Title: Weapon systems officer - Wikipedia
Headings: Weapon systems officer
Weapon systems officer
Contents
Gallery
United Kingdom
United States
Overview
U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps
U.S. Air Force
Training
Primary
Intermediate
Advanced
Graduate training
See also
References

Content: Multiple crew members can be responsible for detecting, targeting and engaging air-to-air or ground targets, communications, datalinks and/or defensive systems. Roles can be customized based on experience, expertise, workload, tactics, and weapons being employed. Pilots usually retain the responsibility for flying the aircraft in tactical situations. However, the crews of dedicated bomber aircraft usually retain distinct, rigidly-defined and conventional roles. Contents
1 Gallery
2 United Kingdom
3 United States
3.1 Overview
3.1.1 U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps
3.1.2 U.S. Air Force
3.2 Training
3.2.1 Primary
3.2.2 Intermediate
3.2.3 Advanced
3.2.4 Graduate training
4 See also
5 References
Gallery
(F-15E Pilot & WSO)
(B-1B Lancer WSO)
(F-18 Pilot & WSO)
(F-4 with tandem pilot & WSO canopies open)
(SU-34 pilot & WSO positions in simulator)
United Kingdom
In the Royal Air Force, a WSO is a commissioned officer that operates aircraft mission systems formerly on the Tornado GR4, however now on the Reaper, Sentinel R1, Rivet Joint, E3 Sentry and the P-8 Poseidon. Non-commissioned Aircrew can serve as a WSOp (Weapon Systems Operator), an umbrella term for the various specialist aircrew responsible for assisting the pilot in operating the mission systems of the aircraft (e.g. linguists, loadmasters, crewman). United States
Overview
U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps
In the United States Navy, WSOs are naval flight officers responsible for manning the weapon systems of the F/A-18F Super Hornet strike fighter from that jet's aft seat. Prior to the introduction of the F/A-18F, they were known as Radar Intercept Officers (RIO) in the aft seats of the F-4 Phantom II and F-14 Tomcat; as Bombardier/Navigators (B/N) in the right seat of the A-6 Intruder and the A-3 Skywarrior and in the aft seat in the A-5 Vigilante; and Reconnaissance Attack Navigators (RAN) in the aft seat of the RA-5C Vigilante .