ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN (SUBMARINE NAVIGATION) (ETR)

OVERVIEW

Electronics Technician (Submarine Navigation) — ETR — operates and maintains the submarine inertial-navigation system (SINS), the BPS-15/16 surface-search radar, electronic-warfare support measures (AN/WLR-8), the AN/BVS-1 Photonics Mast, and the navigation electronic-suites of every U.S. Navy submarine. ETRs are the submarine's quartermaster of electronic navigation.

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 ~36 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. ETRs 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 ETRs 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, ETR 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 ETRs DO

ETRs operate and maintain submarine inertial navigation, GPS, AN/BPS-15/16 navigation radar, the AN/BVS-1 Photonics Mast, and the AN/WLR-8(V)2 ESM system. They stand watch in the Control Room as Navigation Electronics Technician of the Watch.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• ETRs operate and maintain submarine inertial navigation, GPS, AN/BPS-15/16 navigation radar, the AN/BVS-1 Photonics Mast, and the AN/WLR-8(V)2 ESM system. They stand watch in the Control Room as Navigation Electronics Technician of the Watch.
• Stand watches and qualify on the rating's Personnel Qualification Standards (PQS), maintain training jackets, and mentor junior ETRs as required by the chain of command.
• Lead the ETR 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

ETR was established in 2008 in the same submarine ET split that produced ETV. The navigation track absorbed the legacy electronic-navigation mission as the Virginia class introduced the Photonics Mast in place of the conventional periscope.

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 Navigation) (ETR) rating is overseen by the Enlisted Community Management (ECM) office at My Navy HR and the Center for Personal and Professional Development. Modern ETRs 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 ETRs 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. Electronics Technician (Submarine Navigation) A-School~36 weeks
   Naval Submarine School, Groton, CT
   Submarine pipeline rating training (includes Basic Enlisted Submarine School)
3. 3. Fleet / Operational TourFirst sea or operational tour
   Virginia (SSN-774) class submarines
   On-the-job training and qualifications in the ETR rating with a fleet unit.

TYPICAL CAREER PATH

1. E-1/E-3
   Apprentice ETR
   A-school in the submarine pipeline; first tour with a fleet unit.
2. E-4/E-6
   Petty Officer ETR
   Lead a Electronics Technician (Submarine Navigation) work-center, qualify in core watchstations and platform-specific tasks.
3. E-7+
   Chief Electronics Technician (Submarine Navigation)
   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

• ETR-3387 Submarine Navigation Equipment Maintainer

RELATED RATINGS

• ETV · Submarine Force
  Electronics Technician (Submarine Communications)
• QM · General Surface & Combat
  Quartermaster
• ET · General Surface & Combat
  Electronics Technician

RELATED BASES

• Navy Base · CT
  Naval Submarine Base New London
• Navy Base · GA
  Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay
• Navy Base · WA
  Naval Base Kitsap

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

SOURCES

• Navy Electronics Technician (Submarine Navigation) (navy.com)
• My Navy HR — Enlisted Community Management
• Navy COOL — Rating Detail