Organization of United States Naval Aviation Units in the Gulf War

The United States Navy sent their naval forces in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf including six Aircraft Carriers to take part in Operation Desert Storm, including others that arrived before or after the war started and ended (as part of Operation Southern Watch).

Units in Operation Desert Shield
Before Operation Desert Storm, the US Navy helped with the buildup of forces in the Middle East. Both Independence and Dwight D. Eisenhower did not take part in the actual conflict.

' Battle Group Delta'* (Relieved by USS Midway on 1 November 1990) - Persian Gulf
Source:
 * USS Independence CV-62
 * USS Jouett CG-29
 * USS Antietam CG-54
 * USS Goldborough DDG-20
 * USS Reasoner FF-1063
 * USS Brewton FF-1086
 * USS Barbey FF-1088

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower CVN-69 (8 to 24 August) - Persian Gulf
Source:
 * USS Dwight D. Eisenhower CVN-69
 * USS Ticonderoga CG-47
 * USS Tattnall DDG-19
 * USS Scott DDG-995
 * USS Peterson DD-969
 * USS John Rodgers DD-983
 * USS John L. Hall FFG-32
 * USS Paul FF-1080

Units in Operation Desert Storm




Battle Group Alfa' (2 October 1990 to 17 April 1991 - Persian Gulf)'
Source:
 * USS Midway CV-41 (Flagship of Battle Force Zulu)
 * USS Bunker Hill CG-52
 * USS Mobile Bay CG-53
 * USS Hewitt DD-966
 * USS Oldendorf DD-972
 * USS Fife DD-991
 * USS Curts FFG-38

Unlike the other carriers in the Gulf War, USS Midway couldn't carry the S-3 Viking or the F-14 Tomcat due to her size constraints meaning the ship instead had three F/A-18 squadrons.

Saratoga Carrier Battlegroup (7 August 1990 to 28 March 1991) - Red Sea

 * USS Saratoga CV-60
 * USS South Carolina CGN-37
 * USS Biddle CG-34
 * USS Philippine Sea CG-58
 * USS Spruance DD-963
 * USS Sampson DDG-10
 * USS Elmer Montgomery FF-1082
 * USS Thomas C. Hart FF-1092

Battle Group Echo (8 December 1990 – 8 June 1991) - Persian Gulf
Source:
 * USS Ranger CV-61
 * USS Horne CG-30
 * USS Valley Forge CG-50
 * USS Princeton CG-59
 * USS Paul F. Foster DD-964
 * USS Harry W. Hill DD-986
 * USS Jarrett FFG-33
 * USS Francis Hammond FF-1067

USS Ranger had a very different air wing compared to most carriers in the Gulf War as it was in the 'Grumman Air Wing' format. This meant it didn't have the F/A-18 or A-7E Corsair, which were the 2 different light attack aircraft used on many of the carriers, replacing them with 2 A-6E intruder squadrons.

USS America CV-66 (28 December 1990 – 18 April 1991) - Red Sea (Later Persian Gulf)

 * USS America CV-66
 * USS Virginia CGN-38
 * USS Normandy CG-60
 * USS William V. Pratt DDG-44
 * USS Preble DDG-46
 * USS Halyburton FFG-40

USS America crossed through the Suez Canal on 15 January 1991, the same day the UN deadline for Iraq leaving Kuwait ended.

At daylight on 19 January 1991 (2 days after the first night), CVW-1 conducted their first strikes against Iraq.

USS John F. Kennedy CV-67 (15 August 1990 – 28 March 1991) - Red Sea

 * USS John F. Kennedy CV-67
 * USS Mississippi CGN-40
 * USS Thomas S. Gates CG-51
 * USS San Jacinto CG-56
 * USS Moosbrugger DD-980
 * USS Samuel B. Roberts FFG-58

USS Theodore Roosevelt CVN-71 (28 December 1990 – 28 June 1991) - Persian Gulf (Later Red Sea)
Source: USS Theodore Roosevelt launched her first strikes two days after the first night on the morning of 19 January 1991. After the Gulf War, Theodore Roosevelt took part in Operation Provide Comfort after transiting the Suez Canal on 20 April 1991.
 * USS Theodore Roosevelt CVN-71
 * USS Richmond K. Turner CG-20
 * USS Leyte Gulf CG-55
 * USS Caron DD-970
 * USS Hawes FFG-53
 * USS Vreeland FF-1068

1991
Battle Group Bravo (25 February 1991 – 24 August 1991)

Source: Battle Group Foxtrot (26 May 1991 – 25 November 1991)
 * USS Nimitz CVN-68
 * USS Texas CGN-39
 * USS Chancellorsville CG-62
 * USS Rentz FFG-46
 * USS Stein FF-1065
 * USS Harold E. Holt FF-1074

Source: This was the maiden voyage for USS Abraham Lincoln. Battle Force Zulu (26 September 1991 – 2 April 1992)
 * USS Abraham Lincoln CVN-72
 * USS Long Beach CGN-9
 * USS Lake Champlain CG-57
 * USS Merrill DD-976
 * USS Gary FFG-51
 * USS Ingraham FFG-61

Source:
 * USS Dwight D. Eisenhower CVN-69
 * USS Bainbridge CGN-25
 * USS Ticonderoga CG-47
 * USS Mahan DDG-42
 * USS Arthur W. Radford DD-968
 * USS Elrod FFG-55

