Marines Winding Down Weapon Systems Officer Position, F/A-18Ds To Fly With Pilot Only
The long-established Weapon Systems Officer position is in the twilight of its existence within the Marine Corps tactical jet community.
By Tyler RogowayJuly 19, 2019
Navy's Trash Is NASA's Treasure As Surplus F/A-18Bs Begin Arriving At Armstrong Flight Test CenterBy Joseph Trevithick Posted in The War Zone
Captain Christopher Harrison, a Communications Strategy Officer for Marine Corps' headquarters in the Pentagon, replied to The War Zone's follow-up question regarding the fate of Hornet WSOs as such:
"The Marine Corps is no longer accessing WSOs. However, all WSOs currently in service and training will be utilized in F/A-18Ds until the platform is deactivated or there are no more WSOs in the fleet, whichever comes first. Further, we do not expect the Marine Corps to man F/A-18Ds with two pilots (i.e. a pilot replacing the WSOs spot) once we reach a point where there are no longer WSOs in the Fleet. A pilot can fly and execute all missions in an F/A-18D without a WSO in the backseat (i.e. keeping the seat empty). Having a WSO simply adds increase proficiency in certain mission skills, such as FAC(A) [Foward Air Control-Airborne]."
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/29078/marines-winding-down-weapon-system-officers-position-f-a-18ds-to-fly-with-pilot-only
