SONAR TECHNICIAN (SURFACE) (STG)

OVERVIEW

Sonar Technician (Surface) — STG — operates and maintains the U.S. Navy's surface anti-submarine warfare sensors: the AN/SQQ-89 integrated ASW combat system, the AN/SQS-53C/D hull-mounted sonar on Arleigh Burke and Ticonderoga warships, and the AN/SQR-19 TACTAS towed array. STGs are the surface fleet's submarine hunters.

The general community covers the U.S. Navy's traditional shipboard ratings — deck, engineering, weapons, and combat-systems Sailors who keep surface combatants and amphibious ships in the fight. Sailors in this community typically rotate between sea and shore tours and are eligible for a wide range of NECs, instructor billets, and enlisted commissioning programs.

A-school for the rating runs ~26 weeks at Center for Surface Combat Systems, Dam Neck, VA, where Sailors complete the technical foundation needed to report to their first fleet command. Entry requires the ASVAB line score AR+MK+EI+GS=223 and an enlistment obligation of 5–6 years. STGs 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 STGs 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, STG 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 STGs DO

STGs detect, classify, localize, and track submarines and torpedoes using hull-mounted and towed-array sonars; maintain the AN/SQQ-89 ASW combat system; operate the Mk-116 Mod 7 underwater fire-control system; and serve as ASW Tactical Action Officer assistants in CIC.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• STGs detect, classify, localize, and track submarines and torpedoes using hull-mounted and towed-array sonars; maintain the AN/SQQ-89 ASW combat system; operate the Mk-116 Mod 7 underwater fire-control system; and serve as ASW Tactical Action Officer assistants in CIC.
• Stand watches and qualify on the rating's Personnel Qualification Standards (PQS), maintain training jackets, and mentor junior STGs as required by the chain of command.
• Lead the STG 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 STG rating's mission today includes work that flowed from the following decommissioned U.S. Navy ratings:

• 
  OT · Decom 1998

  Ocean Systems Technician

HISTORY

The Sonar Technician rating was established in 1964 by splitting Sonarman into surface (STG) and submarine (STS) sub-ratings to reflect the very different acoustic environments and equipment fits of the two communities. The STG rating is concentrated in the surface combatant fleet.

Like all surface-Navy general ratings, the rating evolved alongside the U.S. Navy's transition from sail to steam, then steam to gas-turbine and electric-drive propulsion, and continues to adapt to today's distributed maritime operations and integrated combat systems.

Today the Sonar Technician (Surface) (STG) rating is overseen by the Enlisted Community Management (ECM) office at My Navy HR and the Center for Personal and Professional Development. Modern STGs 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 STGs 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. Sonar Technician (Surface) A-School~26 weeks
   Center for Surface Combat Systems, Dam Neck, VA
   Initial rating-skills training for accessions
3. 3. Fleet / Operational TourFirst sea or operational tour
   Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) destroyers
   On-the-job training and qualifications in the STG rating with a fleet unit.

TYPICAL CAREER PATH

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

TYPICAL PLATFORMS & UNITS

• Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) destroyers
• Ticonderoga (CG-47) cruisers
• Constellation-class frigates (FFG-62) entering service

EXAMPLE NECs

• STG-0416 AN/SQQ-89 Sonar Tactical Operator

RELATED RATINGS

• STS · Submarine Force
  Sonar Technician (Submarine)
• FC · General Surface & Combat
  Fire Controlman
• OS · General Surface & Combat
  Operations Specialist

RELATED BASES

• Navy Base · VA
  Naval Station Norfolk
• Navy Base · CA
  Naval Base San Diego
• Navy Base · FL
  Naval Station Mayport

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

SOURCES

• Navy Sonar Technician (Surface) (navy.com)
• My Navy HR — Enlisted Community Management
• Navy COOL — Rating Detail