This is a list of aircraft wings of the Royal Navy. The aircraft wings of the Royal Navy were operational groupings of Fleet Air Arm squadrons formed during the Second World War to organise embarked air power aboard fleet, light fleet, and escort carriers. Introduced in 1943, wings were designated either as Naval Fighter Wings or Naval Torpedo‑Bomber‑Reconnaissance (TBR) Wings, reflecting the principal roles of naval aviation at the time. Their numbering system incorporated the word Naval to avoid duplication with Royal Air Force wings, which already used similar numerical sequences.
Wings formed part of a wider Admiralty aviation structure that included the Director of Naval Air Organisation, Director of Naval Air Equipment, and Director of Naval Air Warfare, which oversaw aircraft allocation, operational policy, and training. Although several wings were planned, only a limited number were fully established before the Fleet Air Arm adopted the United States Navy’s Carrier Air Group system in 1945, leading to the disbandment of most wings as their carriers returned to home waters.
The wings listed below represent the first formal attempt to group Fleet Air Arm squadrons into higher‑level operational formations and formed the organisational bridge between early wartime squadron groupings and the post‑war Carrier Air Group structure.
Background
Royal Navy aircraft wings were introduced in 1943 as part of a wider reorganisation of Fleet Air Arm command and control during the Second World War. Each wing grouped several Naval Air Squadrons for embarked operations aboard fleet, light fleet, or escort carriers, and was designated either as a Naval Fighter Wing or a Naval Torpedo‑Bomber‑Reconnaissance (TBR) Wing.
The numbering system incorporated the word Naval to avoid duplication with existing Royal Air Force wings, which already used similar numerical sequences. Wings formed part of a broader Admiralty aviation structure that included the Director of Naval Air Organisation, Director of Naval Air Equipment, and Director of Naval Air Warfare, all responsible for operational policy, aircraft allocation, and training.
Wings were short‑lived. From late 1944 the British Pacific Fleet adopted the United States Navy’s Carrier Air Group system, leading to the disbandment of most wings as their carriers returned to home ports in 1945.
Structure and roles
Naval Air Wings typically consisted of two to four squadrons grouped for embarked operations. Fighter Wings operated Supermarine Seafire or Grumman Helllcat units for fleet air defence, while TBR Wings operated Fairey Barracuda or Grumman Avenger squadrons for torpedo strikes, bombing, and reconnaissance.
Wings were administratively subordinate to the commanding officer of the carrier on which they were embarked, but operational direction was exercised through the Fleet Air Arm and the Admiralty’s naval aviation divisions. Several wings were planned but never formed, including the proposed 31st TBR Wing and a wing intended for Merchant Aircraft Carrier (MAC‑ship) operations.
Relationship to other Fleet Air Arm formations
Aircraft wings represented an intermediate organisational level between individual squadrons and the later Carrier Air Groups. They replaced earlier ad hoc squadron groupings used aboard carriers in the early years of the war. The adoption of the Carrier Air Group model in 1945 aligned British practice with that of the United States Navy and resulted in the dissolution of most wings.
Wings also interacted with shore‑based training and maintenance organisations, including Royal Naval Air Stations and the Department of Naval Air Material, which provided flying training, deck‑landing instruction, aircraft maintenance, and logistical support.
Unified list of numbered wings
The table below covers all the wings that were formed or proposed during World War II.