Carrier Air Wing Eleven (CVW-11) is a

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

aircraft carrier air wing based at

Naval Air Station Lemoore Naval Air Station Lemoore or NAS Lemoore is a United States Navy base, located in Kings County, California, Kings County and Fresno County, California, Fresno County, California, United States. Lemoore Station, California, Lemoore Station, a censu ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. The air wing is attached to the aircraft carrier .Carrier Air Wing Eight (CVW 11)
- Global Security.org - Access Date 1 January 2007

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.
– CVW-11 – U.S. Navy – Access Date 1 January 2007

Subordinate units

CVW-11 consists of nine squadrons
– CVW-11 – U.S. Navy – Access Date 1 January 2007

History

World War II

Carrier Air Wing Eleven (CVW-11) was previously designated Carrier Air Group Eleven (CVG-11) and (CVAG-11). On 10 October 1942 at Naval Air Station San Diego, four squadrons joined together to form Carrier Air Group Eleven (CVG-11). Bombing Squadron Eleven (VB-11), Fighting Squadron Eleven (VF-11), Scouting Squadron Eleven (VS-11) and Torpedo Squadron Eleven (VT-11). In late October the entire air group was sent to Hawaii. VB-11, VS-11 and VT-11 were stationed at NAS Barbers Point on Oahu and VF-11 was sent to NAS Maui. While at Maui, the pilots of VF-11 trained and enjoyed the hospitality of th
von Tempsky
ranch. Boyd, Maria and Alexa von Tempsky made sure VF-11 had a place to relax when they were not flying. In February 1943 the Air Group embarked on and en route to Nandi in the Fijian Islands. CVG-11 continued to train and fly simulated combat missions. By the time CVG-11 arrived in the Pacific combat zone only one aircraft carrier was operational. This meant the entire air group would be land based at Guadalcanal. On 25 April 1943 CVG-11 arrived at Guadalcanal. VF-11 would fly from Lunga Point, known as "Fighter One." The pilots of VF-11 would set out on escort missions providing cover for the Bombing and Torpedo Squadrons. In addition, the "Sundowners" as VF-11 is known, searched for and destroyed Japanese aircraft operating in the region. It was during this time that VS-11 was re-designated to VB-21. The remainder of the air group (VB-11, VB-21 & VT-11) would fly from Henderson Field. The bomber and torpedo planes conducted patrol, search, spotting, strike, and night mine-laying operations. On 8 June 1943 the Air Group suffered a great loss. The men of VT-11 were granted a leave to Australia. While leaving New Caledonia, one of the three transport planes crashed killing all 24 men on board. Included in the casualties were Air Group Commander Weldon L. Hamilton and 16 pilots and aircrew from VT-11. On 16 June 1943 twenty eight pilots of VF-11 engaged an estimated 120 Japanese planes and shot down 31. On 1 August 1943 CVG-11 left Guadalcanal and boarded USS ''Chenango'', USS ''St. Louis'' and USS ''Honolulu''. They arrived back at NAS Alameda two weeks later. Upon return to the US, CVG-11 trained for their next assignment: carrier operations. Three air groups flew into combat on board during World War II. Air Group Eleven replaced Air Group Two on 29 September 1944. While on board USS ''Hornet'', CVG-11 attacked targets on Okinawa, Formosa, the Philippines, French Indo China and Hong Kong. The Air Group was tested daily by threat of kamikaze attacks against the ship, foul weather and intense anti-aircraft fire over the intended targets. The pilots of VF-11 were most proud of the fact that no VB-11 or VT-11 aircraft were lost to enemy fighter planes. Their top ace was

Charles R. Stimpson Charles Russell Stimpson (24 August 1919 – 20 August 1983) was a United States Navy fighter ace in World War II. Biography Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, Stimpson graduated from Pomona College in 1941 and enlisted in the navy as an aviation cadet ...

