Royal Naval Engineers as a branch of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
, have existed since 1835.
Naval engineers are in charge of the management and upkeep of ship-board machinery. Traditionally this included engines, motors, pumps and other mechanical devices, but modern engineers are now responsible for both mechanical systems and high-tech electronics such
radar
Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, we ...
and
sonar
Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigate, measure distances (ranging), communicate with or detect objects on o ...
systems and nuclear-power plants.
Ranking
When the corps was first created, there were three ranks for engineers: First, second, and third. Over the years this ranking system has changed several times:
* 1835 - First, second and third engineer.
* 1847 - Inspector of machinery, chief engineer; assistant engineer.
* 1886 - Chief inspector and inspector of machinery (r.adm and captain), fleet engineer (cdr), and staff engineer (senior lieutenant).
* 1903 - Standard executive rank titles with an "engineer" prefix.
* 1956 - "Engineer" prefix and rank branch distinction cloth removed finally making engineers indistinguishable from seaman officers.
Fields of expertise
After graduating from university and receiving a basic training, naval engineer officers specialize in a particular field.
* Marine engineer officer (MEO) - deals with the fuel, air, water, electrical, and propulsion systems including nuclear reactors for those appointed to submarines.
* Air engineer officer (AEO) - maintenance and upgrading of engines and electrical systems in aircraft.
* Weapon engineer officer (WEO) - ensures that weapon systems are working properly.
Students
In 1888 engineer studentships were created. Today, there are several different student-scholarship programs available including the ''University Cadetship Entry'', a competitive program in which students enlist and train at
Britannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC), commonly known as Dartmouth, is the naval academy of the United Kingdom and the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy. It is located on a hill overlooking the port of Dartmouth, Devon, En ...
before going to university.
References
Engineer Officer Royal Navy.
# https://web.archive.org/web/20160304075442/http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/static/pages/4746.html
Royal Navy
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