The USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), based out of San Diego, California, operates with the U.S. Navy’s most advanced air wing, CVW-2, operating the F-35C Lightning II, F/A-18E/F Block III Super Hornet, E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, EA-18G Growler, and MH-60R/S Seahawk. This year, the Carl Vinson deployed with a number of new capabilities, showcasing them for the first time at the bi-annual Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024 exercise.
Naval News was offered an opportunity to embark on the carrier to observe the Air Wing Of The Future (AWOTF) on July 15th, and got an up-close look at day-to-day operations with Rear Admiral Michael S. Wosje, Commander, Carrier Strike Group One, and Captain Matthew C. Thomas, Commanding Officer, USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70).
“We’re here to operate and integrate with our latest capabilities, within the air wing, within the aircraft carrier, and within all the ships at large.”
RADM Michael S. Wosje, Commander, Carrier Strike Group ONE, in an interview with Naval News
CVW-2’s Advanced Weapons
CVW-2 is the first known air wing to field the long-range AIM-174B air-to-air missile, carried by the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and adapted from the surface-launched SM-6 Block IA. Naval News recently broke the story of its operational capacity aboard the USS Carl Vinson, and has now learned of its operational presence onboard the carrier during RIMPAC 2024, seen on Super Hornets during launch and recovery operations.
The AIM-174B allows CVW-2 to cover a significantly larger area in carrier defense, bringing back the Outer Air Battle concepts of the Cold War that made use of the long-range AIM-54 Phoenix. With a range almost certainly exceeding the traditional SM-6 published range of 130 nmi (240 km), the AIM-174B offers a significant boost in range and kinematic performance over the AIM-120D P3I.4 (86 nmi, 160 km) and even AIM-120D-3, the newest AMRAAM variant that has broken records for the longest air-to-air kill.
VAQ-136 ‘Gauntlets’ operates the EA-18G Growler with a mix of AN/ALQ-99F-V and is set to receive AN/ALQ-249(V)1 electronic warfare (EW) pods as they are delivered to the U.S. Navy. The AN/ALQ-249(V)1 is the mid-band pod of the Next Generation Jammer trio of systems, refreshing the electronic warfare capabilities for EA-18G aircraft through the 2020s and into the 2030s. The new pods have six AESA antennas capable of complex electronic attack, including cyber warfare capabilities that can insert code into remote systems from the air and a power capability ten times that of the legacy ALQ-99F-V.
CVW-2 is also likely to receive the AARGM-ER (AGM-88G) as it begins deliveries to the U.S. Navy in FY2024, the latest missile in the series of HARM anti-radiation missiles which brings improved standoff capability to the air wing. The AARGM-ER also features a multi-mode seeker and GPS targeting capability for strikes against surface targets, moving targets, and fixed sites.
“Our carrier air wing and carrier strike group is a constantly evolving capability. We are bringing the air wing of the future this time to RIMPAC. That allows us to focus on those new capabilities and integrating them with our allies and partners. It allows us to go out and test interoperability. operate together, and see how all those capabilities fit into that overall mix.”
Rear Admiral Micheal S. Wosje, Commander, Carrier Strike Group ONE, in an interview with Naval News
This is the Carl Vinson‘s second deployment with the Air Wing of the Future concept, according to Captain Thomas, who mentioned that the various advanced capabilities are already in the fleet. An example of this capability expanding across the U.S. Navy is the recent deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) with VMFA-314 and their F-35C Lightning IIs. The Abraham Lincoln is the second carrier flying with the Air Wing of the Future concept.
“I would say this is routine operation for the Air Wing of the Future.”
Captain Matthew C. Thomas, USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), in an interview with Naval News
The U.S. Navy is pushing hard to deliver Advanced Air Wing capabilities to the entire fleet, and the USS Carl Vinson is the carrier to set an example for years to come as dozens of new capabilities are added. Between non-kinetic capabilities in the F-35’s Tech Refresh 3 (TR-3) and EA-18G AN/ALQ-249 NGJ-MB, and kinetic capabilities like the AGM-88G AARGM-ER and AIM-174B ALC, the Carl Vinson is pushing the envelope in advanced capabilities that are being fielded in the Pacific, completing another keystone of the United States in its pivot to the Indo-Pacific.