with 16 victories. By the end of January 1945 the pilots and aircrews of Air Group Eleven claimed the following: 105 enemy planes shot down, 272 planes destroyed on the ground, over 100,000 tons of enemy shipping sunk, and over 100 Japanese ships damaged. These great accomplishments did not come without a price. In four months of flying. CVG-11 lost over 50 aircraft and had more than 60 men killed, missing-in-action or wounded. Air Group Eleven was replaced by Air Group Seventeen on 1 February 1945. They arrived back in Alameda on 24 February 1945. For these operations, CVG-11 was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation. An exhibit honoring Carrier Air Group Eleven (CVG-11) is on board the USS ''Hornet'' Museum in Alameda, California. Its grand opening to the public was on Veterans Day of 11 November 2014. After the war, the navy changed the designation scheme for its Carrier Air Groups designating Air Groups configured for the carrier CVAGs, those configured for the larger carrier CVBGs, those configured for the light carriers of the and classes CVLGs and those configured for remaining World War II escort carriers CVEGs. CVG-11 became CVAG-11. On 1 September 1948 the designation scheme was again changed, and all CVAGs and CVBGs reverted to CVGs and CVEGs and CVLGs were disestablished. CVAG-11 became CVG-11 for the second time.

Korean War

During the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

, CVG-11 was the first Air Wing to shoot down

MiG Russian Aircraft Corporation "MiG" (russian: Российская самолётостроительная корпорация „МиГ“, Rossiyskaya samolyotostroitel'naya korporatsiya "MiG"), commonly known as Mikoyan and MiG, was a Russi ...

s, and was instrumental in keeping the

Pusan Perimeter The Battle of the Pusan Perimeter ( ko, 부산 교두보 전투) was a large-scale battle between United Nations Command (UN) and North Korean forces lasting from August 4 to September 18, 1950. It was one of the first major engagements of the ...

from collapsing during the early stages of the war, and participated in various other significant operations such as the

Inchon Invasion The Battle of Incheon (), also spelled Battle of Inchon, was an amphibious invasion and a battle of the Korean War that resulted in a decisive victory and strategic reversal in favor of the United Nations Command (UN). The operation involved s ...

, the Wonsan landing and the highly successful movement from the

Chosin Reservoir The Chosin Reservoir (), formally known as Lake Changjin () is a lake located in Changjin County, North Korea. It is most famously known for being the site of the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir, which was an important battle in the Korean War. ...

Vietnam War and the 1970s

CVG-11 deployed on board with the Seventh Fleet in October 1963 commanded by CDR Warren H. O'Neil, USN. On 20 December 1963 the navy redesignated its Carrier Air Groups to Carrier Air Wings and CVG-11 became Carrier Air Wing Eleven (CVW-11). CVW-11 flew the first Offensive Missions against North Vietnam in the spring of 1964, also experiencing the first losses of U.S Navy aircraft; LT Charles Klusman was later rescued in August 1964 and returned to San Diego in September. In 1965, CVW-11 attached squadrons received new aircraft, such as the RA-5C Vigilante,

A-6 Intruder The Grumman A-6 Intruder is an American twinjet all-weather attack aircraft developed and manufactured by American aircraft company Grumman Aerospace and operated by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps. It was designed in response to a 1957 r ...

F-8 Crusader The Vought F-8 Crusader (originally F8U) is a single-engine, supersonic, carrier-based air superiority jet aircraft built by Vought for the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps (replacing the Vought F7U Cutlass), and for the Fren ...

and the E-2 Hawkeye. With these new additions, between December 1965 and May 1966, CVW-11 conducted air strikes against targets during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...

and delivered more ordnance then any other air wing in the navy. In November 1966, CVW-11 and USS ''Kitty Hawk'' were awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for their actions during their deployment to the region. CVW-11 deployed for a 1966 to 1967 cruise to Asia, which earned them another Navy Unit Commendation in August 1967. ''Kitty Hawk'' and CVW-11 became the first battle group to be awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for performance during the Vietnam War, the citation was approved during operations between December 1966 through June 1968. CVW-11 set numerous records for the Vietnam War, including a 61-day line period, which was the longest for the war. Prior to the limited bombing announcement, CVW-11 bombed targets in

North Vietnam North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; vi, Việt Nam Dân chủ Cộng hòa), was a socialist state supported by the Soviet Union (USSR) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Southeast Asia that existed f ...

