New rating considered for UAV operators

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A technician prepares to launch a Predator from Naval Air Station Corpus Christi in support of Hurricane Gustav operations in September.


New rating considered for UAV operators
By Andrew Tilghman - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Nov 3, 2008 5:38:32 EST

With a wave of new unmanned aerial vehicles expected to join the fleet in the coming years, personnel officials are considering whether to create a rating for the sailors who will operate and maintain these high-tech systems.

The new generation of UAVs — which the Navy refers to as “unmanned aerial systems” because they also can include weapons and sensors — likely will create opportunities for sailors to play a bigger role in real-time war fighting then ever before.

And while traditional pilots will maintain their primary role, new technology is expected to push highly trained sailors into roles including flight operations, real-time intelligence analysis and targeting decisions.

“Unmanned aerial systems are going to provide an opportunity for sailors to get into a new realm of war fighting,” Rear Adm. Mark Guadagnini, the chief of naval air training, said in an interview. “We have to decide what rating can be a part of this or do we need to generate a completely different, separate rating for unmanned aerial systems.”

Guadagnini said he plans to meet in November with other Navy officials to identify the knowledge, skills and experience needed for the future UAV programs. They will address critical questions, including:


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/11/navy_uav2_110208w/%2e