Module E — Lower Tactical Tier - Internet (LTI)

14 lessons · 307 key terms. Flashcards and practice questions for this module and every other are on the study pages.

Chapters14 lessons

Module E Primer - Lower Tactical Tier Internet 113-SCCCE12

Learning objective and standard

Learning objectiveIdentify the Lower Tactical Tier - Internet (LTI) module requirements, scope and schedule.

StandardIdentify the topics covered during the Lower Tactical Tier - Internet module and the assessment that closes it, in a clear and concise manner, without error.

The orientation lesson for Module E. Module E is the radio module: everything below the command post that carries voice and data without a satellite dish or a fiber run - HF, VHF FM, UHF TACSAT and MUOS, the planning tools that predict whether any of it will work, and the PACE plan that decides which one you use when. The module closes with a graded planning exercise, the Lower TI PLANNEX, in which you plan battalion communications against the RAK HAMMER OPORD and brief it. Everything in this module points at that brief. If you only remember one framing sentence from the primer, make it this one: Module D built the network, Module E carries it to the Soldier who is standing in the dirt.

Doctrinal currencyThe Module E primer deck itself could not be opened - it is rights-protected and no copy in the drop is readable. Everything on this page is reconstructed from the module's lesson plans, the PLANNEX rubric and the course map, all of which are readable. Treat the lesson list and the hour figures as solid, and treat the primer's own slide sequence as unknown.

What this course teaches — answer this on the exam

The Module E primer slide deck, 113-SCCCE12 Lower Tactical Tier - Internet Module Primer (v1_0), is rights-managed and cannot be read
There is no separate lesson plan or advance sheet for 113-SCCCE12 in the module drop
The lesson list above is drawn from the lesson-plan cross references and the file tree, not from the primer deck

What can be verified

The course map, hour figures and module titles are taken from the 113-SCCCH01 ITN primer deck's course map slide, dated August 2026, which is the most recent course map in the material
The PLANNEX grading areas are taken directly from the published Lower TI Rubric
Lesson versions and effective dates are taken from the 113-SCCCE01, E02 and E05 lesson plans, all approved 04 December 2025

Doctrinal sets to know cold

Lessons in Module E

113-SCCCE01 - Lower Tactical Tier - Internet Waveforms and Architecture (wave propagation and antenna theory)
113-SCCCE02 - HF, VHF and UHF/TACSAT radios and planning
113-SCCCE05 - Tactical Radio Planning Tools (SPEED)
113-SCCCE08 - Lower Tactical Tier - Internet Planning Exercise (the graded PLANNEX)
113-SCCCE09 - Introduction to the Integrated Tactical Network
113-SCCCE10 - Primary, Alternate, Contingency and Emergency (PACE) Planning Considerations
113-SCCCE11 - Electromagnetic Spectrum reduction in a tactical environment
113-SCCCE12 - Lower Tactical Tier - Internet Module Primer

What the Lower TI PLANNEX rubric grades

Terrain and weather assessment plus the unit's satellite radio diagram, showing TBAs or radios in system based on the variation of TACSAT
Line of sight analysis by phase, including the power setting and antenna used and the impact of degraded links
HF diagram showing units within the brigade and their own ALE nets, with frequencies inside the frequency of optimum transmission and supported by VOACAP analysis
A commo card with correct net IDs, call signs and secure/cipher text frequencies
The COMSEC compromise drill, briefed without consulting the slides
Asset allocation with COMSTAT, and impacts to the operation based on equipment status
A feasible PACE plan the student can defend based on assets available
Retransmission team task and purpose for each phase, with primary and alternate locations
Updated running estimates based on Lower TI assets - friendly, enemy, weather and terrain
Briefing style - little use of notes, eye contact, few filler words

Where Module E sits between the other transport modules

Module D - Network Implementation and Maintenance: builds the network, the addressing and the services
Module E - Lower Tactical Tier: the combat net radio that reaches the maneuver formation - HF, VHF FM, UHF TACSAT, MUOS and the ITN mesh waveforms
Module F - Upper Tactical Tier: satellite and high-capacity line-of-sight transport between command posts
Module G - Mission Command Information Systems: the warfighting-function applications that ride on the transport both tiers provide

Key terms

Lower Tactical Tier - Internet (Lower TI, LTI): The combat net radio layer of the tactical network - the single-channel and mesh radio systems that reach the maneuver company, platoon and squad. It is distinguished from the Upper Tactical Tier, which is the satellite and line-of-sight transport that connects command posts.
Upper Tactical Tier - Internet (Upper TI, UTI): The command post transport layer - satellite terminals, high-capacity line-of-sight, and the baseband that rides on them. This is Module F. A PACE plan that mixes upper and lower tier is more survivable than one built entirely from either.
Combat net radio (CNR): A radio net in which every station shares one channel and hears every transmission, controlled by net discipline rather than by switching. SINCGARS, HF ALE nets and TACSAT nets are all combat net radio.
PLANNEX: The planning exercise that assesses the module. In Module E it is the Lower TI PLANNEX, graded against a published rubric, in which student teams plan battalion Lower TI communications from a brigade OPORD and brief the plan.
RAK HAMMER OPORD: The scenario order the Lower TI PLANNEX is built on. Students plan for one of four battalions - 21 BEB, 1-187 IN, 2-506 IN, or 3-187 IN.
Terminal learning objective (TLO): The action, condition and standard a lesson is graded against. Every lesson in this module states one, and the enabling steps beneath it are numbered learning step activities (LSAs).

Testable points

Module E is the Lower Tactical Tier - Internet (LTI) module of the Signal Captains Career Course, course number 4-11-C22.
The course map in POI version 7.0 runs 760 academic hours over 20 weeks and lists ten modules: A Continuum Common Core, B Signal Operations, C Cyberspace Electromagnetic Activities, D Network Implementation and Maintenance, E Lower Tactical Tier - Internet, F Upper Tactical Tier - Internet, G Mission Command Information Systems, H Integrated Tactical Network, I Professional Development, and J Administrative.
Module E is by far the longest module in contact hours in the Lower TI sequence: lesson 113-SCCCE02 alone is a 28.0-hour lesson, 113-SCCCE05 is 16.0 hours, and 113-SCCCE10 is 16 hours.
The supported task behind almost every Module E lesson is 4-11-C22 task 113-25A-2007, Plan an Integrated Tactical Network for a Battalion, with the reinforced tasks Validate an Integrated Tactical Network for a Battalion (113-25A-2011) and Establish an Integrated Tactical Network for a Battalion (113-25A-2014).
113-SCCCE01, Lower Tactical Tier - Internet Waveforms and Architecture, is a 4.0-hour lesson at version 5.3, approved 04 December 2025 with an effective date of 03 December 2025.
113-SCCCE02 covers all three radio bands in one lesson - HF, VHF and UHF/TACSAT - and is version 5.2 with the same December 2025 effective date.
113-SCCCE05, Tactical Radio Planning Tools (SPEED), is a 16.0-hour lesson at version 5.2.
The module's test lesson is 113-SCCCE08, Lower Tactical Tier - Internet Planning Exercise, at 15 hours 50 minutes. It is listed as the test lesson on the 113-SCCCE01 lesson plan.
Every Module E lesson plan carries the security classification U - Unclassified and a foreign disclosure rating of FD1, meaning the training product may be used to instruct international military students from all approved countries without restriction.
The Lower TI PLANNEX is graded on seven areas: terrain and weather with a satellite radio diagram, line of sight analysis by phase, an HF diagram, a commo card, the COMSEC compromise drill, asset allocation with COMSTAT and the PACE plan, and retransmission team tasks and locations by phase - plus a running estimate update and briefing style.
The satellite radio diagram block of the PLANNEX rubric is worth 10 points; a plan that meets expectations scores 10, one that marginally meets scores 9 to 5, and one that does not meet scores 4 to 0.
The PLANNEX rubric penalises errors in bands: two to four errors or omissions on a product drops it to marginally met, and five or more drops it to did not meet expectations.
Module E teaches the radio; Module F teaches the satellite and line-of-sight transport that connects command posts; Module G teaches the mission command information systems that ride on both.
A recurring theme across the module is that the S6 recommends a communications plan and the commander owns it - the PACE plan belongs to the commander, not the signal officer.

