Fighter wing

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"Tractor beacon is failing us."
"I can see that. Where's myair wing?!"

―An Imperial Navy Trooper and CaptainElk^[1]

An Imperial fighter wing from theBellicose

Afighter wing, also referred to as anattack wing,flight wing, or simply awing was an organizational unit ofstarfighters used in variousnavies orfleets.

Description[]

Overview[]

Afighter wing,^[2] also referred to as an attack wing^[3] or flight wing,^[4] was an organizational type of military unit ofstarfighters.^[2] Varyingnavies andfleets deployed fighter wings.^[5] After studyingImperial Military history,Eli Vanto came to know that in melee battles, a fighter wing or two could make the difference between victory and destruction.^[6] The commanding officer of a fighter wing was typically designated as awing commander.^[7]

Alliance to Restore the Republic[]

"All wings report in."

―Garven Dreis^[8]

TheAlliance to Restore the Republic deployed fighter wings while active, which could be headquartered in a military base,^[9] with its commanding officer known as a wingcommander.^[10] Largesquadrons were also occasionally referred to as wings.^[11]

Confederacy of Independent Systems[]

TheSeparatist Alliance's armed forces utilized fighter wings, which they designated as flight wings, during their history. SeparatistHyena-class Droid Bombers were deployed to flight wings throughoutthe galaxy after production was increased.^[4]

First Order[]

TheFirst Order used fighter wings in theirarmed forces. First OrderResurgent-class Star Destroyers were equipped with two fighter wings^[12] that were composed ofTIE/fo space superiority fighters,TIE/sf space superiority fighters,^[13] andTIE/se Bombers.^[14]

Galactic Empire[]

"Get the crews to their fighters."

―Darth Vader^[8]

A full attack wing within theGalactic Empire consisted of sixsquadrons, which numbered to seventy-two ships—usually forty-eightTIE/ln space superiority starfighters, twelveTIE/sa bombers, and twelveTIE/in interceptors. Imperialcapital ships carried varying numbers of fighter wings as part of their complement.Imperial-class Star Destroyers carried one full attack wing,^[15] at a minimum.^[16] TheSecutor-class Star Destroyer carried two fighter wings, supplementing its role as acarrier.^[17]Imperial escort carriers had a complement of one fighter wing.^[18]

When part of a ship's complement, the fighter wing fell under the command of the ship'scommanding officer.^[19] Fighter wings also acted as part of aplanetary defense force.^[20] Additionally, Imperial fighter wings could act as independent military units that were headquartered on astarship, rather than serve solely as the ship's complement. These fighter wings were led by acolonel, and were supported by amajor.^[21] The leader of a fighter wing within the Empire was identified as a wing commander.^[7]

Galactic Republic[]

The size of a fighter wing of theGalactic Republic varied, as one fighter wing could be composed of 120 starfighters^[22] while four fighter wings could contain 400 starfighters.Venator-classStar Destroyers, had the ability to carry four full fighter wings.^[23] TheMaelstrom-class battle cruiser carried one fighter wing, which could contain up to 120 starfighters, though it also carried ninety-six.^[22] Wing commanders served as the commanding officers of fighter wings.^[24]

New Republic and Resistance[]

TheNebulon-C escort frigate used by theNew Republic and theResistance could carry one fighter wing.^[25] Wing commander or wing leader was used to identify the commandingofficers of fighter wings in the New Republic and the Resistance.^[26] A New Republicfighter wing led byCommander Wyl Lark was stationed on theStar DestroyerDeliverance and consisted ofFlare Squadron,Hail Squadron, andWild Squadron.^[27]

Vak Combine[]

TheVak Combine, a government within theUnknown Regions ofthe galaxy, utilized fighter wings. The military formation was known to theChiss Ascendancy, another faction in the region.^[28]

History[]

During the Clone Wars[]

By the start of theClone Wars between the Galactic Republic and the Separatist Alliance, fighter wings were deployed by both theRepublic Navy and theConfederacy navy.Venator-classStar Destroyers were each equipped with four fighter wings, which they utilized throughout their service.^[23] Early in the war, following theBattle of Christophsis, the Separatists witnessed the success of theirHyena-classbombers, resulting in an increase in production. Shortly afterwards,Hyena-class bombers appeared in Separatist flight wings across the galaxy.^[4] During theBattle of Lola Sayu,Jedi Generals Adi Gallia andKit Fisto served as Wing Commanders, and led starfighter forces of aRepublic task force against theSeparatist defense fleet that protectedLola Sayu.^[24]

Concurrently with the Clone Wars, shortly prior to an engagement abovePrimea between theChiss Ascendancy against theVak Combine and theLioaoin Regime, ChissAdmiral Ar'alani noted that several wings ofVak fighters were not as provocative as full-classwarships and that they did not want to escalate the conflict.^[28]

During the Imperial Era[]

During theImperial Era, which saw the rise of rebellious activity and theGalactic Civil War, both the Galactic Empire^[20] and the Rebel Alliance deployed fighter wings.^[9] OnCymoon 1, scores of fighter wings protected the important ImperialWeapons Factory Alpha in concert with afull regiment and asystem battle group in orbit. Due to the various number of ad hoc groups, however, efficacy was reduced due to communications breakdowns between the units.^[20] Imperial Star Destroyers were each equipped with one fighter wing, andone fighter wing was stationed on theImperial II-class Star Destroyer Bellicose. The fighter wing served as the ship's complement, and includedBeta Squadron. The entire fighter wing was lost due to the recklessness of the ship's commander,Tylux, though theBellicose was soon destroyed as well.^[19] During theBattle of Vrogas Vas, the Rebel AllianceAmber Wing was stationed at theRebel Refueling Base and was annihilated byDarth Vader.^[9] Many fighter wings served withinDeath Squadron, and participated in theBattle of Mako-Ta.^[29] TheUltima II launched afighter wing during theBattle of Ab Dalis, though Imperial forces were defeated.^[30]

The181st Imperial Fighter Wing was deployed by the Galactic Empire, and was known for thered stripes that adorned their fighters. This menacing display inspired other Imperial squadrons to adopt similar designs.^[31] Another unit was the famed elite204th Imperial Fighter Wing, also known as "Shadow Wing." The 204th was led by ColonelShakara Nuress. It consisted ofSquadron Two,Squadron Three,Squadron Four,Squadron Five,Squadron Six, and another squadron.^[32] After theBattle of Endor, the New Republichunted the 204th, as it was considered a deadly threat to Republic operations.^[21]

During the New Republic Era[]

Following the Galactic Civil War during theNew Republic Era and theCold War, the New Republic utilized fighter wings,^[2] withCommander Poe Dameron serving as a wing commander.^[26] The Resistance, a private military force with roots to the New Republic and the dissolved Rebel Alliance,^[12] also utilized the position of wing commander,^[26] and one of its ships, theAnodyne, was equipped with one fighter wing.^[25] Conversely, the First Order also deployed fighter wings, with two serving as the complement of theirResurgent-classBattlecruisers.^[12]