State Department Air Wing
Seal of the Air Wing | |
Air Wing Sea Knight N38TU, involved in US withdrawals from both Vietnam and Afghanistan | |
| Office overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1986 |
| Type | Aviation support |
| Jurisdiction | Executive branch of the United States |
| Headquarters | Patrick Space Force Base, Florida |
| Employees | 60 (excluding contractors) |
| Annual budget | USD$1 billion (2020) |
| Parent department | United States Department of State |
| Parent bureau | Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs |
| Website | state.gov/air-wing-program |
| Agency ID | (INL/A) |
The State Department Air Wing (DoSAW), formally the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Office of Aviation (INL Air Wing or INL/A) is an office of the United States Department of State that supports diplomatic aviation needs falling outside the legal authority or scope of the U.S. Air Force.
INL's fleet of roughly 200 is composed mostly of vintage aircraft and surplus military helicopters, so as to ease maintenance in austere environments and decrease the cost of upkeep for developing governments that often receive the aircraft. Its aircraft fly more than 13,000 hours annually in support of missions related to counternarcotics, counterterrorism, border security, law enforcement, and embassy transportation. Because of the size and diversity of the fleet and the demands of its global operations, the Air Wing is sometimes referred to as "America's other air force."