Are Landing Signal Officers at Risk Due to AI?

Plan and direct the operation and maintenance of catapults, arresting gear, and associated mechanical, hydraulic, and control systems involved primarily in aircraft carrier takeoff and landing operations. Duties include supervision of readiness and safety of arresting gear, launching equipment, barricades, and visual landing aid systems; planning and coordinating the design, development, and testing of launch and recovery systems; preparing specifications for catapult and arresting gear installations; evaluating design proposals; determining handling equipment needed for new aircraft; preparing technical data and instructions for operation of landing aids; and training personnel in carrier takeoff and landing procedures.

The occupation "Aircraft Launch and Recovery Officers" currently has an automation risk of 0.0%, indicating that the likelihood of these roles being fully automated in the near future is extremely low. This base risk reflects the complex, high-stakes environment in which these officers operate—primarily managing the coordination, launch, and recovery of aircraft from aircraft carriers or other platforms. These tasks require real-time judgment, advanced problem-solving, and seamless team communication, all under variable and often stressful conditions. Even as automation and robotics advance in other domains, the accountability and adaptability required here make it a uniquely human-centered job. Thus, the base risk for automation remains at 0.0%. Among the most automatable tasks in this profession are routine checklist compliance, basic data entry and logging of launch/recovery data, and preliminary environmental monitoring (such as basic weather data collection). These tasks can be partially handled by advanced software programs or automated data acquisition systems, supporting officers but not replacing them. Additionally, certain standard operating procedures that are rule-based and repetitive—like initial pre-launch equipment checks—could be automated. However, these automatable tasks are only components of the work and never encompass the entirety of the job's responsibilities. The most resistant tasks for automation are real-time crisis management during launch or recovery, on-the-spot risk assessment and decision-making, and adapting procedures in response to unforeseen human or technical variables. These require advanced situational awareness, emotional intelligence, and collaborative leadership—skills that current AI systems cannot reliably replicate under pressure. Bottleneck skills include critical thinking (advanced), rapid decision-making (expert), and complex team coordination (expert), all of which are foundational for effective performance in this occupation. These competencies ensure human oversight is irreplaceable, solidifying the occupation’s minimal automation risk.