, striking enemy power plants, rail yards and lines of transports and communications. CVW-11's sustained presence in the region was instrumental in the defense of

Khe Sanh Khe Sanh is the district capital of Hướng Hoá District, Quảng Trị Province, Vietnam, located 63 km west of Đông Hà. During the Vietnam War, the Khe Sanh Combat Base was located to the north of the city. The Battle of Khe San ...

. CVW-11 broke all records for combat sorties flown and ordnance dropped during its sixth WESTPAC deployment during November 1970 and July 1971, although it was short lived as the air wing broke its own record during the following deployment in 1972 under command of CAPT Doug McCrimmon, as they were deployed due to the Communist offensive, where CVW-11 deployed 107 aircraft, the largest Air Wing ever under the new CV Air Wing concept, which included tactical aircraft and anti-submarine aircraft on the same carrier. The 1972–1973 deployment was highlighted by an air power demonstration for the

Shah of Iran This is a list of monarchs of Persia (or monarchs of the Iranic peoples, in present-day Iran), which are known by the royal title Shah or Shahanshah. This list starts from the establishment of the Medes around 671 BCE until the deposition of th ...

and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff while deployed to the Indian Ocean. During the 1975 deployment, CVW-11 and ''Kitty Hawk'' deployed for their first non-combat cruise in nine years, which followed with two more deployments in 1975 and 1977. The 1977 cruise was the first with the

F-14 Tomcat The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is an American carrier-capable supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, twin-tail, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy's Naval Fighter Experimental (VFX) program after the ...

S-3 Viking The Lockheed S-3 Viking is a four-crew, twin-engine turbofan-powered jet aircraft designed and produced by the American aerospace manufacturer Lockheed Corporation. Because of its characteristic sound, it was nicknamed the "War Hoover" after th ...

, the A-6E version of the Intruder and the E-2C version of the Hawkeye. The air wing made one last deployment of the decade in 1979 with .

1980s

In 1982 the Air Wing deployed once more on board ''America'' before CVW-11 switched carriers once again and deployed four times with between 1982 and 1990. With highlights such as the deployment to the Northern Pacific during FLEETEX ‘84, a three-carrier operation, and the 1986 cruise saw the Air Wing deploy to the Indian Ocean, where F-14s often intercepted

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...

and

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

aircraft. Due to operations against

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...

in the spring of 1986, it was decided that the battle group would head for the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ...

and the "Line of Death", where CVW-11 aircraft would fly patrols for two months, although encounters with Libyan jets were rare. The carrier group got to visit

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

and

Toulon Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...

, and instead of returning through the Suez Canal which they had used to transit to the Mediterranean, USS ''Enterprise'' transited through the Strait of Gibraltar and cruised the southern cape of Africa before venturing across the Indian Ocean and the Pacific back home. During the 1988 cruise, CVW-11 saw action in the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The bod ...

in support of

Operation Praying Mantis Operation Praying Mantis was an attack on 18 April 1988, by the United States Armed Forces within Iranian territorial waters in retaliation for the Iranian naval mining of the Persian Gulf during the Iran–Iraq War and the subsequent damage t ...