References

FM 6-02, Signal Support to OperationsATP 6-02.53, Techniques for Tactical Radio OperationsATP 6-02.70, Techniques for Spectrum Management OperationsLower TI Rubric (course product)

Radio Wave Propagation 113-SCCCE01

Learning objective and standard

Learning objectiveDefine principles and characteristics of radio waves and propagation.

StandardDefine principles and characteristics of radio waves and propagation in a clear and concise manner, without error, as the first learning step toward applying wave propagation and antenna theory to Lower Tactical Internet radio communications planning.

The physics half of 113-SCCCE01. It is the most reliably testable lesson in Module E because the facts are hard numbers and fixed definitions rather than judgment calls. Four things carry almost all the weight: the three layers of the atmosphere and which one refracts radio waves, the two basic wave types and the components of each, the MUF/LUF/FOT triad and what FOT is roughly a percentage of, and why vertical polarization beats horizontal for ground wave. The lesson's own check-on-learning questions come back to those four repeatedly, and the course asks them again in Section IV of the lesson plan. Learn the numbers - ionosphere heights, the 85 percent FOT figure, and the frequency-versus-time-of-day bands - because they are the kind of thing a multiple-choice item is built from.

Doctrinal currencyTwo things in this lesson are internally inconsistent in the course material, and one number on the band chart is wrong. None of it changes the physics, but it changes what the safe answer is on a test.

What this course teaches — answer this on the exam

The 113-SCCCE01 lesson plan says in Learning Step 1 that the ground wave is composed of two component waves, the surface wave and the space wave
The same lesson plan's Section IV check on learning asks for the three components of ground wave propagation and answers direct wave, ground reflected wave, and surface wave
The 113-SCCCE01 slide deck's band chart lists HF as 1.6 to 30 MHz with a wavelength of 10 meters to 1 meter

How to reconcile it

Both ground-wave statements are true and they are not in conflict: the space wave is itself made up of the direct wave and the ground-reflected wave, so ground wave = surface + space = surface + direct + ground-reflected. If a question asks for three components, answer surface, direct and ground-reflected - that is the answer key the course uses in two separate lessons
The HF wavelength figure on the band chart is wrong. 10 meters to 1 meter is the VHF wavelength range, which the very next row of the same chart also gives as 1,000 cm to 100 cm. HF at 3 to 30 MHz is 100 meters to 10 meters, and at 1.6 MHz is closer to 187 meters
The course splits UHF at 1 GHz and calls 1 to 2 GHz the L band. That is the satellite-band convention rather than the ITU convention, which runs UHF to 3 GHz. Answer the course convention on a Module E question

Doctrinal sets to know cold

The three layers of the atmosphere

Troposphere - surface to about 3.7 miles (6 km) at the poles, 11.2 miles (18 km) at the equator; all weather occurs here; temperature falls rapidly with altitude
Stratosphere - between troposphere and ionosphere; nearly constant temperature, little water vapor, little effect on radio waves
Ionosphere - about 31.1 miles (50 km) to about 250 miles (402 km); four layers of charged ions; refracts radio waves back to Earth

Ground wave components

Surface wave - travels along the surface, follows the earth's contours by diffraction, attenuated by inducing voltage in the ground
Space wave - travels over the surface; itself made up of two parts
Direct wave - straight line from transmitter to receiver, limited by the radio horizon
Ground-reflected wave - reflected off the earth; adds to the direct wave in phase, cancels it out of phase

The three frequencies that bound an HF circuit

MUF - maximum usable frequency; above it the wave overshoots or is lost to space
LUF - lowest usable frequency; below it the wave undershoots, is absorbed, and is buried in atmospheric noise
FOT - frequency of optimum transmission, roughly 85 percent of the MUF; the practical working frequency between the two

HF frequency ranges by time of day and range

2 to 5 MHz - useful in daylight for intermediate and short-range sky wave; good for long range at night
5 to 10 MHz - similar to 2 to 5 MHz, but long-range communication is possible in daylight under good conditions
10 to 15 MHz - best for reliable intermediate and long-range communication in all propagation conditions; not useful at night during very low sunspot activity
15 to 25 MHz - suitable for short-range surface wave with a whip antenna; long range is highly variable and depends on sunspot activity; useful day and early night, may be unusable at night
25 to 30 MHz - very short-range communication, and excellent for long range in good propagation conditions; generally unusable for intermediate range

Regular ionospheric variations

Daily - caused by the earth's rotation
Seasonal - caused by the sun's north-south progression
27-day - caused by the sun's rotation on its axis
Annual - driven by the sunspot activity cycle

Frequency bands and wavelengths as the course teaches them

HF - 1.6 to 30 MHz
VHF - 30 MHz to 300 MHz, 1,000 cm to 100 cm
UHF - 300 MHz to 1 GHz, 100 cm to 30 cm
L band - 1 to 2 GHz, 30 cm to 15 cm
S band - 2 to 4 GHz, 15 cm to 7.5 cm
C band - 4 to 8 GHz, 7.5 cm to 3.8 cm
X band - 8 to 12 GHz, 3.8 cm to 2.5 cm
Ku band - 12 to 18 GHz, 2.5 to 1.7 cm
K band - 18 to 27 GHz, 1.7 to 1.1 cm
Ka band - 27 to 40 GHz, 1.1 to 0.75 cm

