Naval Combat Information Operator

Location: Louisbourg

en/career/naval-combat-information-operator/

Overview

As a member of the military, Naval Combat Information Operators are responsible for the operation of all shipboard surveillance radars and associated equipment of the shipboard intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems.

As members of the ship’s Combat Information Organization, Naval Combat Information Operators assist and advise the ship’s leadership in navigation, anti-air warfare, anti-surface warfare and anti-submarine warfare. Their primary duties are to:

Configure and operate:

Command and control system

Ships’ radars

Intelligence, surveillance and recognizance systems

Multi-tactical data links

Global command and control system
-maritime

Information processing systems

Ship borne integrated communication equipment and related sub-systems

Analyse equipment and system performance on all combat information equipment

Perform basic on-line fault diagnostic procedures

Collect, correlate, record, analyse, display, and disseminate all tactical information

Maintain classified logs and publications

To be eligible to apply to the CAF, you must:

Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident living in Canada;

Be at least 18 years old (17 years old with parental consent), except:

For the Paid Education programs—you may be 16 years old (with parental consent);

For the Primary Reserves—you may be 16 years old (with parental consent) and must be enrolled as a full-time student;

Have completed at least Grade 10 or Secondaire IV in Québec (some jobs need higher levels of education).

Work Environment

At sea, Naval Combat Information Operators work mostly within the ship’s Operations Room with some of the most modern and sophisticated equipment at sea today. Onboard ship, Naval Combat Information Operators experience the unique adventures and challenges that come with work at sea.

As with all sea-going personnel, Naval Combat Information Operators work with their fellow shipmates in out-of-occupation duties such as sentry or lookout duty, line handler for replenishment at sea, and as ship hand for entering and leaving harbour. They participate in search and rescue events and person-overboard emergencies, act as a member of the ship’s emergency response team for security watches, and routinely perform ship maintenance and repairs.

During emergency procedures, they fight fires as members of a fire attack team, and provide damage control in the case of a breach to the hull. If necessary, a Naval Combat Information Operator may serve as a member of the naval boarding party in order to inspect the cargo of suspect vessels and detain the vessel’s crew during inspections.

If you chose a career in the Regular Force, upon completion of all required training, you will be assigned to your first base. While there is some flexibility with regards to postings (relocations), accommodations can’t always be made, and therefore, you can likely expect to move at some point in your career. However, if you decide to join the Primary Reserve Force, you will do so through a specific Reserve unit.

Outside of training, your chosen Reserve unit will be your workplace on a part time basis, and you will not be obligated to relocate to a different base. As part of the Primary Reserve Force, you typically work one night per week and some weekends as a minimum with possibilities of full-time employment.

Basic Military Qualification

The first stage of training is the Basic Military Qualification course, or Basic Training, held at the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Québec, or through various training establishments across Canada from Esquimalt, British Columbia, to Halifax, Nova Scotia. This training provides the basic core skills and knowledge common to all trades. One main goal of this course is to ensure all recruits maintain the CAF physical fitness standard;

as a result, the training is physically demanding but achievable.

Specific Navy Training
Naval recruits attend the Naval Fleet School either in Esquimalt, British Columbia, or Halifax, Nova Scotia, for approximately five weeks. Training includes the following topics:

Naval history and organization

Shipboa…