, flying off USS ''Enterprise'', conducted strikes against

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

ian naval vessels and oil platforms. These attacks were carried out by A-6 Intruders of the Green Lizards, VA-95. CVW-11 repelled a Boghammer fast attack boat raid on the Mubarak Oil Platform and severely damaged the frigate , While the was sunk and F-14s scared away a section of Iranian

F-4 Phantom The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and Bo ...

s. CVW-11 was awarded the

Joint Meritorious Unit Award The Joint Meritorious Unit Award (JMUA) is a US military award that was established on June 4, 1981, by Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger and was implemented by Department of Defense Directive 1348.27 dated July 22, 1982. The Joint Meritor ...

for its actions. The Air Wing made its final deployment with ''Enterprise'' from September 1989 to March 1990, which included several exercises with

Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force , abbreviated , also simply known as the Japanese Navy, is the maritime warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. The JMSDF was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) ...

, Republic of Korea Naval and Air Forces,

USAF The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...

and

USMC The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through co ...

and the largest assemblage of US Naval air and sea power since World War II with three carrier groups, composed of ''Enterprise'', and . The Air Wing also supported

Operation Classic Resolve Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Ma ...

in December 1989 near

Manila Bay Manila Bay ( fil, Look ng Maynila) is a natural harbor that serves the Port of Manila (on Luzon), in the Philippines. Strategically located around the capital city of the Philippines, Manila Bay facilitated commerce and trade between the Phi ...

. The mission was to support US interests following the

1989 Philippine Coup d' état File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...

. The cruise ended with USS ''Enterprise'' switching from the Pacific Fleet to the Atlantic Fleet.

1990s

The 1990s followed with major changes to the air wing. The

A-7E The LTV A-7 Corsair II is an American carrier-capable subsonic light attack aircraft designed and manufactured by Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV). The A-7 was developed during the early 1960s as replacement for the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. Its design was ...

s were replaced by

F/A-18 The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather, twin-engine, supersonic, carrier-capable, multirole combat aircraft, designed as both a fighter and attack aircraft (hence the F/A designation). Designed by McDonnell Douglas (now part ...

Hornets, and the

SH-3 Sea King The Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King (company designation S-61) is an American twin-engined anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter designed and built by Sikorsky Aircraft. A landmark design, it was one of the first ASW rotorcraft to use turboshaft en ...

s were replaced with

SH-60 The Sikorsky SH-60/MH-60 Seahawk (or Sea Hawk) is a twin turboshaft engine, multi-mission United States Navy helicopter based on the United States Army UH-60 Black Hawk and a member of the Sikorsky S-70 family. The most significant modificatio ...

s while the E-2Cs and the A-6Es received major upgrades. CVW-11's first deployment was s maiden voyage, cruising around South America to its new home in

. The 1991

Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a Coalition of the Gulf War, 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Ba'athist Iraq, ...

accelerated CVW-11s training schedule and a deployment began in May 1991. En route to the Persian Gulf, CVW-11 participated in Operation Fiery Vigil, the evacuation from

Subic Bay Subic Bay is a bay on the west coast of the island of Luzon in the Philippines, about northwest of Manila Bay. An extension of the South China Sea, its shores were formerly the site of a major United States Navy facility, U.S. Naval Base Sub ...

during the Mt Pinatubo eruptions in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. The 1993 deployment saw

VF-213 Strike Fighter Squadron 213 (VFA-213) ''Blacklions'' is an aviation unit of the United States Navy based at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia. It was established in 1955 and is currently equipped with the F/A-18F Super Hornet. The squadron is ...

as the sole F-14 squadron as the air wing supported

Operation Southern Watch Operation Southern Watch was an air-centric military operation conducted by the United States Department of Defense from Summer 1992 to Spring 2003. United States Central Command's Joint Task Force Southwest Asia (JTF-SWA) had the mission of mon ...

and

Operation Restore Hope The Unified Task Force (UNITAF) was a United States-led, United Nations-sanctioned multinational force which operated in Somalia from 5 December 1992 until 4 May 1993. A United States initiative (code-named Operation Restore Hope), U ...