Key terms

Electromagnetic spectrum: The entire range of electromagnetic waves arranged in order of their frequencies. Radio energy, heat, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays and gamma rays are all electromagnetic radiation; the only difference between them is the frequency of their waves.
Wavelength: The distance in space occupied by one cycle of a radio wave - the distance between two identical points on successive waves, such as crest to crest. Expressed in meters and represented by the Greek letter lambda.
Cycle: One complete wave - one crest and one trough - passing a fixed point.
Frequency: The number of complete cycles that occur in one second, measured in hertz (Hz). One hertz is one cycle per second; kHz is thousands, MHz millions, GHz billions.
Troposphere: The lowest layer of the atmosphere, extending from the surface to about 3.7 miles (6 km) at the poles and 11.2 miles (18 km) at the equator. Virtually all weather occurs here; temperature falls rapidly with altitude and turbulence is common.
Stratosphere: The layer between the troposphere and the ionosphere. Temperature is nearly constant and there is little water vapor, so it has relatively little effect on radio waves.
Ionosphere: The layer extending from about 31.1 miles (50 km) to about 250 miles (402 km), containing four cloud-like layers of electrically charged ions. It is the layer that refracts radio waves back toward Earth and is the most important region of the atmosphere for long-distance point-to-point communications.
Ionization: The process by which high-energy ultraviolet light from the sun strikes a gas atom and knocks an electron free, leaving a positive ion and a free electron. Repeated across the atmosphere, this forms the ionized layers.
Ground wave: A radio wave that travels near the surface of the earth. It is made up of the surface wave and the space wave; the space wave in turn is made up of the direct wave and the ground-reflected wave.
Surface wave: The ground wave component that travels along the surface of the earth, following the contours of the ground by diffraction. It induces a voltage in the earth, which takes energy from the wave and attenuates it.
Space wave: The ground wave component that travels over the surface of the earth rather than along it. It comprises the direct wave and the ground-reflected wave.
Direct wave: The component that travels in a straight line from transmitting antenna to receiving antenna, weakening as distance increases. Also called the line-of-sight wave.
Ground-reflected wave: The component reflected off the earth's surface. Where it arrives in phase with the direct wave the two add and the signal is stronger; out of phase, they cancel and create a null.
Sky wave: Also called the ionospheric wave. A radio wave radiated upward and returned to Earth at a distant location by refraction from the ionosphere. Sky-wave transmission is used at high frequencies and arrives elliptically polarized, so either horizontal or vertical polarization can be used.
Skip distance: The distance from the transmitter to the point where the sky wave first returns to Earth. It depends on the frequency of the wave, the angle of incidence, and the degree of ionization present.
Skip zone: The zone of silence between the point where the ground wave becomes too weak for reception and the point where the sky wave first returns to Earth. If ground wave coverage is great enough or the skip distance short enough, there is no skip zone.
Maximum usable frequency (MUF): For a given angle of incidence and time of day, the highest frequency that can be used for communications between two locations. Above the MUF the wave refracts too slowly and either lands beyond the target or passes through the ionosphere and is lost. The MUF is highest around noon and drops sharply as recombination begins.
Lowest usable frequency (LUF): The lowest frequency that will work between two points. Below the LUF the wave refracts back to Earth short of the target, absorption increases, and atmospheric noise is greater, giving an unacceptable signal-to-noise ratio.
Frequency of optimum transmission (FOT): Also called the optimum working frequency. The most practical operating frequency - high enough to avoid multipath, absorption and noise, but not so high that ionospheric variation causes fading. Abbreviated FOT from the French frequence optimum de travail. It is roughly 85 percent of the MUF, though the actual percentage varies.
Diffraction: The bending of the wave path when waves meet an obstruction. Lower frequency waves, having longer wavelengths, diffract more than higher frequency waves - which is why AM broadcast signals travel over a mountain while FM and TV from the same source are stopped by it.
Reflection: Waves that are neither transmitted nor absorbed but bounce from the surface of the medium they encounter. The angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection.
Refraction: The bending of a wave as it passes between media of different density. Refraction in the ionosphere is what returns a sky wave to Earth.
Angle of incidence: The angle between the incident wave and the normal - an imaginary line perpendicular to the reflecting surface at the point the wave strikes it.
Noise: An unwanted disturbance caused by spurious waves from man-made or natural sources. Noise has no tonal quality; it distracts and distorts the signal that was intended to be received.
Polarization: The orientation of the electric field of a radiated wave relative to the earth. If the electric lines of force are perpendicular to the earth the wave is vertically polarized; if parallel, horizontally polarized. Circular polarization has the electric lines of force rotating through 360 degrees each RF cycle.
Sunspot number (SSN): The 12-month smoothed count of sunspots, used as the input for propagation prediction. An SSN of about 10 is typical of low solar activity and about 120 of high solar activity.

Testable points

All electromagnetic radiation travels at the speed of light - about 300,000,000 meters per second, or 186,000 miles per second, or 984,251,968 feet per second.
Wavelength equals the speed of light divided by the frequency. Shorter wavelength means higher frequency; longer wavelength means lower frequency.
The earth's atmosphere is divided into three regions for the purpose of wave propagation: the troposphere, the stratosphere and the ionosphere.
The ionosphere is the layer that refracts radio waves back to the earth's surface. It is the answer to the lesson's most-repeated check-on-learning question.
The ionosphere extends from about 31.1 miles (50 km) to about 250 miles (402 km) above the surface, and contains four cloud-like layers of electrically charged ions.
Because the atmosphere is bombarded by ultraviolet waves of different frequencies, several ionized layers form at different altitudes. Lower-frequency ultraviolet penetrates least and produces layers at higher altitudes; higher-frequency ultraviolet penetrates deeper and produces layers lower down.
The height and thickness of the ionized layers vary with the elevation angle of the sun, so they change with time of day and season.
At night the F1 and F2 layers combine into a single layer, which is why a frequency that worked during the day may not work at night and vice versa.
The two basic types of radio wave that carry energy from transmitting antenna to receiving antenna are ground waves and sky waves.
The determining factor between a surface wave and a space wave is simple: a surface wave travels along the surface of the earth, a space wave travels over the surface.
A surface wave induces a voltage in the earth as it passes, which takes energy from the wave and attenuates it. Vertical polarization minimizes the extent to which the electric field is in contact with the earth, so vertical polarization is vastly superior to horizontal for surface wave propagation.
A horizontally polarized surface wave has its electric field constantly in contact with the ground and is completely attenuated within a short distance of the transmitting site.
The higher the frequency of a surface wave, the more rapidly it is absorbed by the earth - high frequencies with short wavelengths are not normally diffracted but are absorbed at points relatively close to the transmitting site.
Sky waves need far less power to travel long distances than ground waves - a sky wave can reach up to about 8,000 miles.
The 3 to 30 MHz range reflects off the ionosphere most effectively. Higher frequencies pass through into space; lower frequencies are absorbed.
If the angle of incidence is too steep for a given frequency the wave will not be refracted back. The lower the frequency, the steeper the angle can be.
Higher frequencies refract from higher ionospheric layers than lower frequencies, so a higher frequency travels farther at the same transmission angle - 20 MHz will travel farther than 5 MHz at the same angle.
The MUF is highest around noon, when ultraviolet from the sun is most intense, and drops sharply as recombination begins.
The FOT is roughly 85 percent of the MUF, but the actual percentage varies and may be considerably more or less.
Neither the MUF nor the LUF is a practical operating frequency. At the LUF the signal-to-noise ratio is poor and multipath is likely; at or near the MUF, ionospheric variation causes fading and dropouts.
Ionospheric variation follows four regular patterns - a daily cycle from the earth's rotation, a seasonal cycle from the sun's north-south progression, a 27-day cycle from the sun's rotation on its axis, and an annual cycle driven by sunspot activity - plus irregular patterns from abnormal solar behavior.
The ground has the greatest effect on medium and high frequency antennas. As antenna height is increased, the ground-reflected signal either adds to the direct wave or creates a null.
The conductivity of the earth determines how much signal is reflected - sea water, desert and jungle behave very differently.
Vertical polarization gives better ground-wave propagation; horizontal polarization gives better skywave performance.
Sky waves arrive elliptically polarized, which is why either horizontal or vertical polarization can be used at the receiving end for sky-wave transmission.

References

TC 9-64, Communications-Electronics Fundamentals: Wave Propagation, Transmission Lines, and Antennas (14 Jul 2004), chapters 3 and 4ATP 6-02.70, Techniques for Spectrum Management Operations (15 Oct 2019), chapter 1 and appendix CATP 6-02.53, Techniques for Tactical Radio Operations (31 Jan 2020)FM 6-02, Signal Support to Operations (12 Sep 2019)TB 11-5820-1141-10, HF Near Vertical Incidence Skywave (NVIS) Antenna Handbook

Antenna Theory and Antenna Selection 113-SCCCE01

Learning objective and standard

Learning objectiveDefine principles and characteristics of antenna theory and identify antenna selection procedures.

StandardDefine principles and characteristics of antenna theory in a clear and concise manner, without error, and identify antenna selection procedures in a clear and concise manner, without error.

Learning steps 2 and 3 of 113-SCCCE01, taught in one hour fifteen and thirty-five minutes respectively. The lesson answers three questions an S6 gets asked in the field: what is an antenna made of, which antenna do I pick, and where do I put it. The three formulas for resonant wire antennas - 936, 468 and 234 divided by the frequency - are the only arithmetic in Module E that you can be asked to do on paper, and the lesson runs a practical exercise on exactly that. Beyond the formulas, learn the three parts of a complete antenna system, the difference between resonant and non-resonant antennas and which kind the Army actually fields, the three radiation patterns, and the take-off-angle-versus-tree-distance table, which is the lesson's one concrete site-selection tool.

Doctrinal currencyThis lesson is drawn largely from TC 9-64, dated 2004, and from an antenna handbook dated 1999. That is not an error - antenna physics has not changed - but it means the equipment examples in the lesson are older than the radios the rest of Module E teaches.

