Perceptions of pilots and navigators concerning the future prospects of the United States Air Force Airborne Warning and Control E -3 navigator

Scope and method of study. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not the usefulness of the military navigator has passed in the Airborne Warning and Control (AWACS) E-3, due to the improvements made in the navigational technology. Participants in the study were 79 E-3 pilots and navigators in the 552nd Air Control Wing (ACW), Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. Each participant completed an 18-question survey, which solicited write-in responses to facilitate freedom to provide as much information as each respondent deemed appropriate. Results of the survey were analyzed using measures of central tendency and recorded as percentages. Research literature and the survey percentages were used to answer five research objectives.;Findings and conclusions. The E-3 navigator was found to be a valuable asset to the 552nd Air Control Wing. The target sample size of 100 pilots and navigators resulted in a 79% response rate. A comprehensive history of the E-3 navigator was provided in the review of literature, along with a description of some perceptions, morale, and retention problems that were generated by Air Force human resource management initiatives toward the navigator. Overall finding was navigators should not be removed until GPS Integrated Navigation System (GINS) training is improved and pilot experience is increased.