Fighter/AEW Wing Pacific [COMFITAEWWINGPAC]
Commander Fighter / Airborne Early Warning Wing, Pacific, based at Naval Air Station Miramar, San Diego, Calif., was the home of all Pacific Fleet F-14 Tomcat Fighters, as well as airborne early warning squadrons and photo reconnaissance squadrons.
The F-14 Tomcat, the most sophisticated fighter in the world, is designed to protect the carrier battle group from hostile aircraft. The Tomcat is a twin engine, all weather aircraft capable of flying twice the speed of sound. It carries the air-to-air Phoenix, Sidewinder or Sparrow missiles and a 20mm Gatling gun. The Tomcat can carry a large array of air-ground ordnance including LGB's, MK80 series, and CBU's. It also carries the LANTIRN pod and conducts tactical reconnaissance with the Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance Pod System (TARPS).
In FY96, all active duty F-14 squadrons, except Fighter Squadron (VF)-154, were relocated to Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana, Virginia. VF-154 will remain at NAS Atsugi, Japan, through FY03. Commander Fighter Wing, Atlantic, based at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia, assumed responsibility for providing fighter assets to Atlantic and Pacific Fleet carrier air wings. Fighter/AEW Wing Pacific [COMFITAEWWINGPAC] was redesignated as Airborne Early Warning Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet [COMAEWWINGPAC].
In July 1998, Commander, Airborne Early Warning Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet moved to Naval Air Weapons Station Point Mugu, Calif., along with VAW-112 and VAW-116. VAW-113, away on deployment with the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) Battle Group, flew to Point Mugu later. VAW-117 remained at Miramar to complete a turnaround training cycle in preparation for a Western Pacific deployment. Upon completion of the deployment, VAW-117 joined the rest of the E-2 Wing at Point Mugu.
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