What does ARW mean in UNCLASSIFIED

An Air Refueling Wing (ARW) is a unit of the United States Air Force tasked with providing airborne refueling support for other aircraft. ARWs are responsible for ensuring that their aircraft and crew are ready and able to carry out missions as necessary. The wing typically comprises of several squadrons, which often specialize in different aspects of aerial refueling such as air-to-air refueling or air-to-ground refueling.

The ARW’s primary mission is to provide in-flight aerial refueling support during military operations both on land and at sea. This includes coordinating with flight crews to ensure that all parties involved have the necessary information for each mission; preparing the wing's aircraft for take off; overseeing the execution of the mission once airborne; performing post-mission maintenance on its aircraft; and ensuring all safety protocols are observed.

ARWs generally use KC-135 Stratotankers and KC-10 Extenders when carrying out their refueling missions. Both aircraft are capable of transporting fuel, crew, cargo, and passengers safely and securely while providing in-flight aerial refueling services. Additionally, ARWs may also use other specialized aerial refuelling platforms depending on the requirements of their operational environment.

ARW services can be requested by any branch within the United States Department of Defense or allied nations who require aerial refuelling in order to achieve their mission objectives. Additionally, private organizations can also make requests for aerial refuelling through an approved vendor or authorized government contractor.

ARWs typically utilise a variety of specialized external equipment to facilitate their missions including fuellers, hoses, fuel tanks, valves, drogues (for air-to-air refuelings),conformal fuel tanks (for longer range missions) and other specialized gear as required by their operational environment.

An ARW is usually comprised of skilled professional personnel from various aviation backgrounds including pilots, navigators/weapon systems officers, aircrew members (loadmasters), maintainers/mechanics, aeronautical engineers, planning personnel and support staff members. Together they form a team responsible for planning complex missions and managing day to day operations within a safe and efficient manner.

Depending on its operational scope,an ARW will typically be made up anywhere from three to twelve individual squadrons specializing in different aspects relating to airborne refuelling such as aircrew training, navigation, maintenance, weapons & tactics etc..

Yes - certain contracted services performed by US Air Force’s fleet of tanker aircraft may be available through authorized vendors or government contractors. These include medical evacuation flights or delivery/transferring cargo between military bases worldwide.