The United States Air Force (USAF) is in the process of fundamentally changing the way it organizes its air wings. The Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs gave a recent progress update, revealing the evolution will take place in a “phased approach” starting no later than next summer.
USAF ‘Units of Action’
Starting in the summer of 2025, the Air Force will transition to a new system consisting of Combat Wings, Air Base Wings, and Institutional Wings. The general philosophy behind the overhaul is to establish air wings that train together at the same base day in and day out, helping the Air Force maintain a more cohesive and agile response to threats.
Photo: US Department of Defense
Each wing is organized to be a “cohesive Unit of Action” and will have separate commanders and distinct responsibilities:
- Combat Wings will replace the Expeditionary Air Base (XAB) and Air Task Force (ATF) models and “deploy as fully trained teams” – or Deployable Combat Wings – focusing on mission-level warfighting readiness.
- Air Base Wings are responsible for maintaining power projection platform readiness and will support Combat Wings by managing base operations.
- Institutional Wings will deliver support operations considered “essential to the organize, train and equip requirements” of the Air Force.
Compared to the modular nature of the old Air Expeditionary Wings (AEW) model which USAF implemented from the late 1990s to 2023, Airmen and equipment from the entire Wing will be stationed together at the same base, enabling daily training and enhanced readiness. As explained by Lt. Gen. James Slife, headquarters Air Force deputy chief of staff for operations,
“We have been able to get away with taking three Airmen from this base, five Airmen from this base, and two Airmen from that base, deploying them and expecting them to come together on day one and be a team.”
The Air Force’s goal is to have 24 Deployable Combat Wings at its behest, 16 in active duty and 8 in reserve. In September 2023, USAF introduced its Expeditionary Air Base (XAB) and Air Task Force (ATF) models as it moved on from the AEW model. Until the new system is implemented, Airmen will continue to deploy under the XAB construct.
Photo: USAF
Additionally, the first Air Task Forces entered the AFFORGEN (Air Force Force Generation) cycle this summer: this consists of four phases – Reset, Prepare, Ready, Available – and will replace the Air and Space Expeditionary Force (AEF) model. These first task forces are set to replace some XAB’s and are slated for active duty by the fall of 2025.
First Combat Wing deployment in late 2026
According to the Air Force, while it will start implementing changes as soon as summer 2025, the first Deployable Combat Wings won’t be ready until late 2026 (FY 2027). The phased implementation will initially involved establishing Air Base Wings at bases hosting Combat Wings and/or Institutional Wings.
Photo: USAF