A Tour of the "Big E"

(Part 3)

Carrier Air Wing 3

The F8U Crusader fighters of Carrier Air Group 1 made the first arrested landings and catapult launches on the Enterprise during sea trials in January 1962. But Carrier Air Group 6 (tail code AF, later AE) was the first to be stationed on the ship. In 1965, Carrier Air Wing 9 (tail code NG) came aboard and stayed with the Enterprise through most of her Vietnam War years. Next came Carrier Air Wing 14 (tail code NK) in 1971 and Carrier Air Wing 11 (tail code NH) in 1982. Since May 1997, Carrier Air Wing 3 (tail code AC) has been stationed on the Enterprise.

Like the Enterprise herself, Carrier Air Wing 3 has a long and proud history. Originally established as Carrier Air Group 3 (CVG-3) in July 1938, it is one of the two oldest carrier air wings in continuous U.S. Navy service. During World War II, CVG-3 served on board the USS Saratoga CV-3, the USS Yorktown CV-5, and the USS Enterprise CV-6. CVG-3 also flew missions during the Korean War in 1950 and 1951 and the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. The air group was redesignated Carrier Air Wing 3 (CVW-3) in December 1963 and served during the Vietnam War aboard the USS Saratoga CV-61 in 1972. CVW-3 was assigned to the USS John F. Kennedy CV-67 in 1983 and served in the Mediterranean, intercepting and destroying two Libyan MiG-23s in January 1989. Still aboard the JFK, CVW-3 also participated in the Gulf War in 1991 and humanitarian relief air drops into Boznia-Herzegovina in 1993. In 1994, CVW-3 was transferred to the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower CVN-69 and flew support missions over Bosnia-Hergzegovina and Iraq. CVW-3 was transferred again, this time to the USS Theodore Roosevelt CVN-71, in 1996 and again flew missions over Bosnia-Hergzegovina and Iraq. In May 1997, Carrier Air Wing 3 was assigned to the USS Enterprise CVN-65 and, as of August 1998, was undergoing carrier qualifications in preparation for deployment with the Enterprise to the Mediterranean.

Carrier Air Wing 3 operates a total of about 75 aircraft from the Enterprise, composed of seven different types, as follows:

• SH-60F Seahawk helicopters are flown by Helicopter Squadron HS-7 and provide close-in antisubmarine warfare and "search and rescue" capabilities to the Enterprise.

  SH-60F Seahawk helicopter

• F-14A Tomcat fighters are flown by Fighter Squadron VF-32 and are the main fighter-intercepter aircraft. They are the long-range air defenders of the Enterprise and her Carrier Battle Group.

  F-14A Tomcat fighter-interceptor

• F/A-18C Hornet strike fighters are flown by Attack Squadrons VFA-105, VFA-37, and VMFA-312 -- the latter being a U.S. Marine Corps squadron. They are multipurpose aircraft that can function as both ground attack aircraft and as fighters. For this reason, F/A-18 Hornets are becoming the predominent type of fighter aircraft aboard the U.S. Navy's carriers.

  F/A-18C Hornet strike fighter

• E-2C Hawkeye early warning aircraft are flown by Airborne Early Warning Squadron VAW-126. With their flying saucer-shaped radar antenna, they are the airborne eyes and ears of the Carrier Battle Group. They station themselves away from the Enteprise and keep a constant lookout for air traffic that may interfere with the mission of the carrier's other aircraft or pose a threat to the carrier itself.

  E-2C Hawkeye early warning aircraft

• S-3B Viking sea control aircraft are flown by Anti-Submarine Squadron VS-22. They have sophisticated onboard computers and electronics that allow them to locate submarines lurking below the ocean surface that might pose a threat to the Enterprise and her Carrier Battle Group.

  S-3B Viking antisubmarine warfare aircraft

• ES-3A Shadow signal intelligence aircraft are flown by Air Reconnaissance Squadron VQ-6. They are a variation of the S-3B Viking and have electronic pods that allow them to provide real-time reconnaissance information to battlefield commanders for planning air, sea, or ground operations. Externally, the ES-3A Shadow looks like an S-3B Viking with a hump on the top of its fuselage.

  ES-3A Shadow signal intelligence aircraft

• EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare aircraft are flown by Electronic Warfare Squadron VAQ-130. They provide an umbrella of electronic data and communication links for the Enterprise and her other aircraft. They can also locate and jam enemy radar and even use HARM anti-radar missiles to destroy those enemy radar sites.

  EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare aircraft

One final type of aircraft that makes regular visits to the Enterprise is the C-2A Greyhound, a variation of the E-2C Hawkeye without the radar dome, that provides "Carrier On-Board Delivery" service by carrying mail, small supplies, and visitors to and from the ship at sea.

| Home | Intro | Ventures | Sea | Air | Space | SciFi | Racing | Movies | Art | Travel | Exit |

| Intro | Early Years | Carrier War | Changing Role | Ship Directory | Bibliography | Tour the Big E |

Last Updated: January 1, 2003