What this course teaches — answer this on the exam

The lesson's references include TC 9-64 (14 Jul 2004), MCRP 6-22D Field Antenna Handbook (31 May 1999) and MCRP 8-10B.11 Antenna Handbook (01 May 2016)
Figure numbers quoted in the lesson plan text (figure 4-4, figure 8-16, figure 2-11) refer to those publications, not to the slide deck

How to read that

The physics, formulas and antenna types are unchanged and are safe to answer from
Where the lesson names a specific fielded antenna, cross-check against the radio lessons - the AS-2259/GR, OE-254 and COM-201B all appear again in the VHF and HF lessons

Doctrinal sets to know cold

The three parts of a complete antenna system

The coupling device (coupling coil) - connects the transmitter to the feeder
The feeder - the transmission line that carries energy to the antenna
The antenna - radiates the energy into space

Resonant wire antenna formulas (result in feet, frequency in MHz)

Full wavelength: 936 divided by the frequency
Half wavelength: 468 divided by the frequency
Quarter wavelength: 234 divided by the frequency

Antenna components taught in the lesson

Transmission lines
Baluns
Feed units
Resistors (terminating)
Insulators

Antenna radiation patterns

Unidirectional - radiates efficiently in a single general direction
Bidirectional - radiates equally in two opposing directions
Omnidirectional - radiates equally in all directions

Polarization and what it favors

Vertical polarization - better ground-wave propagation
Horizontal polarization - better skywave performance
Circular polarization - electric lines of force rotate through 360 degrees each RF cycle
Elliptical polarization - both horizontal and vertical components present; sky waves arrive this way

Required horizontal distance from trees by take-off angle (30-foot antenna, 75-foot trees)

0 degrees - 18 kilometers
5 degrees - 1,932 meters
10 degrees - 966 meters
15 degrees - 644 meters
20 degrees - 483 meters
25 degrees - 370 meters
30 degrees - 298 meters
35 degrees - 241 meters
40 degrees - 201 meters
45 degrees - 169 meters
50 degrees - 145 meters
60 degrees - 105 meters
70 degrees - 64 meters
80 degrees - 32 meters
90 degrees - 0 meters

Field-expedient HF antennas in the lesson

AS-2259/GR - NVIS, crossed sloping dipoles on a 15-foot mast, 2 to 30 MHz, omnidirectional
V antenna - broadband skywave, over 4,000 km, bidirectional unless terminated with 300-ohm resistors
Sloping V - legs sloping down from the apex, bidirectional unless terminated with about 500-ohm resistors
Vertical half-rhombic - a single wire on poles at 3 to 7 meters, terminated through a 500 to 600 ohm non-inductive resistor
Long wire - directive in both horizontal and vertical planes, two or more wavelengths long

The two kinds of noise

Natural noise - thunderstorms (atmospheric) and stars (galactic), producing sharp pulses across all frequencies
Man-made noise - anywhere an electric arc occurs: ignition systems, power lines, motors, arc welders, fluorescent lights

Key terms

Antenna: A transducer designed to transmit or receive electromagnetic waves - a conductor, or system of conductors, that converts electromagnetic waves into electrical currents and vice versa.
Resonant antenna: An antenna that radiates more efficiently at a single frequency, cut to a specific length for that frequency. A dipole is the classic example.
Non-resonant antenna: An antenna designed to work across a range of frequencies rather than at one. The majority of antennas in the Army's inventory are non-resonant - the OE-254 and the ASIP whip are both examples.
Hertz antenna: A half-wave antenna, generally installed some distance above the ground and positioned to radiate either vertically or horizontally. Generally used for frequencies above 2 MHz.
Marconi antenna: A quarter-wave antenna that operates with one end grounded and is mounted perpendicular to the earth or to a surface acting as a ground. Used for frequencies below 2 MHz, and at higher frequencies in certain applications.
Coupling device (coupling coil): The first of the three parts of a complete antenna system. It connects the transmitter to the feeder.
Feeder: The second part of a complete antenna system - the transmission line that carries energy from the coupling device to the antenna.
Transmission line: A device designed to guide electrical energy from one point to another with the least possible power loss. RF energy will not travel through normal electrical wire without great losses. The end connected to the source is the input, generator, transmitter, sending end or source; the far end is the output, receiving end, load end or sink.
Balun: A transformer with two electrically separate windings around a core, used to connect circuits whose ground-level voltages are subject to ground loops or are otherwise electrically incompatible. Also called a voltage balun or isolation transformer.
Antenna feed system: All of the components between the beam-shaping part of the antenna and the receiver's first amplifier. On the transmit side it is everything after the last power amplifier, and may include an antenna tuner unit and impedance matching sections.
Terminating resistor: A resistor placed at the far end of an antenna leg. It absorbs the energy that would otherwise be radiated backward, making a bidirectional antenna unidirectional, giving the antenna constant input impedance, and allowing it to work over a wide frequency range without retuning at the transmitter.
Insulator: A material whose internal charges do not flow freely, so very little current passes through it. Most antennas require some form of insulator to prevent the antenna from grounding out. Glass, paper and Teflon are good insulators.
Breakdown voltage: The voltage at which the electric field tears electrons away from the atoms of an insulator, making it conductive. No insulator is perfect.
Antenna gain: The ratio between the energy an antenna propagates in a given direction and the energy it would propagate if it were not directional - the apparent increase in signal strength without an increase in transmitter power. An antenna has the same gain receiving as transmitting.
Radiation resistance: The resistance measured at a current loop on the antenna. A half-wave antenna in free space has a radiation resistance of 73 ohms; over a ground plane it can be anything from 0 to about 100 ohms. Most half-wave wire antennas are about 65 ohms.
Counterpoise: A network of wire connected to a quarter-wave antenna at one end that provides the equivalent of an additional quarter wavelength. It acts as a mirror to RF energy, preventing absorption by the ground, and matters most where ground conductivity is poor. It should be equal to or longer than the antenna and erected a short distance off the ground where possible.
Take-off angle: The transmitting antenna's angle of radiation. It determines the height of the scatter volume and the size of the scatter angle. A low take-off angle produces a low scatter volume, which lets a receiving antenna aimed low capture the scattered energy.
Unidirectional array: An antenna array that radiates energy efficiently in a single general direction.
Bidirectional array: An antenna array that radiates energy equally in two opposing directions.
Omnidirectional array: An antenna array that radiates energy equally in all directions. A vertical whip is omnidirectional.
AS-2259/GR: A near vertical incidence skywave antenna for short-range HF circuits, consisting of two crossed sloping dipoles at right angles supported at the center by a 15-foot mast. Frequency range 2 to 30 MHz, simultaneous horizontal and vertical polarization, 1,000 watt power capability, omnidirectional in azimuth.
V antenna: A medium- to long-range broadband skywave antenna made of two wires forming a V with the apex fed by the transmission line. Ranges exceed 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles). Bidirectional; adding 300-ohm terminating resistors at the far end of each leg makes it unidirectional away from the apex.
Sloping V antenna: A field-expedient directional antenna with legs sloping downward from the apex, fed by a balanced transmission line. Non-inductive terminating resistors of about 500 ohms at the far end of each leg make it unidirectional; without them it radiates front and back.
Vertical half-rhombic and long-wire antennas: Two field-expedient directional HF antennas made from a single wire, preferably two or more wavelengths long, supported on poles at 3 to 7 meters (10 to 20 feet) and workable as low as about 1 meter. Terminated to ground through a non-inductive resistor of 500 to 600 ohms.
Natural noise: Noise from thunderstorms (atmospheric noise) and stars (galactic noise). Both generate sharp pulses of electromagnetic energy across all frequencies.
Man-made noise: Noise generated almost anywhere there is an electric arc - vehicle ignition systems, power lines, motors, arc welders, fluorescent lights. Each source is small, but together they can completely hide a weak signal that would be readable above natural noise in a rural area.

