AVIATION SUPPORT EQUIPMENT TECHNICIAN (AS)

OVERVIEW

Aviation Support Equipment Technician (AS) maintains all of the powered and non-powered ground support equipment that keeps Navy aircraft flying — tow tractors, electric and pneumatic mobile generators, hydraulic test stands, oxygen and nitrogen carts, weapons-loading equipment, and the catapult and arresting-gear support equipment on aircraft carriers.

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 ~12 weeks at Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit, 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. ASs 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 ASs 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, AS 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 ASs DO

ASs perform organizational and intermediate-level maintenance on all support equipment used to service Navy aircraft. They run the AIMD support equipment work centers, maintain the SE pool, and serve as flight-deck and flight-line equipment operators on every aircraft carrier and master jet base.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• ASs perform organizational and intermediate-level maintenance on all support equipment used to service Navy aircraft. They run the AIMD support equipment work centers, maintain the SE pool, and serve as flight-deck and flight-line equipment operators on every aircraft carrier and master jet base.
• Stand watches and qualify on the rating's Personnel Qualification Standards (PQS), maintain training jackets, and mentor junior ASs as required by the chain of command.
• Lead the AS 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 Support Equipment Technician was established in 1965 to consolidate the support-equipment portion of the Aviation Machinist's Mate (AD) and Aviation Boatswain's Mate (AB) ratings into a single dedicated specialty.

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 Support Equipment Technician (AS) rating is overseen by the Enlisted Community Management (ECM) office at My Navy HR and the Center for Personal and Professional Development. Modern ASs 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 ASs 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 Support Equipment Technician A-School~12 weeks
   Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit, NAS Pensacola, FL
   Initial rating-skills training for accessions
3. 3. Fleet / Operational TourFirst sea or operational tour
   Aircraft carriers (CVN)
   On-the-job training and qualifications in the AS rating with a fleet unit.

TYPICAL CAREER PATH

1. E-1/E-3
   Apprentice AS
   A-school in the aviation pipeline; first tour with a fleet unit.
2. E-4/E-6
   Petty Officer AS
   Lead a Aviation Support Equipment Technician work-center, qualify in core watchstations and platform-specific tasks.
3. E-7+
   Chief Aviation Support Equipment Technician
   Senior enlisted leader of the rating in the command; instructor, detailer, or department leading chief assignments.

TYPICAL PLATFORMS & UNITS

• Aircraft carriers (CVN)
• Master jet bases — NAS Lemoore, NAS Oceana, NAS Whidbey Island
• Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Departments (AIMD)

EXAMPLE NECs

• AS-7604 Mobile Electrical Power Plant Maintainer

RELATED RATINGS

• AD · Naval Aviation
  Aviation Machinist's Mate
• ABH · Naval Aviation
  Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Aircraft Handling)
• AM · Naval Aviation
  Aviation Structural Mechanic

RELATED BASES

• Navy Base · CA
  Naval Air Station Lemoore
• Navy Base · VA
  Naval Air Station Oceana
• Navy Base · WA
  Naval Air Station Whidbey Island
• Navy Base · FL
  Naval Air Station Pensacola

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

SOURCES

• Navy Aviation Support Equipment Technician (navy.com)
• My Navy HR — Enlisted Community Management
• Navy COOL — Rating Detail