MILITARY TRAINING ----------------- 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 This file was brought to you by the Hotline BBS, give us a call, we have an entire section dedicated to Scanner & Radio related topics.. The Hotline BBS 304-736-9169 or 304-743-7909