Warfare Officer
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A Warfare Officer is one type of officer in the British Royal Navy. There are also Engineer Officers and Supply Officers supported by additional branches such as Medical or Dental Officers, or the Chaplaincy Service.
After initial training at Britannia Royal Naval College where Warfare Officers spend a year, they undertake a period at sea known as Common Fleet Time, where they learn the ropes in an operational warship using a syllabus common to all officer specialisations. They then sit the commissioning exam, the Fleet Board. success at Fleet Board allows the young officer to move on to a short professional course moving on to undertake Specialist Fleet Time (8 months) concentrating on bridge watchkeeping and shiphandling. After this a further professional course is completed and they begin their first complement job aboard a ship as an Officer of the Watch.
Junior Warfare Officers, trained at Maritime Warfare School HMS Collingwood, are responsible for navigation and bridge watchkeeping, where they will ensure the navigational safety of all ship operations on behalf of the Captain. As they become more senior additional duties are added with a level of specialisation. With some years experience as a JWO they can move onto more advanced training as a Principal Warfare Officer, trained to take control of the Operations Room as a specialist in Above Water or Underwater, or Communications and Electronic Warfare. The PWO will fight the ship on behalf of the Captain, deciding what targets to engage and in what order; directing the naval ratings in their operation of weapons and sensors. With experience as a PWO further development increases the individuals specialisation and experience.
Junior Warfare Officers may specialise as Mine Clearance Diving Officers, Fighter Controllers, Frigate Navigators or Meteorology and Oceanography Officers, which attract a notification against the individuals' name in the Navy List. Other specialist skills, such as instruction or business management, may be developed but do not carry this notification, being recorded for employment purposes only.
The Royal Navy does not have a dedicated Intelligence branch; Officers of any specialisation may undertake the requisite training at Defence Intelligence and Security Centre prior to undertaking employment in the field. Warfare Officers of the Royal Naval Reserve may specialise in Intelligence.
Prospects within the Navy are good for Warfare Officers. Many who stay in the Navy for longer than about five years as a Lieutenant will go on PWO training with a good chance of selection to Lieutenant-Commander. Promotion beyond this is extremely competitive.
It should be noted that all ship Commanding Officers in the Royal Navy are Warfare Officers due to the requirement to comply with international regulations for seagoing experience which precludes other branches from competing in this area.
Being a Warfare Officer involves long hours at sea (usually one four-hour watch on the bridge in any twelve-hour period, in addition to an 8-5 working day), and long periods away from home (6 to 8 months away is typical). Most Warfare Officers however speak highly of their job, common benefits including the challenge, regular opportunities for travel, an attractive remuneration package and the camaraderie of service life.
