Navy
AVIATION
Subspecialty

Officer Subspecialty

5402

Aeronautical Engineering - Aerospace

An officer subspecialty earned alongside a primary designator, marking advanced education or experience in this field.

Description

Aeronautical Engineering Aerospace officers apply aerospace engineering to aircraft, spacecraft, propulsion, structures, flight mechanics, and mission systems. Their duties include requirements analysis, design evaluation, modeling, testing, and technical risk management.

Core Skills

  • aerospace vehicle design
  • aerodynamic modeling
  • orbital and flight mechanics
  • propulsion analysis
  • structural load analysis
  • computational fluid dynamics
  • requirements management
  • engineering trade studies
  • qualification test management

Common Certifications

  • Professional Engineer (PE) License
  • Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP)
  • Project Management Professional (PMP)
  • Certified Quality Engineer (CQE)
  • Certified Reliability Engineer (CRE)
  • Lean Six Sigma Black Belt
  • FAA Aircraft Dispatcher Certificate

Civilian Career Paths

  • MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
  • COMMERCIAL AVIATION
  • PROJECT MANAGEMENT
  • UNMANNED SYSTEMS

Training & Development

Getting Started

  • FE Mechanical Engineering Exam
  • MATLAB Fundamentals course
  • ASQ Quality 101 course
  • NASA Systems Engineering Fundamentals course

Career Growth

  • Professional Engineer (PE) License
  • Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP)
  • Project Management Professional (PMP)
  • Certified Reliability Engineer (CRE)

Data sourced from official Navy 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.