. Another deployment followed on board ''Abraham Lincoln'' for the 1995 cruise, supporting OSW once again. CVW-11 switched to USS ''Kitty Hawk'' for a 1997 cruise, another OSW deployment and supporting

United Nations Security Council Resolution 986 United Nations Security Council resolution 986, adopted unanimously on 14 April 1995, after reaffirming all resolutions on Iraq and noting the serious humanitarian situation with the Iraqi civilian population, the council, acting under Chapter ...

, the Oil for Food program. After the 1997 cruise, CVW-11 switched to USS ''Carl Vinson'' and VF-213 transitioned to the F-14D Super Tomcat. CVW-11 supported

Operation Desert Fox The 1998 bombing of Iraq (code-named Operation Desert Fox) was a major four-day bombing campaign on Iraqi targets from 16 to 19 December 1998, by the United States and the United Kingdom. On 16 December 1998, President of the United States Bill ...

during the 1998–1999 cruise. The air wing participated in strikes during the last day of the operation, VF-213 delivered four

GBU-24 GBU-24 Paveway III or simply GBU-24 is a family of laser-guided bombs, a sub-group of the larger Raytheon Paveway III family of weapons. The Paveway guidance package consists of a seeker package attached to the nose of the weapon, and a wing kit ...

s with 100% accuracy (first combat use of the F-14D),

VFA-22 VFA-22, Strike Fighter Squadron 22, also known as the "Fighting Redcocks", are a United States Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter squadron stationed at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California. Their tail code is ''NA'' and their radio callsign altern ...

and

VFA-94 Strike Fighter Squadron 94 (VFA-94), also known as the Mighty Shrikes, is a United States Navy fighter squadron stationed at Naval Air Station Lemoore. It is an operational fleet squadron currently flying the F/A-18F Super Hornet. It is attache ...

F/A-18s scored direct hits with eight

GBU-16 The GBU-16 Paveway II is an American Paveway-series laser-guided bomb, based on the Mark 83 bomb, Mk 83 general-purpose general-purpose bomb, bomb, but with Laser guidance, laser seeker and wings for Guidance system, guidance. The GBU-16 was i ...

, while

EA-6B The Northrop Grumman (formerly Grumman) EA-6B Prowler is a twin-engine, four-seat, mid-wing electronic-warfare aircraft derived from the A-6 Intruder airframe. The EA-6A was the initial electronic warfare version of the A-6 used by the United ...

s from

VAQ-135 Electronic Attack Squadron 135 (VAQ-135), known as the "Black Ravens", is a United States Navy electronic attack squadron that currently operates the EA-18G Growler carrier-based electronic warfare jet aircraft. The squadron is permanently statio ...

and F/A-18s from

VFA-97 Strike Fighter Squadron 97 (VFA-97) is a naval aviation squadron of the United States Navy. It is equipped with the F-35C Lightning II and is stationed at Naval Air Station Lemoore. The squadron is nicknamed "Warhawks" and it is currently assigned ...

provided

AGM-88 The AGM-88 HARM (High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile) is a tactical, air-to-surface anti-radiation missile designed to home in on electronic transmissions coming from surface-to-air radar systems. It was originally developed by Texas Instruments as ...

support during the strike.Rausa, Zeno
Vinson CVW-11 Report: - "Wings of Gold"
- Association of Naval Aviation - (c/o FindArticles-BNET) - Summer 1999 During the following three months, CVW-11 supported Operation Southern Watch, conducting 15 strikes during this period. On 5 January 1999, two F-14Ds launched two

AIM-54 Phoenix The AIM-54 Phoenix is an American radar-guided, long-range air-to-air missile (AAM), carried in clusters of up to six missiles on the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, its only operational launch platform. The Phoenix was the United States' only long-range ...

missiles against two Iraqi

MiG-25 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-25; NATO reporting name: Foxbat) is a supersonic interceptor and reconnaissance aircraft that is among the fastest military aircraft to enter service. Designed by th ...

s that violated the no-fly zone, as soon as the missiles were launched, the MiGs escaped home and the missiles failed to hit their targets, this was the first use of the missile in combat. On 25 January, three aircraft from VFA-22 and VFA-94 employed the

