Posted: February 22, 2017 3:20 PM
Navy Schedules Shutdown of Air Wing, Three Squadrons
By RICHARD R. BURGESS, Managing Editor
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Navy has set in motion plans to shut down the staff of its 10th carrier air wing and three carrier-based aviation squadrons. The moves come even as political momentum builds to grow the size U.S. fleet, including building the aircraft carrier fleet back to 12 carriers.
The Navy will deactivate Carrier Air Wing 14 (CVW-14) effective March 31, Cmdr. Jeanette D. Groeneveld, spokeswoman for commander. Naval Air Forces, said in an e-mailed response to Seapower. CVW-14 has been only a shell of its former self since 2012, when initial plans were made to deactivate it but later reversed.
The wing, based at Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore, Calif., has been under-strength in squadrons and has not deployed since 2011. The deactivation now is authorized by the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, which allows the Navy to reduce the number of CVWs to nine until the number of deployable carriers can fully support a 10th wing, or until Oct 1, 2025, whichever comes first, at which time the Navy will return to a strength of 10 CVWs.
http://seapowermagazine.org/stories/20170222-cvw.html
