Warfare specialist

Warfare specialist perform strategic duties, such as making tactical decisions, detecting and identifying potential threats, and locating targets and objectives. They communicate with their and other teams to ensure the efficiency of the operation, and also oversee the safety of the team.

The following job titles also refer to warfare specialist:

electronic warfare operator
surveillance operator
defence specialist
defence analyst
electronic warfare specialist

Bachelor’s degree is generally required to work as warfare specialist. However, this requirement may differ in some countries.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Warfare specialist is a Skill level 1 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to warfare specialist.

special forces officer
army corporal
sergeant
infantry soldier
bomb disposal technician

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of warfare specialist. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of warfare specialist with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

prison officer
juvenile correctional officer
street warden
gate guard
security guard

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of warfare specialist.

Geographic information systems: The tools involved in geographical mapping and positioning, such as GPS (global positioning systems), GIS (geographical information systems), and RS (remote sensing).
Military weaponry: The types of arms used by different military organisations, such as army, navy or air force and in different nations worldwide; the weapons’ aspects, damage potential and ways to defend against them.
Surveillance methods: Surveillance methods used in the gathering of information and intelligence for investigation purposes.

These skills are necessary for the role of warfare specialist.

Operate radio equipment: Set up and operate radio devices and accessories, such as broadcast consoles, amplifiers, and microphones. Understand the basics of radio operator language and, when necessary, provide instruction in handling radio equipment correctly.
Lead military troops: Lead the actions of military troops on the field during a mission, either combat, humanitarian or otherwise defensive, compliant with the strategies devised prior to the operation and ensuring communication with other troops is maintained.
Use different communication channels: Make use of various types of communication channels such as verbal, handwritten, digital and telephonic communication with the purpose of constructing and sharing ideas or information.
Manage troop deployment: Manage the deployment of troops to areas in conflict, or in need of aid, and oversee the deployment procedures. Manage the deployment of the troops within an area for specific missions, and ensure the troops and resources are allocated to the missions in compliance with tactical considerations and safety of the troops.
Use geographic information systems: Work with computer data systems such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
Ensure information security: Ensure that the information gathered during surveillance or investigations remains in the hands of those authorised to receive and use it, and does not fall into enemy or otherwise non-authorised individuals’ hands.
Devise military tactics: Devise the strategic and tactical components of a military operation, taking into account the available equipment and assigning tasks to the different troops, and supervising the use of weapons and other battle equipment.
Handle surveillance equipment: Monitor surveillance equipment to observe what people are doing in a given area and ensure their safety.
Identify security threats: Identify security threats during investigations, inspections, or patrols, and perform the necessary actions to minimise or neutralise the threat.
Operate radar equipment: Operate radar screens and other radar equipment; ensure that aircraft fly at a safe distance from one another.
Assess danger in risk areas: Assess the potential dangers involved in performinig military or humanitarian missions in risk areas, such as combat areas, areas affected by natural disasters, or politically tense areas.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of warfare specialist. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Military code: The code language used in specific intelligence or military organisations and operations, how to use and decipher them.
Electronic and telecommunication equipment: The offered electronic and telecommunication equipment and products, their functionalities, properties and legal and regulatory requirements.
Electronics principles: The study of electric energy, more specifically electron, control and its prominent principles regarding integrated circuits and electrical systems.
Camouflage: The different kinds of materials and specialised clothing used for concealment of people, vehicles or other equipment.
Military combat techniques: The fighting techniques specific to military operations, using military weapons and equipment, and the regulations concerning military combat actions.
Electromagnetic spectrum: The different electromagnetic wavelenghts or frequencies that are situated on the electromagnetic spectrum. Wavelenghts are divided in several categories according to their wavelength and energy level, starting from radio wavelenghts with a long wavelength and a low energy level, to microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and finally Gamma-rays with a short wavelength and a high energy level.
Concepts of telecommunications: The telecommunication principles, theories, models, equipment and processes such as transfer rate, bandwidth, signal-to-noise ratio, bit error ratio and C/N ratio, as well as the effect of the qualities of the transmission path on the operation and quality of telecommunications.
Surveillance radars: Know that Mode A/C Secondary Surveillance Radar stations continuously interrogate all aircraft within their range. Know that Mode S Secondary Surveillance Radar stations carry out interrogations of aircraft within their coverage.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of warfare specialist. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Show responsibility: Accept responsibility and be accountable for professional decisions of yourself or others as part of a job or one’s role.
Perform military operations: Perform military operations according to given instructions from superiors, such as battle operations, rescue missions, aid missions, search and intelligence missions or other operations concerning defense.
Think analytically: Produce thoughts using logic and reasoning in order to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Perform covert investigations: Perform investigative duties in a manner which ensures the private and covert nature of the operation, and that the investigator is not discovered by any parties which may negatively influence the investigation.
Give battle commands: Give commands during a battle or similar confrontation with enemy units to guide the activities of the troops, ensuring the safety of the troops and success of the operation, and give these commands in a comprehensible manner compliant with guidelines, and in dangerous and stress situations.
Monitor surveillance equipment: Monitor the operation of equipment used in surveillance and gathering of intelligence to ensure it functions properly and to gather the surveillance information detected by it.
Ensure compliance with types of weapons: Use different kinds of firearms and other types of weapons and their matching ammunition, in compliance with legal requirements.
Interfere with enemy communications: Interfere with the systems of communication used by enemy forces in order to intercept messages and gather intelligence, and to disrupt their communication channels so that their operations are disturbed.
Identify terrorism threats: Identify the possibility of terrorism activities posing threats and danger in a specific area by monitoring activities of potentially dangerous groups of people, assessing risks in different areas, and gathering intelligence.
Apply information security policies: Implement policies, methods and regulations for data and information security in order to respect confidentiality, integrity and availability principles.
Create strategic maps: Create maps which outline the positions of friendly and enemy troops and vessels, pinpointing their location as precisely as possible using appropriate systems, in order to ensure the maps can be used for strategic and tactical purposes.
Respond to enquiries: Respond to enquiries and requests for information from other organisations and members of the public.
Operate armoured fighting vehicles: Operate armoured fighting vehicles, such as tanks, armoured cars, air defense vehicles and troop carriers, using correct navigation systems and monitoring controls, as well as operating its weapons.
Follow given instructions: Follow instructions to achieve goals and meet deadlines.
Write situation reports: Write reports according to specifications and regulations of an organisation on the situation which needs to be reported on, such as the status of an investigation, of intelligence gathering, or of missions and operations.
Coordinate rescue missions: Coordinate rescue missions during the event of a disaster or during an accident, ensure that all possible methods are being used to ensure the safety of the people being rescued, and that the search is as efficient and thorough as possible.
Maintain operational communications: Maintain communications between different departments of an organisation, between the staff, or during specific operations or missions, to ensure that the operation or mission is successful, or that the organisation functions smoothly.
Patrol areas: Patrol a designated area, watch out for and respond to suspicious and dangerous situations, and communicate with emergency response organisations.
Practice vigilance: Practice vigilance during patrol or other surveillance activities in order to ensure safety and security, to look out for suspicious behaviour or other alarming changes in patterns or activities, and to respond quickly to these changes.

210 – Non-commissioned armed forces officers

 

 

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References

1. Warfare specialist – ESCO