JSOW The AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) is a glide bomb that resulted from a joint venture between the United States Navy and Air Force to deploy a standardized medium range precision guided weapon, especially for engagement of defended targets ...

against a surface-to-air-missile complex which had plagued Coalition aircraft for nine years since the Gulf War, a total of 17 were dropped during missions over Iraq. During the deployment, VFA-22, VFA-94, VFA-97 and VF-213 dropped a total of 41,000 pounds of ordnance on SAM sites and communication sites, and additionally F/A-18s and EA-6Bs fired 20 HARMs. The Air Wing returned home safely in May 1999.

2000s

In 2001 another deployment followed, which was planned to support OSW, but soon after 11 September 2001, ''Carl Vinson'' and CVW-11 departed for the Indian Ocean and aircraft from the air wing as among the first to launch strikes against

Taliban The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalist, militant Islamist, jihadist, and Pasht ...

and Al-Qaeda forces in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. After returning home, CVW-11 was reassigned to Cruiser-Destroyer Group Five and in January 2002. The Air Wing bid farewell to the F-14 Tomcat, as VF-213 changed air wings to

Carrier Air Wing Eight Carrier Air Wing Eight (CVW-8), 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 Mission To conduct carrier air warfare operations and assist in the ...

VFA-14 The Strike Fighter Squadron 14 (VFA-14) "Tophatters" are a United States Navy fighter attack squadron based at Naval Air Station Lemoore. They fly the F/A-18E Super Hornet, and are the Navy's oldest active squadron, having formed in 1919. The ...

and

VFA-41 Strike Fighter Squadron 41 (VFA-41) also known as the "Black Aces", is a United States Navy strike fighter squadron based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California, flying the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, F/A-18F Super Hornet. They are attached t ...

, who had been part of CVW-8, had transitioned to the

F/A-18 Super Hornet The Boeing F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornet are twin-engine, carrier-capable, multirole fighter aircraft variants based on the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. The F/A-18E single-seat and F/A-18F tandem-seat variants are larger and more a ...

and were attached to CVW-11, and VFA-22 was sent to

CVW-9 Carrier Air Wing Nine (CVW-9) is a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Naval Air Station Lemoore. The Air Wing is currently assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72). The Tail Code of aircraft assigned to C ...

. CVW-11 made its first deployment with ''Nimitz'' in March 2003 supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, as only the second air wing to deploy Super Hornets. ''Nimitz'' remained on-station until September before returning home in November 2003. After its return, VFA-97 was replaced by

VMFA-232 Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232 (VMFA-232) is a United States Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet squadron. Nicknamed the "Red Devils", the squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft ...

flying the F/A-18C Hornet, and

VS-29 Sea Control Squadron 29 (VS-29) or the "Dragonfires" was a former Sea Control and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) squadron of the US Navy that existed between 1960 and 2004. History As the Tromboners (1960–1975) VS-29 was originally commissi ...

flying the

S-3B Viking The Lockheed S-3 Viking is a four-crew, twin-engine turbofan-powered jet aircraft designed and produced by the American aerospace manufacturer Lockheed Corporation. Because of its characteristic sound, it was nicknamed the "War Hoover" after th ...

was decommissioned. CVW-11 was among the first air wings deploying as the new "all-Hornet" air wing of the future, which included a flight deck certification of , during her maiden voyage from Norfolk, Virginia, to

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...