Testable points

A complete antenna system consists of three parts: the coupling device (coupling coil), the feeder, and the antenna.
Three factors determine the type, size and shape of an antenna: the frequency of operation of the transmitter, the amount of power to be radiated, and the general direction of the receiving set.
For a resonant wire antenna, divide 936 by the frequency in MHz for a full wavelength, 468 for a half wavelength, and 234 for a quarter wavelength. The result is in feet.
The practical exercise answers are 168.65 feet for a full wavelength at 5.550 MHz, 44.78 feet for a half wavelength at 10.450 MHz, and 8.75 feet for a quarter wavelength at 26.755 MHz.
The greatest wavelength antenna gives the best performance - use it if the situation allows.
The majority of antennas in the Army's inventory are non-resonant, including the OE-254 and the ASIP whip.
Hertz (half-wave) antennas are generally used above 2 MHz; Marconi (quarter-wave) antennas below 2 MHz, and at higher frequencies in certain applications.
A radio cannot transmit or receive without an antenna - this is a true/false check-on-learning item in the lesson.
The directivity of a vertical whip antenna is omnidirectional.
Site selection matters because of the take-off angle for the antenna in use - this is the lesson's stated answer to why site selection is important.
As the take-off angle increases, the height of the scatter volume increases and the amount of received energy decreases, for two reasons: the scatter angle increases with height, and turbulence decreases with height.
As the distance between transmitting and receiving antennas increases, the height of the scatter volume must also increase, so received signal level falls as circuit distance grows.
Terminating resistors are generally rated at 500 to 600 ohms and must be rated for at least half the output wattage of the transmitter, or they will burn out.
Resistors make an antenna directional by pulling the electromagnetic waves toward the direction opposite the resistors, and they stabilize the load the transmitter sees across different frequencies - without them you need an antenna tuner every time you change frequency.
A half-wave antenna entirely removed from surrounding objects has a radiation resistance of 73 ohms; most half-wave wire antennas are about 65 ohms; rod or tubing antennas usually run 55 to 600 ohms.
Radiation resistance has little effect on radiation efficiency as long as it is 50 ohms or more; ohmic resistance only becomes important when radiation resistance drops below about 10 ohms, which can happen when several antennas are coupled together.
Reception is impaired or improved where wave components meet in space - in phase they add and the signal is stronger, out of phase they cancel and the signal weakens.
A vertical antenna is used for efficient reception of vertically polarized waves and a horizontal antenna for horizontally polarized waves; for maximum absorption the receiving antenna must be in the plane of polarization.
Whether a high-gain antenna is an advantage depends on the situation: if you know exactly where the desired signal is coming from, maximize gain toward it; if you do not know, a low-gain antenna is better.
The AS-2259/GR is the NVIS antenna in the course material - crossed sloping dipoles on a 15-foot mast, 2 to 30 MHz, 1,000 watts, omnidirectional in azimuth, simultaneously horizontally and vertically polarized.
When grounded antennas are used, the ground should have conductivity as high as possible; if the soil has low conductivity it can be treated to reduce resistance, but the substances used must not reach nearby drinking water.

References

TC 9-64, Communications-Electronics Fundamentals: Wave Propagation, Transmission Lines, and Antennas (14 Jul 2004)MCRP 6-22D, Field Antenna Handbook (31 May 1999)MCRP 8-10B.11, Antenna Handbook (01 May 2016)TB 11-5820-1141-10, HF Near Vertical Incidence Skywave (NVIS) Antenna HandbookTB 11-5820-1148-10, Operator's Antenna Erection and Recovery Reference Guide for HF Antenna System

HF Radios and Waveforms 113-SCCCE02

Learning objective and standard

Learning objectiveDefine the principles and concepts of High Frequency (HF) radios.

StandardDefine the principles and concepts of High Frequency (HF) radios in a clear and concise manner, without error, as the first learning step toward applying radio capabilities and concepts to Lower Tactical Tier - Internet planning.

The first eight hours of 113-SCCCE02 and the densest block of hard numbers in Module E. HF is the band that reaches beyond line of sight without a satellite, which is why it keeps showing up as the contingency or emergency line of a PACE plan. The lesson is built around one radio - the AN/PRC-160 - and four waveforms - FIX, 2G ALE, 3G and HOP. Learn the four waveforms and what separates 2G from 3G, the six modulation types, the channel-number ranges for each waveform, and the three mounted and dismounted configurations with their power outputs. The ALE-versus-3G channel numbers are the kind of detail that makes an easy exam question: ALE is 0 to 99, 3G is 100 to 162, 3G+ is 1 to 62.

Doctrinal currencyThe 113-SCCCE02 HF slide deck is rights-protected and could not be opened. This lesson is built from the 113-SCCCE02 lesson plan, which carries the full instructor narrative slide by slide, so the content is complete - but the numbers on any chart that exists only as a slide image are not recoverable.

What this course teaches — answer this on the exam

113-SCCCE02 HF Radios and Planning (v5_2) Updates.pptx is rights-managed and cannot be read
The lesson plan text for slides 6 through 115 is intact and is the source for this page
The lesson plan gives two different preset figures for the AN/PRC-160: 99 programmable system presets per channel on the key capabilities slide, and 75 presets per mission plan on the configuration slide

How to handle the preset numbers

The two preset figures are not contradictory - 99 is presets per channel and 75 is presets per mission plan - but if a question asks for one number without qualifying it, 99 presets per channel is the figure the key capabilities slide leads with
The ITN capabilities material gives the AN/PRC-160 up to 75 fully programmable net presets, which matches the mission-plan figure

Doctrinal sets to know cold

The four HF waveforms

Fixed frequency (FIX) - 1.5 to 59.9999 MHz, all 201 channels, no channel groups
2G ALE - channels 0 to 99, one channel group, AMD sent in the clear, Link Protection optional
3G ALE - channels 100 to 162, STANAG 4538 Fast Link Set-Up, adaptive wideband, Last Ditch Voice, multiple channel groups
Frequency hopping (HOP) - ECCM anti-jam, wideband/narrowband/list hopping, 2.0 to 29.99 MHz

HF radio configurations and power output

Dismounted AN/PRC-160(V)3 - 20 watts HF, 10 watts FM
Mounted TOC kit AN/TRC-210(V)4 - 400 watts in the HF bands
Mounted vehicular AN/VRC-104A(V)6 - up to 150 watts continuous in the HF bands

The six HF modulation types the lesson names

CW - continuous wave, for Morse code
USB - upper sideband, the military standard
LSB - lower sideband
AME - amplitude modulation equivalent
FM - frequency modulation
DSB - dual sideband

HF COMSEC crypto modes in the CPA

KG-84R - redundant, available in FIX, ALE and 3G
KG-84NR - non-redundant, available in FIX, ALE and 3G
ANDVT-HF (KY-99) - available in FIX and ALE
ANDVT-BD (KY-100) - available in FIX, ALE and 3G; the 3G default
TSVCIS-HF - available in FIX and ALE

Resources required to build an HF communications plan

Stations or radios
Station name or radio name
HF network type - fixed frequency, ALE, or 3G
Frequencies (channels)
COMSEC settings (crypto mode)
Traffic type

The eight steps to create a network in the CPA

Create channels
Create channel group (not for HF fixed frequency)
Create a network
Add stations
Configure stations
Configure network
Validate plan
Program radios

The ten steps to create a topology in the CPA

Create channels
Create channel group (not for HF fixed frequency)
Create a topology
Add network
Add stations
Connect stations to network
Configure stations
Configure network
Validate plan
Program radios

What 3G gives you over 2G ALE

Faster link setup, because channels are pre-tuned
Linking at lower signal-to-noise ratios
Higher throughput for short and long data messages
Different channel plans available for frequency security
Last Ditch Voice for short emergency messages
Adaptive wideband per MIL-STD-188-110C Appendix D

