Fire Controlman

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Fire Controlman rating insignia

Fire Controlman (abbreviated as FC) is a United States Navy occupational rating.

Fire Controlmen (FC) provide system employment recommendations; perform organizational and intermediate maintenance on digital computer equipment, subsystems, and systems; operate and maintain combat and weapons direction systems, surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missile systems, and gun fire control systems at the organizational and intermediate level; inspect, test, align, and repair micro/minicomputers and associated peripheral equipment, data conversion units, data display equipment, data link terminal equipment, print devices, and system related equipment; make analysis for detailed systems, computer programs, electronics, and electronic casualty control; and operate associated built-in and external test equipment; load, initialize, and run preprogrammed diagnostic, performance and testing routines for digital computer equipment, digital subsystems, digital systems, and overall combat systems.

FCs typically operate weapon systems on-board surface combatant ships. They are trained in the repair, maintenance, operation and employment of weapons such as the Tomahawk Missile System, the Close-In Weapons System, the 5"/54 caliber Mark 45 gun Weapon System and it's associated MK86 Gun Fire Control System Standard Missile System, Sea Sparrow Missile and Harpoon Missile Systems. These include their associated computer and sensor packages. Their job is somewhat unique in that they are trained to troubleshoot and repair their systems, as well as operate them. These responsibilities are typically split up between different ratings for various types of electronic equipment.

In essence, they "pull the trigger", to defend the ship from tactical threats, or to make an offense strike against a hostile target.

Another area of responsibility for FCs is the Aegis weapon system, which includes the most powerful search radar in the world, the SPY-1. Other areas for FCs are the MK99 Fire Control System and Aegis computer systems.

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