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AVIATION ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN (AT)

The aircraft avionics maintainer — radar, navigation, communication, and EW systems on every Navy aircraft.

Rating Badge

Rating Code

Community

Naval Aviation

Paygrade Range

E-1 to E-9

ASVAB Minimum

AR+MK+EI+GS=222

A-School

Naval Air Technical Training Center, NAS Pensacola, FL · ~22 weeks

Clearance

Secret

Obligation

6 years

OVERVIEW

Aviation Electronics Technician (AT) is the U.S. Navy's aircraft avionics rating. ATs maintain the radar, navigation, communications, identification, and electronic-warfare systems on every Navy aircraft, from the APG-79 AESA radar in the F/A-18E/F to the ALQ-218 EW suite on the EA-18G Growler. ATs are the avionics specialists in every operational squadron and AIMD.

The AT rating works hand-in-glove with AE (electrical) and the broader aviation maintenance community. Senior ATs serve as Quality Assurance Representatives and as collateral-duty Maintenance Material Control Officers.

The aviation community covers Sailors who maintain, operate, and support U.S. Navy aircraft — fixed-wing fighters, maritime patrol, helicopters, and unmanned platforms — both on aircraft carriers and at shore-based naval air stations. The community follows the Aviation Maintenance Officer (AMO) construct and emphasizes Naval Aviation Maintenance Program (NAMP) qualifications.

A-school for the rating runs ~22 weeks at Naval Air Technical Training Center, NAS Pensacola, FL, where Sailors complete the technical foundation needed to report to their first fleet command. Entry requires the ASVAB line score AR+MK+EI+GS=222 and an enlistment obligation of 6–6 years. ATs advance through the standard enlisted paygrade structure (E-1 through E-9), competing in the Navy-Wide Advancement Examination (NWAE) at E-4 through E-6 and via the Selection Board at E-7 through E-9. Senior ATs typically serve as Leading Petty Officer (LPO), Work Center Supervisor, Leading Chief Petty Officer (LCPO), or Command Master Chief (CMC), and may pursue Limited Duty Officer (LDO), Chief Warrant Officer (CWO), or commissioning programs such as STA-21, MECP, or OCS.

Across the active force, AT Sailors are essential to the Navy's mission readiness, and the rating remains an in-demand career field with strong reenlistment bonuses (SRB), advancement opportunities, and pathways into Navy Reserve, civilian DoD, and industry careers after service.

WHAT ATs DO

ATs perform organizational and intermediate-level maintenance on aircraft radar (APG-79, APG-65, APY-9 on E-2D), communications (ARC-210 multi-band radio, satellite radio, IFF), navigation (GPS, INS, TACAN, ILS), electronic-warfare (ALR-67, ALQ-99, ALQ-218, ALQ-249 NGJ), data link (Link-16, MADL), and mission computers. ATs troubleshoot at the line-replaceable-unit and shop-replaceable-unit level and perform aviation calibration and bench-test operations.

RESPONSIBILITIES

ATs perform organizational and intermediate-level maintenance on aircraft radar (APG-79, APG-65, APY-9 on E-2D), communications (ARC-210 multi-band radio, satellite radio, IFF), navigation (GPS, INS, TACAN, ILS), electronic-warfare (ALR-67, ALQ-99, ALQ-218, ALQ-249 NGJ), data link (Link-16, MADL), and mission computers. ATs troubleshoot at the line-replaceable-unit and shop-replaceable-unit level and perform aviation calibration and bench-test operations.
Stand watches and qualify on the rating's Personnel Qualification Standards (PQS), maintain training jackets, and mentor junior ATs as required by the chain of command.
Lead the AT work center as Leading Petty Officer or Work Center Supervisor — managing maintenance documentation in 3M/MFOM, parts ordering, and personnel qualifications.
Support general military training (GMT), damage control, force protection, and watch-bill assignments common to every Sailor regardless of rating.

