USAF's Air Expeditionary Wing 2.0 will commence in 2027

After a thorough evaluation, the beginning of 2026 has started for the USAF by introducing the Air Expeditionary Wing (AEW) '2.0'. The AEW 2.0 is an improved version of USAF's legacy deployment construct as its new wing unit of action. It is expected that AEW 2.0 will be implemented during 2027.

Due to changes over the last several years in the global strategic environment, the USAF issued a new protocol of need: "Maintain an elevated state of readiness to deter and win in a high-end conflict". To achieve the new protocol of need, the USAF has reevaluated its approach to generating and deploying combat airpower anywhere. The outcome of the feedback and lessons learned from previous models is AEW 2.0, a modified version of the old AEW that reflects updated national priorities and more efficiently uses talent and different resources.

During the recent years, the USAF developed its combat airpower force presentation through different deployment models. Those models include the Expeditionary Air Base (XAB), the Air Task Force (ATF), and the Deployable Combat Wing (DCW). On 26 October 2024, Scramble Magazine first wrote about USAF's Air Task Forces, more than a tool kit.

AEW 2.0 is a modular and scalable wing-level unit of action that provides a standardised, right-sized baseline force package that provides the necessary capabilities to Command & Control (C2) and project tailored platform airpower in any theatre. The main difference between the legacy deployed AEW and the AEW 2.0 solution is that the AEW 2.0 forms approximately 18 months prior to deployment so that its teamed and the capabilities-based components can train and certify as a cohesive unit.

The legacy AEW model was enabled by crowdsourcing via the old Air Expeditionary Force (AEF) process. The AEW 2.0 model preserves the critical wins of previous force presentation concepts: deliberately teamed, capabilities-based force packages that train and certify together through USAF's Air Force Force Generation (AFFORGEN) cycle.           

Credit photos: USAF