The second in a two-part report on a Marine investigation into what caused an amphibious assault vehicle to sink last year, killing nine service members. Plus, an update on fighter sales in the Middle East, and a conversation with one of the highest-ranking transgender officers in the military on recent policy changes. That and more on Defense News Weekly for April 10, 2021. Close
AVOs Will Operate Carrier-Based MQ-25 Stingray UAVs Expected To Start Appearing In 2024
The Navy announced a new warrant officer specialty designator whose job will be to operate carrier-based MQ-25 Stingray unmanned aerial vehicles, which are expected to start appearing in fleet carrier air wings sometime in 2024.
The establishment of the Aerial Vehicle Operator (AVO) warrant officer specialty became a reality Dec. 9 with Secretary of the Navy Kenneth J. Braithwaite’s approval of the new designator, which was announced in NAVADMIN 315/20.
Over the next 6-10 years, the Navy will recruit, train and send to the fleet, a community of roughly 450 warrants in grades W-1 through W-5.
The COVID-19 pandemic might be the event that convinces the Navy Reserve to restructure to be better postured for large-scale mobilizations. Early in the pandemic, the Commander, Navy Reserve Forces Command (CNRFC), authorized an exception to policy to allow reserve sailors to mobilize through their Navy Reserve Activities or Navy Operational Support Centers (NOSCs) to expedite their arrival to the USNS
Comfort (T-AH-20), which was being sent to New York City. This should be the model going forward.
Currently, however, all mobilizations are processed at Navy Mobilization Processing Site (NMPS) Norfolk, Virginia, which is overseen by the Expeditionary Combat Readiness Center (ECRC).
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