Royal Navy observers and the division of cockpit roles

Would renewed two-seat fighters restore the Royal Navy tradition of observers outranking pilots?

Observers could again outrank pilots or command squadrons, as they already can in naval helicopter units. Their mission role and the pilot's flying responsibilities would still form a partnership.

Royal Navy observers could outrank pilots and command squadrons without placing every cockpit task under a single hierarchy. Interwar arrangements for flying and naval rank gave observers a clearer career path within the navy, helping them influence doctrine. Michael Clapp provides an example of an observer who became a squadron commander and later a commodore in the Falklands War. In anti-submarine helicopters, the observer directs the sensors and mission while the pilot flies to the required position. A future two-seat fighter could divide work similarly, with the rear crew member managing reconnaissance and several drones. That role could include directing drones around an enemy or positioning them ahead of the crewed aircraft. The pilot would still decide how to manoeuvre and reach the required position. Mission direction and control of the aircraft require a partnership in which each person retains responsibility for their work.