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Wing is a term used by different air forces for a unit of command. The terms wing and group are used for different-sized units from one country or service to another, and this may cause confusion.

The term "wing" as decription of a military unit originated in the British Royal Flying Corps. On its establishment in 1912, the Royal Flying Corps was intended to be a joint service and given the rivalry that existed between the British Army and Royal Navy certain new terminology was thought necessary in order to avoid marking the Corps out as having a particularly Army or Navy ethos. Accordingly, the Corps was originally split into a Military Wing (i.e. an army wing) and a Naval Wing with each wing consisting of a number of squadrons. By 1914, the Naval Wing had become the Royal Naval Air Service, having gained its independence from the Royal Flying Corps. By 1915 the Royal Flying Corps had significantly expanded and it was felt necessary to create organizational units which would control collections of squadrons; the term "wing" was re-used for these new organizational units. When the Royal Flying Corps merged with the Royal Naval Air Service in 1918, creating the Royal Air Force, the use of the term "wing" was maintained. [1]

In the RAF and in some other Commonwealth air forces, a wing is usually made up of three or four squadrons. In these air forces a wing is subordinate to a group. Although originally commanded by a Wing Commander (equivalent to a Lieutenant Colonel in other air forces), wings are also commonly commanded by Group Captains. The name wing may also be used for non-flying units, such as the infantry forces of the RAF Regiment, (in which a wing equates to a battalion). Additionally, RAF stations are administratively divided into wings.

In 2006 expeditionary air wings were established at the RAF's main operating bases. These expeditionary air wings consist of the deployable elements of the main operating base and other suplementary forces.

In the Canadian Forces Air Command, the size of a wing (base) follows U.S. usage (see below); it varies greatly and may be comprised of personnel numbering in the thousands.

Further information: Origin of USAF wings

By comparison, in the United States Air Force, a wing is a larger unit that is normally subordinate to a Numbered Air Force. Most USAF wings are commanded by a Colonel, but some are commanded by Brigadier Generals. USAF wings structured to fulfill a mission from a specific base, and contain a headquarters and four groups: an operations group, a maintenance group, a medical group and a mission support group. Such a wing is referred to as a Combat Wing Organization, which is comparable to a brigade in the US Army. Other wings, such as Air Expeditionary Wings, exist for various other purposes, and their scope may extend to one base, one theater or worldwide.

In the United States Navy, a wing is a group of two or more squadrons of aircraft that are based on land rather than on an aircraft carrier. A Carrier air wing (or Carrier Air Group) consists of seven squadrons, four of which are of fighters or fighter-bombers.

In the United States Marine Corps, a wing is an overall command consisting of at least two Marine Aircraft Group and their subordinate squadrons and support units.