ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN (SUBMARINE COMMUNICATIONS) (ETV)
The U.S. Navy submarine force electronics technician (submarine communications) rating — ETV.
OVERVIEW
Electronics Technician (Submarine Communications) — ETV — operates and maintains the external-communications suites on U.S. Navy submarines: VLF/LF/HF/UHF/SHF radios, satellite communications terminals, the AN/BRC-100 / Common Submarine Radio Room, and the antennas and antenna-multicouplers that pierce the sail. ETVs keep the submarine connected to the National Command Authority.
The submarine community is an all-volunteer force that operates the Navy's nuclear-powered fast-attack, guided-missile, and ballistic-missile submarines. Sailors must qualify in submarines (earning the Silver or Gold Dolphins) and operate under unique deployment cycles, watchbills, and the demanding Submarine Force standards established by Admiral Hyman G. Rickover.
A-school for the rating runs ~32 weeks at Naval Submarine School, Groton, CT, 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. ETVs 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 ETVs 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, ETV 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 ETVs DO
ETVs operate and maintain submarine external-communications equipment, antennas, antenna couplers, encryption devices (KG-84/KIV-7M), the AN/BRT-2 buoyant cable antenna, and the Common Submarine Radio Room consoles. They stand the Radio Room watch on every submarine underway.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- ETVs operate and maintain submarine external-communications equipment, antennas, antenna couplers, encryption devices (KG-84/KIV-7M), the AN/BRT-2 buoyant cable antenna, and the Common Submarine Radio Room consoles. They stand the Radio Room watch on every submarine underway.
- Stand watches and qualify on the rating's Personnel Qualification Standards (PQS), maintain training jackets, and mentor junior ETVs as required by the chain of command.
- Lead the ETV 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.
THIS RATING ABSORBED
The ETV rating's mission today includes work that flowed from the following decommissioned U.S. Navy ratings:
HISTORY
ETV was established in 2008 when the legacy Electronics Technician submarine track was split into Communications (ETV) and Navigation (ETR) sub-ratings to manage the increasing complexity of submarine communications and navigation systems.
The submarine rating lineage traces to the commissioning of USS Holland in 1900 and the establishment of the Submarine Force the same year. Modern submarine enlisted ratings were redefined under Admiral Hyman G. Rickover in the 1950s as the Navy transitioned from diesel-electric to nuclear propulsion with USS Nautilus (SSN-571).
Today the Electronics Technician (Submarine Communications) (ETV) rating is overseen by the Enlisted Community Management (ECM) office at My Navy HR and the Center for Personal and Professional Development. Modern ETVs 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 ETVs remain central to the warfighting mission.
TRAINING PIPELINE
- 1. Recruit Training (Boot Camp)~10 weeksNaval Station Great Lakes, ILInitial entry training for all U.S. Navy enlisted Sailors at the Navy's only boot camp.
- 2. Electronics Technician (Submarine Communications) A-School~32 weeksNaval Submarine School, Groton, CTSubmarine pipeline rating training (includes Basic Enlisted Submarine School)
- 3. Fleet / Operational TourFirst sea or operational tourVirginia (SSN-774) class submarinesOn-the-job training and qualifications in the ETV rating with a fleet unit.
TYPICAL CAREER PATH
- E-1/E-3Apprentice ETVA-school in the submarine pipeline; first tour with a fleet unit.
- E-4/E-6Petty Officer ETVLead a Electronics Technician (Submarine Communications) work-center, qualify in core watchstations and platform-specific tasks.
- E-7+Chief Electronics Technician (Submarine Communications)Senior enlisted leader of the rating in the command; instructor, detailer, or department leading chief assignments.
TYPICAL PLATFORMS & UNITS
- Virginia (SSN-774) class submarines
- Los Angeles (SSN-688) class submarines
- Ohio (SSBN/SSGN-726) class submarines
EXAMPLE NECs
- ETV-3389 Submarine Communications Maintainer
- U.S. citizenship and minimum ASVAB AR+MK+EI+GS=222
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Pass the Navy physical and medical screening
- Virginia (SSN-774) class submarines
- Los Angeles (SSN-688) class submarines
- Ohio (SSBN/SSGN-726) class submarines
RELATED RATINGS
RELATED BASES
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
SOURCES
- Navy Electronics Technician (Submarine Communications) (navy.com)
- My Navy HR — Enlisted Community Management
- Navy COOL — Rating Detail