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
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