Carrier Air Wing (released as U.S. Navy in Japan) is a 1990 side-scrolling arcade shooter developed and published by Capcom. Running on the CPS-1 arcade board, it serves as the spiritual successor to the 1989 hit U.N. Squadron (known as Area 88 in Japan). 

Gameplay Mechanics

• Selectable Jets: Players choose from three distinct aircraft, each with specialized roles:
  • F-14 Tomcat: High air-to-air firepower.
  • F/A-18 Hornet: A balanced “all-rounder” for air and ground targets.
  • A-6E Intruder: Optimized for heavy air-to-ground damage.
• Fuel System: Unlike many shooters, your plane has a fuel bar that constantly depletes over time and when taking damage. Fuel replenishment items must be collected to survive the 10 stages.
• The Shop: Between missions, players use money earned from destroyed enemies to purchase specialized weapons (missiles, napalm), shields, and fuel upgrades.

Missions and Story

The plot follows the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson as it battles the fictional terrorist organization “Rabu,” which has seized control of several regions and launched a WMD satellite. 

1. Regain Tokyo: Aerial combat over a city setting.
2. The Desert: Destroying enemy occupation forces.
3. The Coast: Preventing enemy landings.
4. The Sea: Destroying an enemy aircraft carrier.
5. The Submarine: Locating and intercepting a massive submarine.
6. The Arctic: Battles in snowy environments and factories.
7. Final Base: Infiltrating a secret base and destroying a launching rocket and satellite.