Key terms

AN/PRC-160(V)3: The dismounted wideband HF/VHF-low manpack. Continuous coverage 1.5 to 59.9999 MHz, 20 watts on HF and 10 watts on FM, Type-1 Suite A encryption, and up to 75 presets per mission plan. The smallest, lightest and fastest wideband HF manpack fielded, and the replacement for the AN/PRC-150C.
AN/TRC-210(V)4: The ground-mounted, portable tactical operations center HF kit. It provides 400 watts of power in the HF bands and comes with two types of antenna array in military-grade transit cases.
AN/VRC-104A(V)6: The vehicular-mounted HF configuration for long-haul mobile and stationary communications. It contains an amplifier and coupler that automatically tune to the antenna in use, and provides up to 150 watts continuous power in the HF bands. From the halt, the antenna can be raised vertical or at an angle to improve take-off angle and beyond-line-of-sight performance.
AN/PRC-150(C): The previous-generation multiband HF manpack, still fielded and still supported by the CPA. Frequency range 1.6 to 59.999 MHz, up to 200 presets per fixed channel, ALE/3G and frequency hopping, about 8 hours of battery life.
Fixed frequency (FIX): The HF waveform that operates on a single set frequency, supported from 1.5 to 59.9999 MHz using the applicable modulation for the frequency range. It can use all 201 channels and does not use channel groups.
Automatic Link Establishment (ALE): Second-generation ALE. It permits HF stations to call and link to other HF stations on the best frequency from a list called a channel group. When not transmitting, the radio constantly scans its assigned frequencies listening for calls. Each radio has a unique address, and calls can go to a single station, a group, or the whole network. Automatic Message Display is sent in the clear as part of the handshake; Link Protection is a configurable option.
3G ALE: Third-generation ALE, based on STANAG 4538 Fast Link Set-Up. It adds adaptive wideband per MIL-STD-188-110C Appendix D and Last Ditch Voice, and it links faster and at lower signal-to-noise ratios than 2G.
3G+: A mode that scans both 3G and ALE channels. It uses channels 1 to 62 and is used only for voice communications.
Frequency hopping (HOP): Electronic counter-countermeasures providing anti-jam protection. Supports wideband, narrowband and list hopping, carrying data or voice in the 2.0 to 29.99 MHz range.
Last Ditch Voice (LDV): A 3G feature that transmits or receives messages over the air on a 3G voice link, letting the radio push digital voice across a channel that would not normally support it error-free. Designed for short emergency messages; the radio stores and retains up to 10 LDV messages.
Channel group: A named or numbered set of channels used by ALE, 3G and 3G+ so the radio can choose the best one. There are 51 channel groups available for HF, numbered 0 to 50, and each has a mode of ALE, 3G or 3G+. HF fixed frequency does not use channel groups.
Link Protection: An ALE network option, disabled by default. When enabled, a 14-digit hexadecimal key is applied globally to the ALE settings of every station in the plan. Link protection keys must match across the whole network or the network will not work, and editing a plan without redistributing it can break that match.
Upper sideband (USB): A single-sideband modulation that suppresses the carrier and the lower sideband. USB is the military standard for HF voice.
Lower sideband (LSB): A single-sideband modulation that suppresses the carrier and the upper sideband.
Amplitude Modulation Equivalent (AME): One of the HF modulation types, a reduced-carrier amplitude modulation compatible with AM receivers.
Continuous wave (CW): The modulation used for Morse code.
Dual sideband (DSB): Modulation that transmits both sidebands. Listed by the lesson as one of the six modulation types and one of the seven selectable in the CPA.
Vocoder: The voice-coding scheme a digital radio uses. The AN/PRC-160 supports Mixed-Excitation Linear Predictive (MELP), Linear Predictive Coding (LPC) and clear voice.
MELP: Mixed-Excitation Linear Prediction, a digital voice vocoder available at 600, 1200 and 2400 baud on HF. It is more intelligible than the older LPC-10 coding.
KG-84R and KG-84NR: Two HF crypto modes, available in FIX, ALE and 3G. R is redundant, NR is non-redundant.
ANDVT-HF (KY-99): Advanced Narrowband Digital Voice Terminal - High Frequency. An HF crypto mode available in FIX and ALE.
ANDVT-BD (KY-100): Advanced Narrowband Digital Voice Terminal - Black Digital. An HF crypto mode available in FIX, ALE and 3G, and the default Type 1 crypto mode for a 3G network in the CPA.
TSVCIS-HF: Tactical Secure Voice Cryptographic Interoperability Specification for HF. Available in FIX and ALE.
Communications Planning Application (CPA): The Windows planning application used to build HF communications plans and program the AN/PRC-160 and AN/PRC-150. 3G can only be programmed from the CPA; ALE can be programmed from the CPA or the radio's front panel.
STANAG 4538: The NATO standardization agreement that defines HF data link protocol enhancements, and the basis for 3G ALE. In the CPA's 3G channel plan it appears as the channel plan type '4538'.
HCMAC: High Capacity Media Access Control, a Harris-developed protocol that provides increased tactical network capacity in short-haul mesh and star network scenarios. The alternative to 4538 as a 3G channel plan type; both are for data.
Time of day (TOD) synchronization: 3G uses timing to speed up link establishment. A station can be designated the TOD server, and when scheduled TOD sync broadcast is enabled that station transmits network time to synchronize every station on the net. With TOD sync, every radio in the 3G net scans the same channel at the same time.
OTAR: Over-the-air rekey - the ability to change cryptographic keys remotely rather than by physical fill. The AN/PRC-160 supports OTAR and KG-84 AK OTAR.
MICROGRAM SAASM: The internal micro GPS receiver application module with the Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module, giving precise position and time. Commercial GPS is also supported.
AN/PYQ-10 Simple Key Loader (SKL): The fill device used to load cryptographic keys into tactical radios.

Testable points

HF provides both line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight voice and data capability - it is the only Lower TI band that reaches beyond the horizon without a satellite.
The HF band is 3 to 30 MHz, but many HF radios operate from 1.5 to 30 MHz, and the AN/PRC-160 covers 1.5 to 59.9999 MHz continuously.
There are four HF waveforms taught in the lesson: fixed frequency (FIX), 2G ALE, 3G ALE, and frequency hopping (HOP).
3G is a newer, better version of ALE; regular ALE is second generation (2G).
3G's advantages over 2G ALE are faster link setup from pre-tuning of channels, linking at lower signal-to-noise ratios, higher throughput for short and long data messages, and the ability to use different channel plans for frequency security.
ALE can be programmed from the front panel or from the CPA; 3G can only be programmed from the CPA.
The ALL and ANY address types are not available when placing a 3G call, and 3G is not limited to a one-to-three-digit self address.
3G requires TOD synchronization, and stations can request a time sync.
3G uses named channel plans; ALE uses numbered channel plans.
There are 201 HF channels available, numbered 0 to 200, one frequency per channel. Both the AN/PRC-160 and the AN/PRC-150 have 201 frequency storage positions.
HF fixed frequency can use all 201 channels (0 to 200) across 1.5 to 59.9999 MHz.
ALE uses channels 0 to 99 over 1.5 to 29.9999 MHz.
3G uses channels 100 to 162 over 1.5 to 29.9999 MHz.
3G+ uses channels 1 to 62 over 1.5 to 29.9999 MHz and scans both 3G and ALE.
There are 51 channel groups for HF, numbered 0 to 50, each set to a mode of ALE, 3G or 3G+.
An ALE network can use only one channel group; a 3G network can use more than one.
3G+ mode is used only for voice communications.
The AN/PRC-160 can hold up to 99 programmable system presets per channel, numbered 01 to 99, or up to 75 fully programmable net presets per mission plan depending on the source.
The AN/PRC-160 supports data rates up to 10 times greater than the previous generation, with wideband data rates up to 120 kbps.
The AN/PRC-160 supports the MIL-STD-188-110A base serial tone, 110B Appendix C, and 110C modem waveforms, plus XDL - the combined High-throughput Data Link and Low-latency Data Link protocols - and ANDVT-HF.
The AN/PRC-160 is Type-1, NSA-certified for secure voice and data, and is compatible with AN/PRC-150C power amplifiers, antenna couplers, vehicular mounts and accessories.
The AN/PRC-160 supports cipher text (CT), plain text (PT) and coalition compatible (CC) modes.
The AN/PRC-150 offers four basic modes - FIX, HOP, ALE and 3G - with selectable modulation types and clear or digital voice operation.
There are seven modulation types selectable per channel in the CPA, and the lesson's check on learning names six: CW, AME, USB, LSB, FM and DSB.
There are five crypto modes for HF COMSEC in the CPA: KG-84R, KG-84NR, ANDVT-HF, ANDVT-BD and TSVCIS-HF.
Traffic type offers up to seven selections between cipher and plain text voice: NONE, clear (plain text only), digital voice at 600 or 2400 baud, and MELP at 600, 1200 or 2400 baud.
The CPA automatically assigns IP addresses to AN/PRC-160 radios for data but does not do so for AN/PRC-150 radios - when mixing them, build the network with the 160s first, add the 150s, then hand-assign the 150s an address following the same pattern.
Creating a network in the CPA takes eight steps; creating a topology takes ten and gives a graphical view of the network. Seven of the steps are identical.
The AN/PRC-160 can hold multiple HF fixed frequency presets but only one ALE preset with one channel group, and only one 3G preset with multiple channel groups; the operator must switch mode between FIX, ALE and 3G.
Plan validation in the CPA produces three severities: warnings, which should be corrected for the plan to be fully functional; advisories, which flag settings that could affect performance; and messages, which are general information only.
The default COMSEC settings for a 3G network in the CPA are Type 1 crypto mode ANDVT-BD with key name TEK01.
The AN/PRC-160 supports the Tactical Chat applications RF-6551H and Tactical Chat IP RF-6705, and WMT 6760W and 6760W-HF.