HISTORY

Aviation Electronics Technician was established in the late 1940s as airborne radar, ECM, and complex avionics suites became central to naval aviation. The rating has absorbed multiple legacy specialty ratings (Aviation Antisubmarine Warfare Technician, Aviation Fire Control Technician) over the decades and remains the Navy's catch-all aviation electronics maintainer.

Today the AT community staffs every fixed-wing and rotary-wing squadron in the fleet.

The aviation rating structure traces to 1921 when the Bureau of Aeronautics was established and the Navy formalized aviation enlisted ratings to support the rapid growth of carrier aviation between the world wars. Successive consolidations through the 1948 enlisted-rating reorganization and the modern Naval Aviation Enterprise (NAE) shaped the current pipeline.

Today the Aviation Electronics Technician (AT) rating is overseen by the Enlisted Community Management (ECM) office at My Navy HR and the Center for Personal and Professional Development. Modern ATs benefit from the Sailor 2025 personnel-system reforms, the Ready Relevant Learning (RRL) training continuum, and credentialing through the Navy COOL program — turning rating qualifications into industry-recognized certifications and licenses.

The rating's structure, training pipeline, and operational employment continue to evolve alongside the Navy's transition to Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO), Project Overmatch, and the Force Design 2045 fleet architecture, ensuring ATs remain central to the warfighting mission.

TRAINING PIPELINE

1. Recruit Training (Boot Camp)~10 weeks
Naval Station Great Lakes, IL
Initial entry training for all U.S. Navy enlisted Sailors at the Navy's only boot camp.
2. Aviation Electronics Technician A-School~22 weeks
Naval Air Technical Training Center, NAS Pensacola, FL
Initial rating-skills training for AT accessions.
3. Fleet / Operational TourFirst sea or operational tour
F/A-18E/F, F-35C, EA-18G strike-fighter squadrons
On-the-job training and qualifications in the AT rating with a fleet unit.

TYPICAL CAREER PATH

E-1/E-3
Apprentice AT
A-school at NAS Pensacola; first tour in a squadron or AIMD avionics shop.
E-4/E-6
Petty Officer AT
Qualify on radar, EW, and communications systems for assigned platform; serve as work-center supervisor.
E-7+
Chief Aviation Electronics Technician
Avionics Department LCPO, Quality Assurance Officer, or instructor at NAMTRAGRU.

TYPICAL PLATFORMS & UNITS

F/A-18E/F, F-35C, EA-18G strike-fighter squadrons
E-2D Hawkeye airborne early warning
P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol
MH-60R/S Seahawk helicopter squadrons

EXAMPLE NECs

AT-8334 EA-18G Avionics Maintainer
AT-8341 P-8A Avionics Maintainer

How to address

As an enlisted Sailor by paygrade and last name (e.g. "Petty Officer Smith" for E-4–E-6, "Chief Smith" for E-7+). The rating abbreviation "AT" is appended to the paygrade in writing — e.g., AT1 Smith for AT Petty Officer First Class.

Prerequisites

U.S. citizenship and minimum ASVAB AR+MK+EI+GS=222
High school diploma or equivalent
Pass the Navy physical and medical screening
Secret security clearance eligibility

Common assignments

F/A-18E/F, F-35C, EA-18G strike-fighter squadrons
E-2D Hawkeye airborne early warning
P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol
MH-60R/S Seahawk helicopter squadrons

RELATED RATINGS

RELATED BASES

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

ATs maintain aircraft radar, navigation, communications, identification, and electronic-warfare systems — including the APG-79 AESA radar on the Super Hornet, the ALQ-218 EW suite on the Growler, and the APY-9 radar on the E-2D Hawkeye.

AT A-school is approximately 22 weeks at the Naval Air Technical Training Center on NAS Pensacola, FL, followed by a platform-specific C-school.

Yes — ATs require at least a Secret clearance because of the radar, EW, and cryptographic communications equipment they maintain.

SOURCES

Last updated 2026-05-02

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