America Carrier Battle Group (2 December 1991 – 6 June 1992)

Source:
 * USS America CV-66
 * USS Normandy CG-60
 * USS Monterey CG-61
 * USS Scott DDG-995
 * USS John Hancock DD-981
 * USS Thorn DD-988
 * USS Boone FFG-28
 * USS Simpson FFG-56

1992
Independence Carrier Battle Group (15 April 1992 – 13 October 1992)

Source: USS Independence replaced USS Midway as the forward deployed carrier of the United States 7th Fleet.
 * USS Independence CV-62
 * USS Gridley CG-21
 * USS Bunker Hill CG-52
 * USS Mobile Bay CG-53
 * USS Fife DD-991
 * USS Thach FFG-43
 * USS Vandegrift FFG-48

Ranger Carrier Battle Group (1 August 1992 – 31 January 1993)

Source:
 * USS Ranger CV-61
 * USS Valley Forge CG-50
 * USS Chosin CG-65
 * USS Kinkaid DD-965
 * USS Kirk FF-1087

This was the last cruise for USS Ranger. Kitty Hawk Carrier Battle Group (3 November 1992 – 3 May 1993)

Source:
 * USS Kitty Hawk CV-63
 * USS Leahy CG 16
 * USS Worden CG-18
 * USS William H. Standley CG-32
 * USS Cowpens CG-63
 * USS Hewitt DD-966
 * USS Stump DD-978
 * USS Jarrett FFG-33
 * USS Samuel B. Roberts FFG-58

The Kitty Hawk Battle Group participated in a airstrike on Jan 13 to Jan 22 in 1993.

1993
Nimitz Carrier Battle Group (2 February 1993 – 1 August 1993)

Source: Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Battle Group (11 March 1993 – 8 September 1993)
 * USS Nimitz CVN-68
 * USS Truxtun CGN-35
 * USS Reeves CG-24
 * USS Lake Champlain CG-57
 * USS Chancellorsville CG-62
 * USS Leftwich DD-984

Source: Abraham Lincoln Carrier Battle Group (15 June 1993 – 15 December 1993)
 * USS Theodore Roosevelt CVN-71
 * USS Arliegh Burke DDG-51
 * USS Spruance DD-963

Source:
 * USS Abraham Lincoln CVN-72
 * USS Fox CG-33
 * USS Princeton CG-59
 * USS Chandler DDG-996
 * USS Ingraham FFG-61

Independence Carrier Battle Group (17 November 1993 – 17 March 1994)

Source:
 * USS Independence CV-62
 * USS Bunker Hill CG-52
 * USS Mobile Bay CG-53
 * USS Curts FFG-38
 * USS McClusky FFG-41

1994
Carl Vinson Carrier Battlegroup (17 February 1994 – 17 August 1994)


 * USS Carl Vinson CVN-70
 * USS Arkansas CGN-41
 * USS Antietam CG-54
 * USS Paul F. Foster DD-964
 * USS Reuben James FFG-57
 * USS Asheville SSN-758

George Washington Carrier Battle Group (20 May 1994 – 17 November 1994)

Source: Maiden voyage for the USS George Washington, also participated in Operation Vigilant Warrior. Dwight D Eisenhower Carrier Battle Group (20 October 1994 – 14 April 1995)
 * USS George Washington CVN-73
 * USS Leyte Gulf CG-55
 * USS San Jacinto CG-56
 * USS Barry DDG-52
 * USS Hewitt DD-966
 * USS Reid FFG-30
 * USS John L. Hall FFG-32
 * USS Rodney M. Davis FFG-60

Source: Constellation Carrier Battle Group (10 November 1994 – 10 May 1995)
 * USS Dwight D Eisenhower CVN-69
 * USS Gettysburg CG-64
 * USS Anzio CG-68
 * USS Halyburton FFG-40

Source:
 * USS Constellation CV-64
 * USS Chosin CG-65
 * USS Lake Erie CG-70
 * USS Kinkaid DD-965

1995
Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Battle Group (22 March 1995 – 22 September 1995)

Source: Abraham Lincoln Carrier Battle Group (11 April 1995 – 9 October 1995)
 * USS Theodore Roosevelt CVN-71
 * USS Hué City CG-66
 * USS Key West SSN-722

Source: Independence Carrier Battle Group (19 August 1995 – 18 November 1995)
 * USS Abraham Lincoln CVN-72
 * USS Princeton CG-59
 * USS John Paul Jones DDG-53
 * USS Merrill DD-976

Source:
 * USS Independence CV-62
 * USS Bunker Hill CG-52
 * USS Mobile Bay CG-53
 * USS Fife DD-991
 * USS Curts FFG-38

America Carrier Battle Group (28 August 1995 – 24 February 1996)

Source: This was the last cruise for USS America. Nimitz Carrier Battle Group (27 November 1995 – 20 May 1996)
 * USS America CV-66
 * USS Monterey CG-61

Source:
 * USS Nimitz CVN-68
 * USS Port Royal CG-73
 * USS Callaghan DDG-994
 * USS Oldendorf DD-972
 * USS Ford FFG-54

USS Kitty Hawk CV-63
In 1998, Kitty Hawk would replace the Independence as the forward deployed carrier in Japan.

USS Carl Vinson CVN-70
USS Carl Vinson also took part in Operation Desert Fox.

USS Forrestal CV-59
This was USS Forrestal's last deployment.