Weapon Systems Operator (Linguist)
Pay after training: £34,700
Joining age: 17½-37
Open to: Men and women
Qualifications needed: 5 GCSEs/Standards at Grade C/3 minimum or equivalent, including English Language and Maths
Qualifications you can gain: A-levels, Degree or Masters Degree
Details of the work carried out by WSOp Linguists are classified – kept secret even from Altitude. What we do know is that they are experts in specialist reconnaissance equipment and that the role involves a great deal of operational flying as a member of a highly trained Nimrod crew.
What’s also known is that WSOp Linguists need to be able to understand and translate enemy communications in real-time, as and when they happen – so they’re highly trained in a range of languages, from European to Middle Eastern.