, California. In May 2005, CVW-11 deployed on board ''Nimitz'' supporting OIF and OEF and multinational exercises with Japan,

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

and India until November 2005. This deployment was depicted in the documentary film '' Carrier''. In 2007 CVW-11 deployed on board USS ''Nimitz'' for a WESTPAC cruise and participated in Operation Valiant Shield, a joint-force exercise in the vicinity of

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

. On 18 January 2008, it was announced that CVW-11 would deploy on 24 January to the Pacific for a surge-deployment on board ''Nimitz''. On 11 February, during their 2008 WESTPAC cruise, a Russian

Tu-95 The Tupolev Tu-95 (russian: Туполев Ту-95; NATO reporting name: "Bear") is a large, four-engine turboprop-powered strategic bomber and missile platform. First flown in 1952, the Tu-95 entered service with the Long-Range Aviation of t ...

bomber was intercepted by four F/A-18s as it flew over USS ''Nimitz''. CVN-68/CVW-11 made a port visit to

Busan Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea, ...

, South Korea on 28 February in conjunction with military exercises Key Resolve/

Foal Eagle Foal Eagle ( ko, 독수리 연습) is a combined field training exercise (FTX) conducted annually by the Republic of Korea Armed Forces and the United States Armed Forces under the auspices of the Combined Forces Command. It is one of the largest ...

. On 5 March, it was again reported that a Russian bomber overflew ''Nimitz'' off the Korean coast, two F/A-18s were sent up and intercepted the Russian aircraft as it was three to five nautical miles (9 km) from the carrier at an altitude of . On 19 May 2009 just before midnight, an HH-60H helicopter from the air wing crashed into the ocean south of San Diego and about from ''Nimitz''. As of 20 May, three crewmembers were confirmed dead with two more still missing. On 28 July it was announced that CVW-11 and the ''Nimitz'' Strike Group was to depart for a seven-month deployment on 31 July. ''Nimitz'' Strike Group, including CVW-11, departed the States for a scheduled Western Pacific deployment on 31 July 2009, and began to fly combat missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom on 21 September. On 11 June 2012, during carrier qualifications, the air wing commander, Captain Greg Harris, completed his 1000th arrested landing when he flew his

F/A-18F Super Hornet The Boeing F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornet are twin-engine, carrier-capable, multirole fighter aircraft variants based on the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. The F/A-18E single-seat and F/A-18F tandem-seat variants are larger and more ad ...

strike fighter from squadron

VFA-154 Strike Fighter Squadron 154 (VFA-154), also known as the "Black Knights", is a United States Navy strike fighter squadron stationed at Naval Air Station Lemoore. The Black Knights are an operational fleet squadron flying the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super ...

on board .

Current force

Fixed-wing aircraft

F/A-18E/F Super Hornet The Boeing F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornet are twin-engine, carrier-capable, multirole fighter aircraft variants based on the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. The F/A-18E single-seat and F/A-18F tandem-seat variants are larger and more ad ...

EA-18G Growler The Boeing EA-18G Growler is an American carrier-based electronic warfare aircraft, a specialized version of the two-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet. The EA-18G replaced the Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowlers in service with the United States Navy. ...

E-2D Hawkeye The Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye is an American all-weather, carrier-capable tactical airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft. This twin-turboprop aircraft was designed and developed during the late 1950s and early 1960s by the Grumman Aircraft ...

C-2A Greyhound Grading in education is the process of applying standardized measurements for varying levels of achievements in a course. Grades can be assigned as letters (usually A through F), as a range (for example, 1 to 6), as a percentage, or as a numbe ...

Rotary wing aircraft

MH-60S Knighthawk The Sikorsky SH-60/MH-60 Seahawk (or Sea Hawk) is a twin turboshaft engine, multi-mission United States Navy helicopter based on the United States Army UH-60 Black Hawk and a member of the Sikorsky S-70 family. The most significant modificati ...

* MH-60R Seahawk

References

External links

CVW-11
- U.S. Navy (Navy.mil)
Focus on Carrier Air Wing 11
- U.S. Navy (Navy.mil)

– Carrier Air Wing Eleven
Carrier Air Wing Eleven
by Rick Llinares - ''Naval Aviation News'' - January–February 2005 {{United States Navy Carrier air wings CVW-11 Military units and formations in California Lemoore, California Military units and formations established in 1963