References

FM 6-02, Signal Support to Operations (12 Sep 2019)ATP 6-02.53, Techniques for Tactical Radio Operations (31 Jan 2020)ATP 6-02.70, Techniques for Spectrum Management Operations (15 Oct 2019)MIL-STD-188-110A/B/C, HF data modem waveformsSTANAG 4538, HF data link protocol enhancements

HF Frequency Prediction with VOACAP 113-SCCCE02

Learning objective and standard

Learning objectiveApply the principles and concepts of High Frequency (HF) radio planning.

StandardApply the principles and concepts of High Frequency (HF) radio planning in a simulated tactical scenario with no more than two errors.

The planning half of the HF block, and the reason the Lower TI rubric can demand that your ALE frequencies be inside the frequency of optimum transmission. VOACAP is a point-to-point frequency analysis program that predicts which frequencies will work between two grid coordinates at a given hour, month and level of solar activity. Most of the lesson is a click-through of the input screens, and most of that is not testable - but the parameters carry hard numbers that are: method 20 for communications planning, required reliability defaulting to 90 percent, required SNR of 48 dB for single sideband with suppressed carrier, man-made noise defaulting to -145 dBW, and the Harris-recommended multipath settings of 6.0 dB and 0.85 milliseconds. Learn those, learn the difference between the CCIR and URSI coefficient sets, and learn the four exercise inputs the practical exercise asks for: solar flux, A-index, MUF and OWF.

Doctrinal currencyThe module drop contains an empty folder named 113-SCCCE02 HF VOACAP. Whatever product was meant to sit there is not in the material.

What this course teaches — answer this on the exam

The folder 113-SCCCE02 HF VOACAP exists in the Module E tree and contains no files
VOACAP itself is taught inside 113-SCCCE02 learning step 1, slides 36 through 80, and the lesson plan text for those slides is complete

What that means for this page

Nothing about VOACAP appears to be missing from the teaching content - the parameters, defaults and screens are all narrated in the lesson plan
What is missing is whatever hands-on product (a VOACAP install, a saved run, or a step-by-step guide) was intended to live in that folder. If your class was given one, compare it against this page

Doctrinal sets to know cold

VOACAP system parameters and their defaults

Man-made noise - default -145 dBW in a 1 Hz bandwidth at 3 MHz
Minimum take-off angle - default 0.10 degrees, range 0 to 40, where 0 implies 3.0 degrees
Required reliability - default 90 percent, range 1 to 99
Required SNR - range -30 to 99 dB; 48 dB for single sideband with suppressed carrier
Multipath power tolerance - default 3.0 dB, range 0 to 40 dB, 6.0 dB recommended with Harris radios
Maximum multipath delay tolerance - default 0.10 ms, range 0 to 100 ms, 0.85 ms recommended with Harris radios

Man-made noise categories from CCIR Report 258

1 = 140.4 - industrial
2 = 144.7 - residential
3 = 150.0 - rural
4 = 163.6 - remote unpopulated, where cosmic noise usually dominates over man-made noise

The two ionospheric coefficient sets

CCIR (Oslo) - the historical 'red deck', a linear fit between SSN 0 and 100, officially accepted, but not valid above about SSN 180 and lacking ocean data
URSI 88 (Australian) - a linear fit between sunspot low 1975-1976 and high 1978-1979, accepted by URSI in 1988, includes ocean data, generally preferred

The HF communication plan template

Executive summary
Operational context - mission overview, terrain analysis, EW threat assessment
Communication requirements - frequency of reports, report type, priority, data rate
Antenna system - type, justification, deployment plan
Frequency management plan - primary, alternate and emergency frequencies with justification, plus frequency diversity techniques
Propagation prediction - date and time of prediction, solar flux, A-index, MUF, OWF, and supporting charts
Communications security - COMSEC procedures, key distribution plan, risk mitigation
Contingency plan - communication degradation and communication failure
Logistics and sustainment - power, maintenance, personnel
Risk assessment

What the HF practical exercise asks a team to do

Analyze a tactical scenario to determine HF communication requirements
Select and justify antenna systems on performance, tactical and logistical grounds
Use propagation prediction to optimize frequency selection
Develop a layered frequency plan with primary, alternate and emergency frequencies against a jamming and interference threat
Integrate COMSEC into the plan
Assess the impact of terrain, weather and enemy electronic warfare
Develop a contingency plan for degradation or failure
Brief the plan clearly to senior leadership

