Carrier Air Wing Seventeen

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Carrier Air Wing Seventeen
CVW-14 Insignia
Active	1 April 1944 - Present
Country	United States
Branch	US Navy
Type	Carrier Air Wing
Part of	United States Fleet Forces Command
Garrison/HQ	NAS Oceana USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-67)
Battles/wars	World War II Operation Desert Shield Operation Desert Storm Operation Iraqi Freedom

Carrier Air Wing Seventeen (CVW-17), is a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia. The air wing is attached to the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-67).^[1]

1 Mission
2 Subordinate units
3 History
4 Current force
- 4.1 Fixed wing aircraft
- 4.2 Rotary wing aircraft
5 See also
6 References

[edit] 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.

[edit] Subordinate units

CVW-17 consists of 6 Squadrons^[2]

Strike Fighter Squadron 11
Strike Fighter Squadron 81
Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 121
Carrier Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 132
Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 40 Det. 4
Helicopter Anit-submarine Squadron 15

[edit] History

Air Group Seventeen came into existence 1 April 1944 during World War II. Following the war the Air Group was redesignated CVG-17, and until it was deactivated in September 1958, Air Group Seventeen operated continuously with the Atlantic Fleet and deployed in USS Franklin D. Roosevelt, USS Wasp, and USS Coral Sea. Air Wing Seventeen was reactivated in November 1966 and assigned to the USS Forrestal (CV-59). Throughout the next 15 years the Forrestal/CVW-17 team remained intact, conducting ten Mediterranean deployments.^[1]

When the Forrestal entered a three year Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) in November 1982, CVW-17 crossdecked to the USS Saratoga (CV-60). During Operation Desert Storm, CVW-17 and Saratoga maintained deployed to the Red Sea, and launched combat strikes against Iraq almost continuously over the 43 days of Operation Desert Storm. In June 1994, upon returning from yet another successful deployment in the SARATOGA, CVW-17 was transferred to USS Enterprise (CVN-65) homeported in Norfolk, VA. The following September, CVW-17 moved it's headquarters to NAS Oceana, VA.^[1]

Aircraft from the air wing played key roles in supporting coalition ground forces during the operations in Fallujah, Iraq, that began Nov. 7. as coalition forces swept through Fallujah, clearing it of insurgents, CVW-17 joined Air Force and Marine Corps aircraft in striking key positions. During the height of operations, CVW-17 aircraft flew an average of 38 missions a day in support of ground troops. Together, the squadrons of CVW-17 flew 8,296 sorties for a total flight time of 21,824 hours. Of that total, 4,396 sorties and 11,607 flight hours were in direct support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In all, they dropped 54,000 pounds of ordnance. The VFA-34 “Blueblasters” dropped the Navy’s first two 500-pound Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM), during combat operations over Iraq. The JDAM provides the war fighter with more flexibility and helps reduce collateral damage.^[1]