In this time period, the NavStar navigation satellites matured, and all of navigation (land-sea-air) migrated to the use of this accurate and reliable satellite based navigation system now know as the Global Positioning Satellite (GPS). The beautiful large B-70 program was terminated at two planes. The North American B-1 bomber, was on, then off, then on repeatedly and in the in end only 100 manufactured. Later the B-2 bomber came in to the USAF with no need for a navigator or a bombardier, at all. In this period of time almost all navigation training was moved to Mather AFB California and the piston engine T-29 was phased out in 1974 and the newer all jet Boeing T-43 (nav configured 737) brought on-line. The USAF as of 2005-2006 has also redesignated the navigator as a Combat Systems Operator (CSO) officer. Some of the CSOs have been assigned at this time to the newly created Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) squadrons at Nellis, AFB, Nevada. The US military trains approximately 300 navigators (CSOs) a year at this time (February 2007).

Navigator developments in this period:

• C-5 replaced the C-124 piston engine, outsize cargo, heavy lifter. The navigator was retained from 1970 to 2005. Current (2007) C-5 electronic update replaces the nav with the GPS systems. Only 81 C-5s were produced.
  
• B-1 appears to be the last manufactured (1972-73) bomber to be traditionally crewed; possessing two pilots, and navs as an Offensive Systems Officer (OSO) and a Defensive Systems Officer(DSO). The OSO operates the AN/APQ-164 attack/search radar in forward looking offensive mode with electronic beam steering, synthetic aperture radar mode, ground moving target mode and terrain following radar mode. The navigation suite is a doppler radar and inertial nav-system coupled with a ground proximity radar. The DSO operates the AN/ALQ-161 and the AN/ASQ-184 electronic counter measures suites along with a towed decoy system and radar chaff dispensers. The OSO can program and launch smart weapons such as the Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMS), the AGM-154 Joint Stand Off Weapon and AGM-158 Joint Standoff Munitions (JASSM). Due to the increased complexity of the weapons loads, what would have been a navigator and a bombardier's tasking, is now the tasking of two specialized Combat Systems Operators. 
  
• AWACS and E-3s became the home of many navs as operators of command and control, intelligence and battle management systems and were awarded theAir Battle Manager Badge and AFSC. The AWACS AIRCRAFT are all satellite linked world wide and real time to unit head quarters and the Pentagon Air Staff.
  
• B-2 stealth bomber, no BombNav necessary: all replaced by satellite linked digital computers. All missions are preplanned and canned into a memory, pre-flown in the simulator by pilots alone, a number of times prior to flight. The B-2 is satellite data linked to operations HQ and so works real time all the time on targeting and weapons deliveries with primary guidance being GPS updated.
  
• F-117 really is a bomber, but the fighter pilots  egos were too fragile to face this reality. For sure the F-117 is not a fighter as it has no air-to-air capability. However the B-117 was and is capable of dropping a pair of bombs at a time (like a B-25 follow-on?) the BLU-109 2,000 pound iron bomb, GBU-27 2,000 pound laser-guided bomb, with navigation early-on by RNIP-Plus inertial systems which were replaced by now GPS satellite guidance and integrated laser gyros. The Bombardier-Navigator was now the pilot too. The latest mods have integrated real-time mission command and control with the B-117 pilot via AWACS and satellite linkages.
  
• Basic Navigation/Navigator training has ceased and the now what was a navigator, is the Combat Systems Officer (CSO) as initiated at Randolph AFB, September 2004. Late in 2005 the basic CSO training was moved to Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida where it remains to this date. The current T-43 CSO/Nav Flight Officer training rate for 2005/2006 was and is approximately 30 per month, with the newer CSOs going to learn to operate Combat-UAVs at Nellis AFB, Nevada. This area of training is very fluid at this time.
  
• Combat-Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (C-UAVs), went into combat in the Middle East (Dark Star, Predator, RQ-4A Global Hawk). The X-47 UAV went into full research and development. Already the early models show great promise in cost reduction and remote operations capabilities. Again all are satellite linked real time to the aircraft such as JSTARS and AWACS and weapons system and sensor specialists and associated mission staff world wide. The C-UAV is also being up armed at this time for direct combat use.
  
• C-17 Globemaster III heavy transport produced, with fleet size to go over 200. No navigator required.
  
• F-22 Stealth fighter is now being offered in an UN-manned version.  No navigators and now no pilots!
  
• C-130J model, a three man crew, no navigator, still being produced.
  
• F-35, coming. Maybe.
  
• Dynamic Soaring long range Combat-Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (C-UAVs) next?
  

NOTE:
The traditional, dead reckoning qualified navigator with an E-6B computer (whiz wheel), is found in a number of notable flying squadrons: namely C-130 tactical combat units, Special Operations (SOs) squadrons, and in the LC-130H squadrons of the New York Air National Guard, 109th Air Mobility Wing that flies the south pole McMurdo Scientific base support. The 109th AMW squadrons also fly GRID, all gyro steering directional flights because the GPS satellite coverage does not reach to the South pole. Other navigators are flying at this time as Weapons System Operators (WSOs) in the back seats of the F-15E Strike Eagles, and in some special recci planes. And still more navigators are in air staff positions throughout the USAF.

A special thanks to Ron Barrett, USAF Retired, Navigator for all his hard work putting this time line together.