INFORMATION SYSTEMS TECHNICIAN (SUBMARINE) (ITS)

OVERVIEW

Information Systems Technician (Submarine) — ITS — operates and maintains the submarine internal computer networks, tactical local-area networks (Submarine LAN), Common Submarine Radio Room IT systems, and the message-handling architecture for the silent service. ITS is the submarine community's IT specialist.

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 ~24 weeks (pipeline) at Center for Information Warfare Training, Pensacola FL / 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. ITSs 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 ITSs 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, ITS 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 ITSs DO

ITSs operate and maintain submarine LANs, ADNS networks, message processing, NIPRNET/SIPRNET interfaces, INMARSAT terminals, and email/chat/imagery exchange systems. They run the submarine's Information Systems work-center.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• ITSs operate and maintain submarine LANs, ADNS networks, message processing, NIPRNET/SIPRNET interfaces, INMARSAT terminals, and email/chat/imagery exchange systems. They run the submarine's Information Systems work-center.
• Stand watches and qualify on the rating's Personnel Qualification Standards (PQS), maintain training jackets, and mentor junior ITSs as required by the chain of command.
• Lead the ITS 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

ITS was created in 2009 by carving the submarine-specific portion of the IT rating into a dedicated sub-rating to recognize the very different equipment fits and qualifications required for the submarine community.

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 Information Systems Technician (Submarine) (ITS) rating is overseen by the Enlisted Community Management (ECM) office at My Navy HR and the Center for Personal and Professional Development. Modern ITSs 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 ITSs 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. Information Systems Technician (Submarine) A-School~24 weeks (pipeline)
   Center for Information Warfare Training, Pensacola FL / 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 ITS rating with a fleet unit.

TYPICAL CAREER PATH

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

• ITS-2779 Submarine LAN Administrator

RELATED RATINGS

• IT · Cryptologic & IW
  Information Systems Technician
• ETV · Submarine Force
  Electronics Technician (Submarine Communications)
• ETR · Submarine Force
  Electronics Technician (Submarine Navigation)

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