Aviation warfare systems operator Naval aircrewman ( abbreviated as AW ) is a United States Navy occupational rating . The rate was previously designated as aviation antisubmarine warfare operator . However under the CNO directed Helicopter Master Plan , all 78XX , and 94XX aircrewmen were redesignated as ' naval aircrewman ' . Many technologically advanced navies have a similar trade . Training . All AWs must attain a minimum amount of education and training in several fields of science , technology , and aviation at several different schools . The educational “ pipeline ” averages 18 months to two years in length . The following list describes most of those schools . Schools . Naval Aircrew Candidate School ( NACCS ) . NACCS of NAS Pensacola , Florida , introduces to and evaluates the student in basic flight physiology and water survival . Low - pressure hypobaric chamber sessions , night vision evaluations , multi - station spatial disorientation device ( also known as the " spin and puke " ) sessions and aircraft emergency water egress device sessions are part of the training . Advanced first aid and CPR and a very aggressive physical regimen including running up to 8 – 10 miles , swimming a mile at a time , etc . are part of the curriculum . AW “ A ” school . Naval Air Technical Training Center ( NATTC ) provides the student a basic introduction to all the fields the student must be well versed in to operate in their prospective platform . Active and passive electronic warfare , active and passive sonar . Reading sonargrams , magnetic anomaly detection equipment , physics , wave propagation , oceanography , meteorology . and working with classified information are included in this phase of training . AWS “ A ” School . AWS " A " School provides prospective aircrewmen with the basic knowledge necessary to excel within the helicopter sea combat , patrol squadron , and helicopter mine countermeasures communities . Students will learn the basics of naval special warfare support , combat search and rescue , airborne mine countermeasures , and oceanography . Upon successful completion , students can expect to transfer to MH - 60S ( HSC ) FRAC or MH - 53E ( HM ) FRAC . Survival , evasion , resistance and escape ( SERE ) . This course is designed to provide Level " C " Code of Conduct training to pilots , flight officers , intelligence officers , aircrew , and other designated high risk of capture personnel as directed by respective TYCOMs / MCCDC in accordance with DOD Instruction 1300 . 21 and the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency ( JPRA ) executive agent instruction . Training encompasses those basic skills necessary for worldwide survival , facilitating search and rescue efforts , evading capture by hostile forces , resistance to interrogation , exploitation and indoctrination , and escape from detention by enemy forces in accordance with DOD Instruction 1300 . 21 . It is based on and reinforces the values expressed in the code of conduct while maintaining an appropriate balance of sound educational methodology and realistic / stressful training scenarios . Participation in SERE training requires certification of a current physical examination ( within 1 year for aircrew ) and completion of a medical screening form within 14 days of training by competent medical authority ( i . e . Flight Surgeon , IDC ) . Students must report for training with medical and dental records or they will be dis - enrolled from the course . SERE training is physically demanding , therefore , students must comply with their own service ' s body fat standards and have successfully passed their most recent physical readiness test . Fleet Replacement Aircrew Training ( FRAC ) . This phase of training immerses the student much further into training for their specific platform ( aircraft or operations centers ) and specialty ( acoustic or non - acoustic ) . Typically , the student will report to an East Coast or West Coast Fleet Replacement Squadron ( FRS ) to conduct training ( Note that all MH - 53E FRS training is conducted on the East Coast at Naval Station Norfolk ) . Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization ( NATOPS ) and tactics are also introduced . After completion of training and reporting for duty in the fleet , they are required to complete “ on the job training ” lasting around six months before being recognized as fully qualified . Position summaries . There are several platforms ( fixed wing P - 3 Orion and rotary wing SH - 60 Seahawk aircraft , aircraft carriers , etc . ) specialties and special certifications available within the rating . Additional training can be acquired to qualify rotary wing AWs as combat search and rescue swimmers . Below is a list of specialties within the rating . Loadmaster . These AWFs fly on the C - 2A Greyhound , a carrier - based fixed - wing aircraft , and fly high priority passengers , cargo , and mail to and from aircraft carriers . Their designations as loadmasters start from FRAC school at VAW - 120 in Norfolk , Virginia where they become transport second crewman . From there the AWs complete on the job training , their NAWS package , and a second crewman board to become carrier transport second crewman . And then finally completing more job specific qualifications to become a carrier transport crew chief . These AWFs also fly on C - 130T aircraft as well as C - 40 and C - 9 . Naval aircrewman ( operator ) . These AWs fly in a fixed wing , long range patrol aircraft . Currently the P - 3 Orion is fulfilling this role , with the P - 8 Poseidon planned to take over this mission starting in 2013 . Acoustic sensor operators begin their career in the fleet after attending specialized training . They start as sensor operator 2 , and after sufficient flight and related experience is acquired , advance to sensor operator 1 with their own crew . The job can be related to the civilian fields of machine condition monitoring , or predictive maintenance . The AW is responsible for the analysis of all sensor data and must interpret this data in order to search for , localize and track , determine spatial orientation and vector , identify , assess condition of , establish attack parameters on a single , or multiple surface or subsurface contacts . These systems include but are not limited to passive sonar used to listen to underwater sounds , active sonar systems which can be used to pinpoint targets . They control the type and settings for the sonobuoys , underwater communication equipment for platform to platform communication , sensor system to fire control system data transfer and recording . Naval aircrewman ( operator ) . Non - Acoustic AWs , also known as " sensor 3s " or electronic warfare operators , currently fly in P - 3 Orion aircraft , they will be transitioning to the P - 8A Poseidon beginning in 2013 . Non - acoustic AWs are responsible for operating the radar , electronic support measures system , electro - optical / infrared imaging devices and magnetic anomaly detection device aboard variants of the P - 3 Orion . They acquire data necessary to identify surface or air contacts , and can also provide data to help search , localize , and track contacts of interest . SS3s aid in establishing attack parameters on a single , or multiple surface contact . Non - acoustic operators also work with the flight station and navigator to ensure safety - of - flight conditions are maintained . Naval aircrewman ( operator ) . These AWs brief and debrief aircrews , filter through , organize , and relay intelligence collected during the mission in an aircraft carrier ASW module ( ASMOD ) or in a land - based ASW operations center ( ASWOC ) . They coordinate ASW information - gathering throughout the battle group , operate various under - sea warfare and non - under - sea warfare related sensor systems to extract , analyze and classify data obtained ; perform specified pre - flight , in - flight and post - flight operations in a multitude of naval aircraft serving anti - surface , USW , mine countermeasures , electronic , counter - narcotics , and land and sea rescue missions performance ; operate tactical support center systems to analyze and classify USW and non - USW data ; assist in aircrew briefing and debriefing ; and provide data base information to the tactical commander for use in prescribing mission objectives and tactics . Naval aircrewman ( tactical helicopter ) . These AWs flying in various versions of the SH - 60 , and are trained as rescue swimmer s . The jobs performed by these AWs varies depending on the model they fly in . F Previous platforms . Past AW - crewed aircraft include aircraft carrier - based S - 3 Viking and S - 2 Tracker aircraft . They also flew in SH - 3 Sea King and SH - 2 Seasprite helicopters and P - 2 Neptune patrol aircraft . Roots of the rating . The " naval aircrewman " rating was once called the " aviation warfare systems operator " and was originally the " aviation anti - submarine warfare operator " rate , created on September 1 , 1968 by BUPERS Note 1440 of 29 Feb 1968 . It was re - designated " naval aircrewman " by the NEOCS package without change of abbreviation in 2008 . References . United States Naval Aviation 1910 – 1995 , Appendix 14 , Aviation Ratings Naval Historical Center http : / / www . navytimes . com / news / 2008 / 05 / navy _ aircrewrating _ 052708w / http : / / en . wikipedia . org / w / index . php ? title = Aviation _ Warfare _ Systems _ Operator & action = edit & section = 14