Sonar Operator

As a member of the military, Sonar Operators compile and analyze acoustic intelligence information. The Sonar Operator may be employed in three distinct areas of Anti-Submarine Warfare operations: surface ships, submarines, or Integrated Undersea Surveillance.

As part of the ship’s intelligence gathering team, Sonar Operators have the following primary responsibilities:

• Operate all active and passive sonars, sonar simulators, communication equipment, bathythermograph equipment, sonobuoys and data transmission systems
• Perform function checks on equipment by using built-in test equipment, integrated test equipment, and basic on-line fault diagnostic procedures
• Assist in the development of command decisions by compiling and analyzing sonar and intelligence data
• Gather, evaluate and identify the significant features of oceanographic data
• Convert analyzed oceanographic and acoustic data into comprehensive reports
• Maintain status boards, charts and watchkeeping records, as well as geographical, operational and tactical plots

Work environment

Sonar Operators spend much of their career on board ships with “home ports” in either Halifax, Nova Scotia, or Esquimalt, British Columbia. They experience the unique adventures and challenges that come with work at sea, such as working in small spaces, on open deck surfaces, in a variety of weather conditions.

As with all sea-going personnel, Sonar Operators work with their fellow shipmates in out-of-occupation duties such as sentry or lookout duty, line handler for replenishment at sea, and as ship hand for entering and leaving harbour. They participate in Search and Rescue events and person-overboard emergencies, act as a member of the ship’s emergency response team for security watches, and routinely perform ship maintenance and repair. During emergency procedures, they fight fires as members of a fire attack team, and provide damage control in the case of a breach to the hull.

Sonar Operators are underwater operatives who closely examine the marine environment and how sound travels through water. They are part of the operations group that advise the command team onboard Canadian warships and submarines on all activity below the surface. Using sophisticated equipment, they perform target motion analysis, run simulated battle scenarios, and brief command on potential threats to the ship and her crew.

Some of the core skills for Sonar Operators include problem-solving, critical thinking and analysis. Operators must pull together information from oceanographic data and the data from their sensors, to maximize the ship’s detection capability. There’s always a challenge around the next corner, and Sonar Operators must have a high level of concentration and pay acute attention to detail.

Sonar Operators work with other nations in the planning and execution of a mission, like assistance to an international task force to stop the illegal trade of narcotics and human trafficking.

After their training is completed, Sonar Operators are posted to their first ship either in Halifax, Nova Scotia or just outside Victoria, B.C., where they integrate into a team of Sonar Operators and other professionals. They immediately begin practical training and working towards a qualification that allows them to become an active member of the ship’s duty watch. They become an integral part of the warfighting team in the Ops Room. And Sonar Operators can also volunteer for submarine service.

The minimum required education to apply for this occupation is the completion of the provincial requirements for Grade 10 or Secondary 4 in Quebec.