USN Aviation Support Equip Exam Prep

USN Aviation Support Equipment Technician (AS) NWAE Study Guide

The Aviation Support Equipment Technician (AS) rating is the Navy's ground crew for aviation — the Sailors who keep the tractors, tow bars, mobile electric power plants, hydraulic servicing units, nitrogen carts, air-conditioning units, and start carts ready so every F/A-18, E-2, MH-60, or F-35C can launch. AS Sailors are split between gas-turbine/diesel engine mechanics, hydraulic/pneumatic specialists, and electrical/electronic technicians, and they stand watch on the flight deck, hangar bay, and the shore-based AIMD line shacks at NAS Lemoore, NAS Oceana, MCAS Miramar, and overseas.

Typical billets include SE line division aboard a CVN or LHD, NALC (Naval Aviation Logistics Command) squadrons, AIMD IM-4 SE division, and Fleet Readiness Centers. If you advance you will rotate into LPO jobs running the Yellow Gear pool, QA inspector billets, and eventually Chief of the SE shop.

NWAE exam structure

The Navy-Wide Advancement Exam for AS is a 150-question multiple-choice test taken in 2.5 hours, administered twice a year (March E-4/5/6, September E-4/5/6). Your exam score is combined with PNA points, awards, performance evaluation average, and service-in-paygrade into the Final Multiple Score (FMS), and the Navy quota-cuts from there.

Rating Bibliographies (Bibs)

NETC's NAC Pensacola (Navy Advancement Center) publishes the AS bib each cycle — it lists every NAVEDTRA, NAVAIR 00-80T-109/119/120, NA 17-1-125, and COMNAVAIRFORINST reference that can be tested. Focus areas shift slightly each cycle, so always pull the current bib from MyNavy Portal before you start studying.

What to study

• NAVEDTRA 14310 (AS Rate Training Manual) — gas-turbine compressors, A/M32A-60 and NC-10C GTCs, diesel engine theory
• NA 17-1-125 — aviation support equipment basic handling, towing, and spotting
• NAVAIR 00-80T-109/120 — NATOPS flight deck/hangar operations, yellow-shirt director signals, tie-down requirements
• Hydraulics & pneumatics — MJ-2, MJ-1 jack operation, A/M27T-7 hydraulic test stand, pressure ratings, contamination control
• Electrical SE — mobile electric power plants (A/M32A-86, NC-8A/C), 115/200 VAC 3-phase 400 Hz output, grounding
• QA and MAF documentation — NAMP (COMNAVAIRFORINST 4790.2), VIDS/MAF, MRCs, SE license program (OPNAVINST 4790.2)
• Corrosion control and tire/wheel safety — AS Sailors own the SE TPS program
• Safety — confined space, HERP, hearing conservation, mishap reporting

Common pitfalls

Candidates burn study time on airframe systems that belong to AD or AM — remember AS tests ground support equipment, not the aircraft itself. Another trap: memorizing old A/M32A-60 specs when the current bib tests the A/M32A-60B or -86. And do not ignore the NAMP chapters on maintenance control — the exam always hits MAF documentation, SE license issue/renewal, and QA audit procedures.

Study strategy using MMCE.app

MMCE.app adapts to your weak areas using IRT 3-parameter scoring — the same engine used by high-stakes adaptive tests. Take a diagnostic first so the system can map your AS knowledge against the current bib, then drill daily with 20–30-question adaptive sets. Flag any question that references a pub you have not opened, and use the AI tutor to unpack the 'why' behind the answer — especially on hydraulic schematics and 400 Hz electrical troubleshooting. Full-length 150-question timed practice tests two weeks out will simulate the real NWAE pacing.

Career progression

AS1 and ASC billets are competitive but rewarding — Chief AS Sailors often pick up LDO/CWO packages in the 633X Aviation Maintenance community, and senior AS Sailors are highly sought after in FRC production control and NALCOMIS/R-Supply interface roles. Post-Navy, AS experience translates directly into civilian GSE tech jobs at every major airline, Boeing, Lockheed, and defense contractors supporting NAWCAD/NAWCWD.