41st VSFS/Responsibilities
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01 / Purpose
The F-14 is operated by two crewmembers acting as one combat crew.
Both crewmembers contribute throughout the mission, but each area has a primary owner. Clear ownership prevents tasks from being duplicated, neglected or assumed to be handled by the other crewmember.
The basic crew contract is:
The Pilot controls and employs the aircraft.
The RIO manages the aircraft's tactical systems and maintains the tactical picture.
Tasks may be supported or temporarily transferred, but responsibility must always remain clear.
02 / Pilot Responsibilities
The Pilot is the Aircraft Commander and has final authority over the safe operation of the aircraft.
The Pilot is primarily responsible for flying, positioning and employing the aircraft. This includes aircraft control, formation position, navigation, energy management, aircraft configuration and compliance with aircraft limitations.
During tactical operations, the Pilot positions the aircraft to support the sensors, weapons and planned tactic. The Pilot communicates manoeuvring intentions so that the RIO can maintain radar coverage, weapon support and situational awareness.
The Pilot decides whether the aircraft can safely continue an engagement. The Pilot may abort, disengage, divert or recover whenever fuel, aircraft condition, tactical risk or mission requirements make continuation unsuitable.
Weapon release remains the responsibility of the Pilot. The Pilot confirms that the correct target is being engaged and that the required identification, Rules of Engagement and engagement authority have been satisfied.
During defensive situations, the Pilot is responsible for manoeuvring the aircraft, managing energy, avoiding terrain and maintaining control within aircraft limitations.
The Pilot normally avoids interfering with routine radar or sensor operation. The Pilot should instead communicate the required tactical result and allow the RIO to configure the systems accordingly.
03 / RIO Responsibilities
The RIO is primarily responsible for the aircraft's tactical systems, information management and tactical picture.
The RIO operates and configures the radar, datalink, navigation systems, identification systems and weapon-support systems. The RIO selects appropriate search volumes, manages radar tracks and ensures that the aircraft's sensors support the current mission task.
The RIO detects, identifies, sorts and prioritises contacts. Information from radar, datalink, controllers, visual observations and the mission brief is combined into a common tactical picture.
The RIO communicates information that affects aircraft positioning, mission execution or safety. This includes threats, target information, intercept geometry, navigation, fuel, friendly-aircraft locations and changes to the tactical situation.
Whenever possible, the RIO provides a recommendation rather than only reporting a problem.
The RIO supports weapon employment by maintaining the target track, confirming target correlation, monitoring weapon parameters and reporting any loss of sensor or weapon support.
The RIO normally manages external communications with controllers, package members, tankers, carrier agencies and other mission elements. The Pilot may transmit when required by safety, tactical urgency, radio configuration or workload.
The RIO is also responsible for challenging unsafe decisions, incorrect assumptions and engagements for which identification or authorisation is incomplete.
Both crewmembers are responsible for mission success, flight safety and maintaining a common understanding of the situation.
Both crewmembers maintain visual lookout and report threats, traffic, terrain, aircraft malfunctions and developing problems immediately.
The Pilot must challenge information that appears incorrect or does not match the visual or tactical situation.
The RIO must challenge decisions that appear unsafe, unauthorised or based on incomplete information.
Neither crewmember should assume that the other possesses information that has not been communicated.
Professional disagreement is not a failure of crew coordination. Failure to communicate is.
05 / Authority and Recommendations
The Pilot's authority as Aircraft Commander applies to the aircraft and its safe operation.
Mission authority remains with the briefed chain of command. Commit authority, targeting authority and engagement authority are assigned during the mission briefing and follow MTTP/ACC and the applicable Rules of Engagement.
The RIO may recommend an action, but a recommendation does not replace the authority required to execute it.
When immediate danger exists, either crewmember may issue a direct command.
Immediate safety commands must be acted upon without delay unless the commanded action would create a greater danger.
06 / Task Transfer
Either crewmember may temporarily assume an additional task when workload requires it.
Every transfer must be clearly stated and acknowledged.
The task remains with its original owner until the other crewmember acknowledges the transfer.
Silence never transfers responsibility.
Once workload permits, the task should be returned to its normal owner using the same positive handover procedure.