5 January 2017.

Fixed-wing aircraft

Rotary-wing aircraft