List of United States Navy Carrier Air Wings - 1983 Invasion of Grenada

1983 Invasion of Grenada

By the early 1980s, typical air wings were replacing F-4s with F-14 Tomcat on Forrestal, Kitty Hawk, Enterprise and Nimitz class clarriers and/or F/A-18 Hornets onboard Midway class carriers. A-7s were also being replaced with F/A-18s, while KA-6D tankers and A-6E bombers with aerial refueling pods had replaced A-3 as tankers, and 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 ES-3A Shadow in the carrier-based VQ mission.

• 2 fighter squadrons (VF) of 12 F-4s or F-14s or 2 strike fighter squadrons (VFA) of 12 F/A-18s
  • Marine fighter attack squadrons (VMFA) with F-4s or F/A-18s could occasionally substitute for a VF or VFA squadron
• 2 attack squadrons (VA) of 12 A-7Es or 2 strike fighter squadrons of 12 F/A-18s
• 1 all-weather attack squadron (VA) 10-12 A-6E (including 4 KA-6D tankers)
  • Marine medium attack - all-weather squadron (VMA(AW)) with A-6Es could occasionally substitute for a medium VA squadron
• 1 early warning squadron (VAW) of 4-6 E-2Cs
• 1 tactical electronic warfare squadron (VAQ) or Marine tactical electronic warfare squadron VMAQ) of 4 EA-6Bs
• 1 anti-submarine squadron (VS) of 8 Lockheed S-3A Vikings
• 1 helicopter anti-submarine squadron (HS) of 6 SH-3H Sea Kings
• 1 detachment of EA-3B ELINT aircraft from a fleet air reconnaissance squadron (VQ)
• 1 detachment of RF-8Gs from a light photographic reconnaissance squadron (VFP) or RF-4s from a Marine photographic reconnaissance squadron (VMFP)
  • If one of the F-14 squadrons was Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod Systems (TARPS)-capable, the VFP detachment or VMFP detachment would be deleted

On 1 March 1 1984, Carrier Air Wing 13 was established. Between 1 October 1985 and 30 September 1989 the wing made three deployments aboard Coral Sea. Carrier Air Wing 10 was re-established on 1 November 1986 for eighteen months, but then disestablished again in March 1988.