A weapon systems officer ("WSO", pronounced "wizzo") is an air flight officer directly involved in all air operations and weapon systems of an aircraft.
In the United States Navy, they are responsible for manning the weapon systems of a fighter. (In the U.S. Air Force and Marine Corps, "WSO" also refers to the aft crew member in the F-15E Strike Eagle, B-1 Lancer and F/A-18D Hornet.) The WSO integrates with the pilot to collectively achieve and maintain crew efficiency, situational awareness and mission effectiveness. In the U.S. Air Force fighter aircraft such as the F-15E Strike Eagle, the WSO can pilot the aircraft when required although this is typically during non-tactical portions of the mission (e.g., returning to base). When designated mission commander (MC), the WSO is also responsible for all phases of the assigned mission.
In the British Royal Air Force, a WSO (formerly navigator) is a commissioned officer that operates aircraft mission systems on the Tornado GR4 amongst other platforms. 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).
Read more about Weapon Systems Officer: Overview, Training, See Also
Famous quotes containing the words weapon, systems and/or officer:
“The weapon of the Republic is terror, and virtue is its strength.”
—Georg Büchner (1813–1837)
“People stress the violence. That’s the smallest part of it. Football is brutal only from a distance. In the middle of it there’s a calm, a tranquility. The players accept pain. There’s a sense of order even at the end of a running play with bodies stewn everywhere. When the systems interlock, there’s a satisfaction to the game that can’t be duplicated. There’s a harmony.”
—Don Delillo (b. 1926)
“No officer should be required or permitted to take part in the management of political organizations, caucuses, conventions, or election campaigns. Their right to vote and to express their views on public questions, either orally or through the press, is not denied, provided it does not interfere with the discharge of their official duties. No assessment for political purposes on officers or subordinates should be allowed.”
—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)