Forum: Future F-16 crew

1. How do I become a Weapon Systems Officer?
2. Can a WSO fly the aircraft?
3. What is the primary job of WSO?
4. Whitch is harder to get in, pilot or WSO?

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1. Apply with your Department of Defence in your country.

2. Yes. Not sure about USAF, but in Singapore, the WSOs get basic pilot training and go throught the F-16 pilot conversion, after which they concentrate on weapons training while the actual pilot focuses on fighter manoevres and air combat.

3. Weapon Systems Officer, operates primarily the air-to-ground weapons for strike, electronic warfare systems, and secondary air-to-air weapons operations, radars, and also the backup [Link pending approval] a 2nd pair of eyes to look out for the enemy.

4. Not sure about USAF once again, but there's usually a higher demand for WSOs, seems like most people only want to be pilots.

Here are some answer for you:
1. WSOs in the USAF are guys at the top of their UNT (Nav school) class. You have to be able to get into nav school to become a USAF WSO. There are not many slots due to WSOs only being used in F-15Es but there are other weapons platforms (B-1s, B-52s, and EA-6Bs) that also use EWOs.

2. I think it varies a little, but generally the pilots LET WSOs fly some, but there are restrictions on how low they are allowed to fly, etc. They also are not SUPPOSED to land the jets or fly BFM/ACM (dogfights), but I know of some WSOs that have done it - unofficially. I think there are also some variations from base to base and command to command.

3. Good question - but seriously, from what the -15E guys say, I think WSOs primarily do the task-saturating A/G work. Like at night, low-level deliveries when the pilot is task-saturated just flying the jet. They also guide the other various A/G munitions.

4. Generally speaking it is harder to get into SUPT (pilot) than into SUNT (nav).

Hope this helps & good luck.

Those are all USAF answers by the way.

^Thanks, I'm going to RTAF so it should be the same as your airforce(I hope).

I asked because just incase I don't make it as a pilot, I'll try this insetd.

BTW, F-16 does have a 2-seats version, so who is the second dude in it, if it's not a pilot?

Two seaters are primarily for training. The instructor sits back there. They are also used in the US as test support jets (flight test engineers, aerial photographers, etc...)

I believe the only airforces with WSOs for F-16s are the Republuc of Singapore Airforce (RSAF) and Israeli IAF and maybe possibly the Hellenic Airforce.

In Singapore, all F-16Ds are LANTIRN equipped strike aircrafts, where the WSO operates EW, A-G and LANTIRN, while the pilot is equipped with HMS and focuses on A-A, though he could take over the WSOs task if ever necessary.

I'm not sure if the F-16B donated to RTAF are also configured for WSO [Link pending approval]

This is similar to how the IAF conducts its strike missions as well.

Oh, so RTAF might not have a [Link pending approval]

VprWzl wrote:

Here are some answer for you:
1. WSOs in the USAF are guys at the top of their UNT (Nav school) class. You have to be able to get into nav school to become a USAF WSO. There are not many slots due to WSOs only being used in F-15Es but there are other weapons platforms (B-1s, B-52s, and EA-6Bs) that also use EWOs.

I thought WSO's in the USAF needed a strike nav slot...maybe I'm wrong.

Forum: Future F-16 crew

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