Naval Flight Officer

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The warfare designation insignia of a Naval Flight Officer (NFO)
The warfare designation insignia of a Naval Flight Officer (NFO)

A Naval Flight Officer (NFO) in the United States Navy and Marine Corps is an officer of the line, meaning they can screen for command in the naval aviation communities. After completion of their training, they receive their wings of gold insignia of a Naval Flight Officer. NFOs are not pilots (Naval Aviators in Navy parlance), but specialists in airborne weapons and sensor systems and the tactics of their employment. Depending on the type of aircraft, NFOs also perform many "co-pilot" functions. Prior to 1966, NFOs were known as Naval Aviation Observers (NAO). In 1966, NAOs were rdesignated as NFOs and their insignia modified from what had been similar to enlisted naval aircrew wings to a new insignia that more approximated that of their fellow officers designated as Naval Aviators [1].

The counterpart to Naval Flight Officers in the United States Air Force is the Combat Systems Officer or Navigator, who may also be known as a Weapons Systems Officer or an Electronic Warfare Officer.

The United States Coast Guard had a short-lived Naval Flight Officer community in the 1980s and 1990s when that service temporarily operated E-2C Hawkeye aircraft on loan from the Navy. Following a fatal mishap with one of these aircraft at Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, the Coast Guard returned the remaining E-2Cs to the Navy and disestablished its NFO program. [2]

Contents

[edit] Indoctrination

Like Naval Aviators, NFOs attend Aviation Preflight Indoctrination at NAS Pensacola, Florida and are initially in same classes with their fellow Naval Aviator candidates. After completion, they are sent into a dedicated NFO "pipeline" at Training Air Wing SIX (TRAWING 6) at NAS Pensacola's Sherman Field. Here they receive basic aviation training up to, but not including, soloing in a primary trainer. The aircraft previously used for this training was the T-34C TurboMentor, but it has since been replaced by the T-6A Texan II. In addition to this experience, instrumentation and navigation are taught in greater depth to include visual low-level navigation, aerobatics, and formation flight. Based upon performance, preference, and needs of the Navy or Marine Corps, the student will check out of Training Squadron FOUR (VT-4 Warbucks) or Training Squadron TEN (VT-10 Wildcats, formerly the Cosmic Cats), the two primary Training Squadrons for Student NFOs, and will be assigned to an advanced training track at Training Squadron EIGHTY-SIX (VT-86 SabreHawks); the 12th Flying Training Wing (12 FTW) at Randolph AFB, Texas; Patrol Squadron THIRTY (VP-30), the P-3/EP-3 Fleet Readiness Squadron at NAS Jacksonville, Florida; or Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 120 (VAW-1200, the E-2 FRS at NS Norfolk, Virginia.[3]

[edit] Training

  • Training for a Naval Flight Officer is in a tiered system. After primary training is completed, students are either selected for carrier aviation or "maritime" aviation (i.e., land-based, larger aircraft). Selection is based on a combination of student preference and the rank of the student in his/her class. The one graduating first gets their choice of duty and is known as the "Honorman/woman". The rest of the graduates are placed in billets according to "the needs of the Navy" or Marine Corps.
  • For carrier aviation students, their training progresses an additional fourteen weeks with their primary training squadron before being assigned to VT-86 for jet training. VT-86 prepares Student NFOs for eventual assignment to the EA-6B Prowler, F/A-18F Super Hornet, F/A-18D Hornet, and will eventually prepare students for assignment to the EA-18G Growler. VT-86 also previously prepared students for the since retired F-14 Tomcat and soon-to-be-retired S-3B Viking. Jet training at VT-86 does not actually utilize any of these operational Fleet aircraft to train students, but instead employs the T-39G and T-39N Sabreliner and the T-2C Buckeye. Training in specific Fleet aircraft occurs after graduation from Advanced NFO training (i.e., "winging") and is conducted at the respective fleet replacement squadron (FRS) for the particular type/model/series aircraft. This process also holds true for newly-winged NFOs slated for land-based naval aircraft.

An exception to this process is those Student NFOs who request or are selected for the E-2 Hawkeye community and are transferred to NS Norfolk, Virginia for advanced training at the E-2C Hawkeye and E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS), VAW-120, following completion of Intermediate NFO training at VT-4 or VT-10 . VAW-120 actually awards these NFOs their wings at the FRS during their training syllabus.

  • With the impending divestiture of Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training (SUNT) from the Air Force's 12th Flying Training Wing and merger into a new Undergraduate Military Flight Officer (UMFO) program for all services at NAS Pensacola, a select number of Student NFOs slated for the P-3, EP-3, and eventually the P-8 are being sent directly to VP-30, the FRS for P-3s and EP-3s, as part of a prototype advanced training program similar to that historically utilized by the E-2 community (i.e., NFO "winging" at the FRS), before beginning the normal FRS syllabus. A similar program for Student NFOs slated for the E-6 Mercury at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma is also under development.
  • NFO training is currently under extensive overhaul under a program known as Undergraduate Military Flight Officer (UMFO). The UMFO program will continue to use the T-6A Texan II aircraft, but will eventually replace both the T-39G/N and T-2C aircraft with the T-45C Goshawk aircraft currently used in the USN/USMC Strike Jet Pilot training piepline.[3]

[edit] Naval Aviator vs Naval Flight Officer

Naval Flight Officers (NFOs) are the men and women who operate the advanced systems on board naval aircraft, and some may also act as the overall tactical coordinators of multiple air assets during a mission.

