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AVIATION MACHINIST'S MATE (AD)

The aircraft powerplant rating — every Navy turbojet, turbofan, turboshaft, and APU is owned by an AD.

Aviation Machinist's Mate rating badge — winged propeller on a chevron
Rating Badge
Rating Code
AD
Community
Naval Aviation
Paygrade Range
E-1 to E-9
ASVAB Minimum
VE+AR+MK+AS=210
A-School
Naval Air Technical Training Center, NAS Pensacola, FL · ~14 weeks
Clearance
Standard
Obligation
5 years

OVERVIEW

Aviation Machinist's Mate (AD) is the U.S. Navy's aircraft powerplant rating. ADs maintain the engines (F404, F414, F135, T700, T56, CFM56), auxiliary power units, fuel systems, and propeller/rotor systems on every Navy aircraft. ADs are organic to every operational squadron and to every AIMD power-plant shop.

ADs work shoulder-to-shoulder with AEs, ATs, AMs, and AOs to keep Navy aircraft mission-capable. The AD rating has roots in the original Aviation Machinist's Mate rating from the 1920s, when "AMM" covered every aspect of aircraft mechanical maintenance.

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 ~14 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 VE+AR+MK+AS=210 and an enlistment obligation of 5–6 years. ADs 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 ADs 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, AD 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 ADs DO

ADs perform organizational and intermediate-level maintenance on jet engines (F404 in legacy Hornets, F414 in Super Hornets and Growlers, F135 in F-35C), turboshaft engines (T700 in MH-60R/S, T56 in E-2D), auxiliary power units, aircraft fuel systems and cells, propellers and rotor systems, and engine-driven accessories (constant-speed drives, generators, hydraulic pumps). ADs perform engine borescope inspections, hot-section inspections, and engine module replacement.

RESPONSIBILITIES

  • ADs perform organizational and intermediate-level maintenance on jet engines (F404 in legacy Hornets, F414 in Super Hornets and Growlers, F135 in F-35C), turboshaft engines (T700 in MH-60R/S, T56 in E-2D), auxiliary power units, aircraft fuel systems and cells, propellers and rotor systems, and engine-driven accessories (constant-speed drives, generators, hydraulic pumps). ADs perform engine borescope inspections, hot-section inspections, and engine module replacement.
  • Stand watches and qualify on the rating's Personnel Qualification Standards (PQS), maintain training jackets, and mentor junior ADs as required by the chain of command.
  • Lead the AD 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 Machinist's Mate is one of the oldest aviation ratings, established in 1921 as Aviation Machinist's Mate (AMM) and split into specialty ratings (AD, AM, AE) in the 1948 rating reform. The AD lineage retained engines, fuel systems, and powerplants while AM took airframes and AE took electrical systems.

Today AD is concentrated at the master jet bases and aboard every aircraft carrier, with the F-35C powerplant maintenance pipeline ramping up rapidly.

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 Machinist's Mate (AD) rating is overseen by the Enlisted Community Management (ECM) office at My Navy HR and the Center for Personal and Professional Development. Modern ADs 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 ADs remain central to the warfighting mission.

TRAINING PIPELINE

  1. 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. 2. Aviation Machinist's Mate A-School~14 weeks
    Naval Air Technical Training Center, NAS Pensacola, FL
    Initial rating-skills training for AD accessions.
  3. 3. Fleet / Operational TourFirst sea or operational tour
    F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, F-35C Lightning II
    On-the-job training and qualifications in the AD rating with a fleet unit.

TYPICAL CAREER PATH

  1. E-1/E-3
    Apprentice AD
    A-school at NAS Pensacola; first tour in a squadron power-plants shop or AIMD.
  2. E-4/E-6
    Petty Officer AD
    Qualify on assigned engine type; serve as work-center supervisor and engine turn-up qualified mechanic.
  3. E-7+
    Chief Aviation Machinist's Mate
    Power Plants Division Chief, Maintenance Master Chief, or instructor at NAMTRAGRU.

TYPICAL PLATFORMS & UNITS

  • F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, F-35C Lightning II
  • EA-18G Growler, E-2D Hawkeye
  • MH-60R/S Seahawk, MV-22 Osprey
  • P-8A Poseidon

EXAMPLE NECs

  • AD-7222 F414 Engine Maintainer
  • AD-7811 P-8A Powerplants 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 "AD" is appended to the paygrade in writing — e.g., AD1 Smith for AD Petty Officer First Class.
Prerequisites
  • U.S. citizenship and minimum ASVAB VE+AR+MK+AS=210
  • High school diploma or equivalent
  • Pass the Navy physical and medical screening
Common assignments
  • F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, F-35C Lightning II
  • EA-18G Growler, E-2D Hawkeye
  • MH-60R/S Seahawk, MV-22 Osprey
  • P-8A Poseidon

RELATED RATINGS

RELATED BASES

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

ADs maintain F404 (legacy Hornet), F414 (Super Hornet and Growler), F135 (F-35C), T700 (MH-60R/S), T56 (E-2D), and CFM56 (P-8A) engines, plus auxiliary power units and engine-driven accessories.

AD A-school is at the Naval Air Technical Training Center on NAS Pensacola, FL.

No — Machinist's Mate (MM) is the surface-ship and submarine engineering rating. Aviation Machinist's Mate (AD) is the aircraft engine and powerplant rating. The two diverged in the 1948 rating reform.

SOURCES

Last updated 2026-05-02
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