Marine Corps
AVIATION

MOS

7525

Naval Flight Officer (NFO), Qualified F/A-18D Weapons Systems Officer (WSO)

Description

NFOs as members of aircraft crews assist in the employment of the aircraft offensive and defensive weapons. NFOs assigned as Supporting Arms Coordinator's (SAC(A)) will also direct supporting fires for ground forces to include artillery, naval gunfire and close air support. Advise commanders of ground units on matters pertaining to aerial observation and provide information of intelligence value not readily available from normal sources.

Core Skills

  • mission planning and execution
  • weapons systems employment and integration
  • tactical data link and sensor management
  • supporting arms coordination
  • situational awareness and decision making under pressure
  • intelligence collection and reporting from airborne platforms
  • briefing and debriefing aircrew and commanders
  • risk management and deconfliction
  • multi-system and multi-sensor integration
  • technical and tactical report writing
  • cross-functional coordination with ground and naval forces
  • use of mission planning software and tools

Common Certifications

  • FAA Commercial Pilot Certificate – Multi-Engine (if pilot qualified)
  • FAA Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) – Multi-Engine (if pilot qualified)
  • FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate
  • Certified Flight Instructor – Instrument (CFII)
  • Aircraft Type Ratings (as required)

Civilian Career Paths

  • INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS
  • AVIATION MANAGEMENT
  • PROJECT MANAGEMENT
  • TRAINING AND EDUCATION

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Data sourced from official Marine Corps publications and public military occupational references. Descriptions may be summarized for clarity. Verify all information with your branch career counselor or official military documentation before making career decisions.