NFOs differ from Naval Aviators in that they rarely, if ever, pilot the aircraft in which they serve. Most Naval Aircraft do not contain dual-flight controls, and in the unlikely event that the pilot may become incapacitated, the crew is likely to eject, if possible, as NFOs are not fully-qualified to fly or land the aircraft. However, one notable exception has been the S-3 Viking, a dual-control aircraft where NFOs replaced co-pilots and alternately acted in the dual role of Tactical Coordinator (TACCO) and Co-Tactical Coord/Co-Pilot (COTAC). The Navy's UC-12 Huron operational support aircraft (OSA) fleet, another dual-control aircraft, has also occasionally employed NFOs as co-pilots.

The former A-6 Intruder and the current EA-6B Prowler, due to their side-by-side seating, have always been considered as "dual piloted" aircraft for instrument approach criteria and associated weather minimums. This same practice was also employed by the former ES-3 and the current S-3 aircraft.

NFOs serve critically as navigators, tacticians, weapon systems operators, bombardiers, and aircraft mission commanders. Many NFOs achieve flight lead and mission lead, even when the pilot of the aircraft does not have that designation, and some have also flown the Space Shuttle as Mission Specialists, achieving the designation of NFO - Astronaut.

NFOs have risen to high ranks in both the Navy and Marine Corps and have commanded not only squadrons, carrier air wings, shore-based functional wings, Marine Aircraft Groups and air stations, but also aircraft carriers, carrier strike groups, Marine Aircraft Wings and numbered Fleets.

Rear Admiral Benjamin Thurman Hacker, the first NFO flag officer, was selected in 1980. He previously flew the P-2 Neptune and P-3 Orion.

Admiral William Fallon, an NFO who flew the RA-5C Vigilante and the A-6 Intruder was the first NFO to achieve 4-star rank. In 2006, he was appointed by President George W. Bush in 2006 to lead U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM), tasked with the war in Southwest Asia [Iraq and Afghanistan]. Retiring in 2007, he had previously commanded U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM) and U.S. Fleet Forces Command prior to his USCENTCOM assignment.

General William L. Nyland, USMC was the first Marine Corps NFO to achieve 4-star rank as Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps. He previously flew the F-4 Phantom II and the F/A-18 Hornet and retired in 2005. [4]

NFOs have commanded (and continue to have equal opportunity for command of) aviation squadrons equal to that of their Naval Aviator counterparts. NFOs have also held follow-on major aviation commands such as carrier air wing commander, functional air wing and air group commodore, and commanding officer of aircraft carriers, Marine Air Groups, fleet replacement sqaudrons, naval air stations, marine corps air stations and similar air facilities.

At the Flag Officer / General Officer level, NFO admirals and Marine Corps generals command throughout the shore establishment, as well as command of carrier strike groups, expeditionary strike groups, Marine Aircraft Wings, Numbered Fleets, Marine Expeditionary Forces and component and combatant commands.

[edit] The Fleet

In the Fleet, NFOs are assigned to Navy and Marine squadrons flying the F/A-18F Super Hornet, F/A-18D Hornet (Marines Only), EA-6B Prowler, E-6 Mercury, E-2C Hawkeye, EP-3 Aries, and P-3C Orion and the soon to be retired S-3B Viking. They have recently begun to fly the EA-18G Growler and will also eventually fly the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye and P-8A Poseidon

In the S-3A, NFOs previously served as the Copilot/Tactical Coordinator (COTAC) and Tactical Coordinator (TACCO) or TACCO/Mission Commander (TACCO/MC). In the S-3B, they increasingly served COTAC Mission Commander of COTAC/MC.

In the P-3C (and eventually the P-8A), the NFO is initially designated as a navigator/communicator (NAV/COM) and eventually upgrades to TACCO and then TACCO/Mission Commander (TACCO/MC).

In the EA-6B and EA-18G, they are designated as Electronic Countermeasures Operators (ECMOs) and may also be Mission Commanders.

In the F/A-18F and F/A-18D, the NFO position is known as the Weapons Systems Officer (WSO) and may also be Mission Commander qualified.

In the E-2C Hawkeye and E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, they are designated Combat Information Center Officers (CICO) and CICO/Mission Commanders (CICO/MC).

In all, the specific roles filled by an NFO can vary greatly depending on the type of aircraft to which an NFO is assigned.

[edit] Past Aircraft

NFOs also flew in these retired aircraft:

[edit] Popular culture

  • One of key characters in the popular movie Top Gun was LTJG Nick "Goose" Bradshaw, played by Anthony Edwards, an F-14 Radar Intercept Officer (NFO) teamed with LT Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, played by Tom Cruise.[5]
  • In the movie Flight of the Intruder, Willem Dafoe played LCDR Virgil "Tiger" Cole, who served as an A-6 B/N (Bombardier/Navigator) with his pilot, LT Jake "Cool Hand" Grafton, played by Brad Johnson.[6]
  • In the movie Behind Enemy Lines, Owen Wilson played LT Chris Burnett, a Weapon Systems Officer for an F/A-18F.[7]
  • In Naval aircraft where the NFO sits in tandem (behind or in back of) with the Pilot, they are jokingly called in Navy slang, "GIBs" for the "Guy in Back."

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ The Naval Aviation Guide, 4th Edition, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD, 1985, ISBN 0-87021-409-8
  2. ^ USCG E-2C Hawkeye
  3. ^ a b Chief of Naval Air Training
  4. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_L._Nyland
  5. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Gun_%28film%29
  6. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_of_the_Intruder
  7. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behind_Enemy_Lines_%28film%29

[edit] External links

  • www.af.mil
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