Navy creating new warrant officer career pipeline for unmanned tanker pilots
Boeing MQ-25 Stingray
The Navy’s newest toy, the MQ-25 aerial refueling drone, will be piloted by a new class of naval officer. The Navy is creating a new warrant officer career field that sounds a lot like the Army’s flight warrant officers. This is after the Navy enacted a pilot program to evaluate having warrants serving as rated naval aviators or naval fight officers (NFOs) in 2006. That pilot program ended in 2011.
The U.S. Navy has announced that its Boeing MQ-25 Stingray unmanned aerial vehicles, which will provide aerial refueling from its aircraft carriers, will be operated by warrant officer with a new specialty designation — the Aerial Vehicle Operator. This comes as the flight-test program for the drone continues to make progress, with a first sortie recently flown with the refueling pod attached.
The establishment of the new Air Vehicle Operator designator for Navy warrant officers was approved by Secretary of the Navy Kenneth J. Braithwaite on Dec. 9, 2020. The service says it plans to train around 450 warrants officers in the new AVO role over the next six to 10 years, across the W-1 through W-5 grades, and send them to the fleet.
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The path for individuals to operating a Stingray from one of the Navy’s flattops will begin with Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island, where successful candidates will graduate as Warrant Officer Ones. At that point, they start basic flight training followed by advanced training on the MQ-25. They will receive the Navy’s prized “wings of gold” and the 737X designator after they complete basic training.
Beginning in Fiscal Year 2022, the new AVO career will be open to “street-to-fleet” applicants as well as enlisted Sailors, who will then go through the selection process for Officer Candidate School.
While AVOs will be responsible for the day-to-day flying operations of the Stingray fleet, their squadron bosses — commanding and executive officers, as well as department heads of MQ-25 squadrons — will consist of aviators and flight officers.
Much more at the source; The Drive
Category: Navy
Warrant officer, because pilots want that status, so will never admit a good Sergeant can fly a plane.
You don’t need a four year degree and a Commission for what amounts to a skilled trade.
Yes, complex, modern, multi-stage, high-demand. So is running a one man IT shop for a couple hundred assorted users in multiple environments.
LTs run a platoon, and company if good. Fighting as one of a pair?
Heh.
^THIS^ Shhhh, don’t be letting the feline out of the sack 11B, some may think you’ve lost that loving feeling for ossifers. They may go all Maverick on you, want to cook your goose, or even go upside down on your head. Better put those thoughts on ice, man.
Somebody gonna have to expand the ossifer clubs at all the NASes. Might want to get the Supply Daddies to increase the quantities of Volley Balls too. Will there be a separate “Top Tanker” School? Odd that there are so few true Gentlemen (or Ladies) as Kongress Kritters now, yet it supposedly takes a literal act of Kongress to create an “Ossifer and a Gentleman.” Are gerbils involved in the process?
The FIRST American Aviators of the Lafayette Esc. were enlisted. Read up on Raoul Lufberry and others.
https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Raoul_Lufbery
OH…and btw…Army Warrants Rule…GABN!
I figured they have the Warrant path because the Navy is aware of all the crying the pilots in the Air Force do after they go through the first part of the pilot pipeline and then get sent to drones. That or the “real” Pilots in the Navy said they were too good to be stuck flying drones.
Maybe they will all be trained aboard the USS Nintendo or USS Sega (these actually are some good Star Trek names).
On shore leave or down time, they can come ashore and get loaded at the Playstation, a known and much avoided real squid joint within walking distance that is known for its juice bar and vibrant local nerd scene.
What? Nothing for glider pilots? The silent, swift and deadly, delivering weapons, food and fighters to the mainland?
Fiddlesticks!!!!
One of these days I’ll write up a VF post about the Russian Night Witches during WWII. I know it’ll be right up your alley.
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
“sounds a lot like the Army’s flight warrant officers”
Uh…no. Army WO’s are a whole different breed of animal.
Just because they are addressed as Mister doesn’t make them Navy.
Although I’m sure they appreciate the Navy following their lead.
Go Army!
If it’s a drone, are they really “pilots”? Wait till they demand to be called “Naval Aviators”. The true question remains: What would Lex say?
Add to that awarding Air Medals/DFCs and Purple Hearts for strained retinas, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, etc.
Lex never came out and said yea or nay on the Warrant Officer program back in the day. It was widely known that people did all they could to kill the program and finally got their way in ’11.
Drones are flown by enlisted men in the Army.
USAF opened the unarmed drones to NCOs a couple years back. Since they pick mostly SNCOs for the program, it’s exactly the type of thing they should be warranting them for.
Maybe if the Navy keeps this program going for more than a few years the USAF will finally making WOs again. Right now they’re EMs doing officer work for EM pay.
And in DHS/CBP, they’re flown by the most arrogant, condescending pricks God ever created. Their fixed/rotary pilots are pretty damn good people. Mostly former Army Warrants.
“And in DHS/CBP, they’re flown by the most arrogant, condescending pricks God ever created.”
I’ll bet the do cross-fit too! And/or are vegetarian.😁😁😆
Affirmative on the CrossFit!
I don’t think these drone pilots will last long. Artificial intelligence is already doing most of the flying, and soon will be more capable than any human.
Long ago when Naval Aviators (Navy and Marine Corps) were created they were issued a number. Naval Aviator #1 was Theodore Ellyson. A Marine Alfred A Cunningham was Naval aviator #5.
In 1960 the Navy officially created the Gray Eagle Trophy for the longest serving Naval Aviator.
In 1960, Chance-Vought Aircraft sponsored a trophy for the naval aviator on the active list (not recalled) who has held that designation the longest. The trophy reads:
“In recognition of a clear eye, a stout heart, a steady hand, and a daring defiance of gravity and the law of averages”
Needless to say these were generally Flag Officers/General Officers.
In the late 70s the Gray Eagle was CWO4 Henry Wildfang USMC.
I recognized that name but it took me a minute, CWO4 Wildfang was the pilot of the KC-130 destroyed while landing at Khe Sahn.