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MILITARY TRAINING
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Source: Monitoring Times
Reprinted by: John Johnson, KWV8BP
The United States Military is the main source of radio traffic in the 225 to
400 Mhz. range. The aircraft, when operating at high altitudes, can be heard
for hundreds of miles.
The Boeing E-3A Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft (based
on a KC-135/707) is identifiable by the distinctive top mounted airdome that
encloses its RF electronic hardware. The AWACS aircraft has the ability to
radar track a multitude of airborne targets and display the data locally (at
aircraft-located operator consoles) or remotely via digital RF links with
ground based facilities. This capability lends itself readily to utilization
in training exercises where the AWACS aircraft are used as the controller to
an airborne simulated attack and defense posture network. As a result, the
aircraft are used extensively during training exercises in southern Alabama
and the Gulf of Mexico.
The AWACS will direct one group of fighters, designated as the defenders,
against a simulated hostile force of fighters, known as the aggressors. The
AWACS controller is in constant communication with the defender force
informing them of the range, bearing and formation of the aggressor force
during the exercise.
The AWACS role in an active setting is similar to that of the training
exercise. The AWACS data, in conjunction with ground based IFF (Identify
Friend or Foe) radar, would permit the detection, identification and tracking
of all aircraft approaching or entering into the airspace being monitored. A
commander, based upon his evaluation of aircraft not identified by IFF or
from prefiled flight plans, can direct a defender fighter force to intercept
unidentified aircraft for visual identification and defensive actions if
required.
The training exercises are quite interesting to monitor and have been
confirmed on the following frequencies (note all frequencies are in Mhz. AM
mode unless otherwise noted):
225.800, 226.000, 235.200, 239.400, 261.200, 284.800, 308.000, 313.000,
313.600, 371.000, 398.200
Kc-135s are widely deployed aerial refueling aircraft or simply
stated-tankers. The KC-135s are based on Boeing 707 type commercial aircraft.
Another commonly deployed tanker is the KC-10 which is based on the
McDonnel-Douglas DC-10. The tankers provide the fuel- station-in-the-sky for
fighter and communications between tankers and fueling aircraft are quite
imperative if the job is to be done without incident. The boom operator (a
boom is used to connect the tanker with refueling aircraft and provide the
path for the fuel transfer) needs to communicate with the pilot of the tanker
as well as the aircraft being fueled. Table one presents the frequencies
utilized during aerial refueling communications.
Table One Aerial Refueling Frequencies
---------------------------------------
267.900 Pine Hill MOA (Military Operating Area)--Alabama
280.100 "
349.200 "
354.400 "
373.100 "
359.200 Gulf of Mexico
373.200 "
373.300 "
238.900 Mississippi
289.700 "
235.100 Birmingham (AL) Primary
366.300 " Secondary
139.870 " VHF Primary
260.200 Mobile (AL) to Alexandria (LA) AR tract 302
143.800 Tanker-to-tanker, Air National Guard-Knoxville, TN
Aircraft from two wings and three groups--the 33rd TFW (Tactical Fighter
Wing) at Eglin AFB (FL); the 159th TFG (Tactical Fighter Group) at New
Orleans Naval Air Station; the 187th TFG at Dannelley Field, Montgomer ANG
(AL) and the 186th TRG at Key Field, Meridian ANG (MS)-- are on the air on a
daily basis.
Aircraft operating from a base or in route to a base will often utilize a
Command Post channel. The Command Post (CP) channel is used by aircraft to
report crew and fuel status and requests for maintenance or V.I.P. treatment
when a dignitary or high ranking officer is aboard. Aircraft will also report
emergencies over the CP channel informing of the nature of the emergency and
special circumstances, if any, concerning the aircraft or crew. The CP
fequencies and primary aircraft operating from the given location are listed
as follows:
267.800 159th TFG; F-15s
286.500 187th TFG "Bama Control"; F-4Ds
287.300 117th TRW; RF-4Cs
290.900 33rd TFW "Mission Control"; F-15s
292.300 186th TRG; RF-4Cs
The CP channels are usually referred to as channel one and the remaining
nineteen channels of the twenty channel UHF radios are used for
approach/departure, FAA centers and operational channels. Table two lists the
channel and frequency designators for the 187th TFG at Dannelly Field,
Montgomery, AL.
Table Two 187th TFG
--------------------
CH.
1 286.500 CP--Bama Control
2 270.300 Clearance Delivery
3 348.600 Ground Control
4 257.600 Tower
5 319.900 Approach/Departure South
6 369.200 " " North
7 291.000 Approach
8 351.900 Atlanta Center
9 262.300 Elgin Mission Control
10 291.800 C-62 RCO Shoulder
11 347.300 C-52 Darken
12 291.600 Houston Center
13 297.100 Shelby Bombing Range (MS)
14 276.100 Sentry Standard Aerial Refueling Primary
15 287.400 Have Quick (refer to text)
16 297.600 Have Quick
17 314.300 Have Qucik
18 359.100 Have Quick
19 376.000 Have Quick
Have Quicks, also referred to as Active Nets or active Manuals, are a
scrambled form of communications via a frequency hopping scheme. The voice
text is transmitted over a series of the listed Have Quick frequencies
several times a second. The Have Quick frequencies listed are used by the
33rd TFW, 186th TRG and 187th TFG.
The aircraft from the above-mentioned bases operate and patrol in resticted
airspace on a routine basis. Warning areas are protective air space that are
monitored and patrolled by the U.S. Four warning areas cover the northern
half of the Gulf of Mexico, off the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama
and Florida and are designated as W-543, W-155, W-151 and W-470 respectively.
These four areas cover over 44,000 square miles of the Gulf of Mexico. The
frequencies utilized by aircraft operating in the warning areas are as
follows:
W-453 228.800, 251.000, and 277.400
W-151 261.100, 286.200, 327.700, 337.700, 344.500 and 351.400
W-470 261.000, 271.200, 287.500, 301.700, 311.200, and 351.300
The 33rd TFW at Eglin AFB utilizes many discrete frequencies-- frequencies
that are not assigned or issued by any ARTCC (centers). The discrete
frequencies, along with the Have Quick frequencies, comprise the frequencies
used during training and operational missions. The discrete frequencies are
as follows:
232.150, 234.100, 237.400, 239.400, 252.525, 279.700, 292.200, 294.500,
299.500, 308.000, 314.200, 315.200, 323.200, 325.500, 333.550, 349.500,
351.050, 354.200, 357.300, and 399.750
Table three presents the 33rd TFW frequencies and usages at Eglin AFB. Table
four lists frequencies used in MOAs in southern U.S.
Table Three Eglin AFB UHF AC Operations
----------------------------------------
280.500 Emergency Nomad 6
290.900 Mission Control
291.900 Hurlburt Field
322.600 Approach/Departure
335.800 Ground Control
348.100 Tower
358.300 Approach/Departure
381.300 Raymond 11-TAC Net
388.900 Clearance
398.200 Radar Control
Table Four MOAs in southern U.S.
---------------------------------
Birmingham 1 and 2 MOAs 252.900 and 352.800
Bull Dog MOA 352.400
Camden Ridge MOA 267.900, 280.100, 339.100
Pine Hill MOA 267.900, 280.100, 339.100
Rose Hill MOA 288.300
Snow Bird MOA 288.800, 297.800, 315.100
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