Key terms

VOACAP: Voice of America Coverage Analysis Program - a point-to-point frequency analysis program used to determine the optimum frequencies for an HF circuit. It is built on the IONCAP propagation models.
Method 20: Complete System Performance. The VOACAP calculation method normally used for communications planning. The IONCAP-based models originally allowed 30 different methods and VOACAP lets you select any of them.
CCIR coefficients: One of the two sets of ionospheric coefficients, historically called the 'red deck' from the days of computer cards. A linear fit between sunspot number 0 and 100 and the officially accepted CCIR set, but not valid above about SSN 180. Also called Oslo.
URSI 88 coefficients: The Australian coefficient set, a linear fit between sunspot low (1975-1976) and high (1978-1979), accepted by URSI in 1988. It added data over the oceans, which the CCIR set lacks, and is generally preferred - especially when propagation is calculated over water. The only difference between the two sets is in the foF2 coefficients.
Sunspot number (SSN): The 12-month smoothed sunspot number used as a VOACAP input, with a valid range of 0 to 200. About 10 is typical of low solar activity and about 120 of high solar activity.
Group (Month/SSN pair): The VOACAP construct that replaced IONCAP's separate month and sunspot cards. Up to 10 groups of month, SSN and effective Q-index can be specified, and each group is calculated for every frequency and hour specified. Only the first group is calculated for the graph operation.
Solar flux: A measure of solar radio emission used alongside the A-index to characterize space weather conditions. Both are inputs the HF practical exercise gives students in its scenario.
A-index: A daily measure of geomagnetic activity. Together with solar flux it is given as a scenario input in the HF planning exercise and recorded in the propagation prediction section of the communication plan.
Optimum working frequency (OWF): The same quantity as the FOT - the practical operating frequency, roughly 85 percent of the MUF. The HF communication plan template calls for both the MUF and the OWF to be recorded.
Required circuit reliability: An estimate of the percentage of days within the month on which signal quality will be acceptable. Expressed as a percentage with a range of 1 to 99 and a default of 90 percent.
Required signal-to-noise ratio: The ratio of hourly median signal power in the occupied bandwidth to hourly median noise in a 1 Hz bandwidth needed to give the required quality of service. Range -30 to 99 dB. For single sideband with suppressed carrier the figure is 48 dB.
Man-made noise: The VOACAP parameter giving the man-made noise level at the receiver in -dBW in a 1 Hz bandwidth at 3 MHz. The default is -145 dBW, and preset values run 140.4 for industrial, 144.7 residential, 150.0 rural and 163.6 remote unpopulated, where cosmic noise usually dominates.
Minimum take-off angle: The minimum take-off angle of the main lobe of the transmit antenna, in degrees. Default 0.10 degrees, range 0 to 40 degrees, where 0 implies 3.0 degrees. Raise it when antenna performance at low angles is poor or the horizon is heavily obstructed.
Multipath power tolerance: The maximum difference in delayed signal power between sky-wave modes that still permits satisfactory performance. Range 0 to 40 dB, default 3.0 dB, recommended 6.0 dB with Harris radios. If set to zero, multipath is not considered.
Maximum multipath delay tolerance: The maximum difference in delay time between sky-wave propagation modes that still permits satisfactory performance. Range 0 to 100 milliseconds, default 0.10 ms, recommended 0.85 ms with Harris radios.
Path geometry: Whether propagation is calculated along the great-circle short path between transmitter and receiver, or the long way around the earth through the antipode. Selecting it flips the status and recalculates distance and azimuth.
Frequency complement: The set of frequencies for which propagation calculations are done. When RUN/Graph is selected, calculations are always performed for integer frequencies from 2 to 30 MHz and the frequency complement is plotted as lines on the graphic output.
Main beam azimuth: The direction the transmit antenna is pointed, in degrees clockwise from true north, range 0 to 360. Selecting 'at Rx' forces the transmit antenna to point directly at the receive location.
Design frequency: The frequency an antenna was designed for. If you specify one you must know the antenna's valid frequency range - an HR 4/4/0.5 with a design frequency of 10 MHz is only valid from about 7 to 14 MHz, and gain outside that range is set to -30.

Testable points

VOACAP is a point-to-point frequency analysis program used to determine the optimum frequencies for an HF path.
Method 20, Complete System Performance, is the method normally used for communications planning.
The lesson gives an explicit caution: any VOACAP output containing LUF is probably in error.
The Year parameter is used only as text in the heading of the output file and should match the year of the Month/SSN pair. Valid range is 1950 to 2100, and a value under 100 assumes the correct century.
The only difference between the CCIR and URSI coefficient sets is in the foF2 coefficients.
CCIR coefficients are a linear fit between SSN 0 and 100 and are not valid above about SSN 180.
URSI 88 is generally the preferred set, especially where propagation is calculated over oceans, because CCIR lacked data over water.
VOACAP hours are centered on the hour - 01 represents 0030 to 0130, centered on 0100.
The four time parameters are start time at the transmitter, end time at the transmitter, increment in hours between calculations, and units, which are either UT (universal time at the transmitter) or LMT (local mean time at the transmitter).
The end time is allowed to be before the start time, which lets you calculate a broadcast running from 2200 to 0400 UT.
Up to 10 groups of month, SSN and effective Q-index can be specified. Only the first group is calculated for the graph operation. At least one month must be non-zero; setting a month to 0 removes it.
The Seasons button sets the months to 1, 4, 7 and 10; All Months sets the first 10 months.
Transmitter and receiver locations can be entered by latitude and longitude (method 1) or selected from predefined geographic data files by city, by nation, or by state, the last of which contains over 32,000 US cities (method 2).
In VOACAP location entry, negative latitude values are South and negative longitude values are West, and values are converted to decimal degrees for display.
Required circuit reliability defaults to 90 percent with a range of 1 to 99.
Required signal-to-noise ratio has a range of -30 to 99 dB; single sideband with suppressed carrier is 48 dB.
Man-made noise defaults to -145 dBW in a 1 Hz bandwidth at 3 MHz; the CCIR Report 258 categories are 140.4 industrial, 144.7 residential, 150.0 rural and 163.6 remote unpopulated.
Multipath power tolerance defaults to 3.0 dB and is recommended at 6.0 dB with Harris radios; maximum multipath delay tolerance defaults to 0.10 ms and is recommended at 0.85 ms with Harris radios.
Minimum take-off angle defaults to 0.10 degrees, and a value of 0 implies 3.0 degrees.
By adjusting the Max parameter you can define up to four antennas for four different frequency ranges in one VOACAP run; for most applications one will do.
VOACAP graph outputs include circuit reliability at various frequencies and times of day, the required power gain to reach the required circuit reliability, and the optimum antenna take-off angle.
The propagation of radio waves is influenced by both regular variations - daily, seasonal, 27-day and annual - and irregular patterns from abnormal solar behavior.
The ionosphere contains electrically charged particles from approximately 50 to 600 km, and the level of ionization depends on solar radiation activity.
The HF practical exercise scenario supplies a date, a predicted solar flux and a predicted A-index, and asks the team to produce a layered frequency plan with primary, alternate and emergency frequencies.
The HF practical exercise is graded 30 percent strategic planning, 30 percent technical proficiency, 20 percent contingency planning and 20 percent plan clarity and presentation.

References

ATP 6-02.70, Techniques for Spectrum Management Operations (15 Oct 2019)ATP 6-02.53, Techniques for Tactical Radio Operations (31 Jan 2020)CCIR Report 258 (man-made noise categories)NOAA National Geophysical Data Center - current sunspot numbers

VHF FM, SINCGARS and Retransmission 113-SCCCE02

Learning objective and standard

Learning objectiveDefine the principles and concepts of Very High Frequency (VHF) radios.

StandardDefine the principles and concepts of Very High Frequency (VHF) radios in a clear and concise manner, without error.

Eight hours on the radio a maneuver battalion actually fights on. SINCGARS is line of sight, jam-resistant, and the primary or alternate line of almost every PACE plan at battalion and below. The lesson has three chunks: what SINCGARS is and how frequency hopping works, what goes into an FM net plan, and how retransmission extends the net past terrain. The pieces that get tested are the band and channel arithmetic (30.000 to 87.975 MHz in 25 kHz steps equals 2,320 frequencies), the hopping vocabulary chain (hopset plus TSK equals ESET; ESET plus COMSEC equals LOADSET), the four retransmission types, and the S6's RETRANS planning tasks. Be careful with this lesson: three of its slides contradict other slides in the same deck, and the currency note below tells you which answer to give.

Doctrinal currencyThree statements in the VHF material are contradicted by other statements in the same lesson. Where the deck disagrees with itself, the answers below are the ones supported by the rest of the course material and by the lesson's own check on learning. The retransmission separation figures were queried and confirmed correct on 2026-09-09 - they are the course answer.

What this course teaches — answer this on the exam

One slide states that the OE-254 is the primary device used to securely load and manage transmission security keys into SINCGARS radios, and that the COM-201B is a secure voice terminal
One slide states that a NET ID is a four-digit numerical code from 0000 to 9999
One slide states that the TSK, 'often referred to as the VINSON key', is a 20-digit key used for encrypting and decrypting voice traffic

What the rest of the course says

The OE-254 and the COM-201B are antennas. The same lesson's own RETRANS equipment list calls for 'two OE-254 or COM 201B antennas for each planned RETRANS net, including all required cables'. Keys are loaded with a fill device - the AN/PYQ-10 Simple Key Loader, which the equipment list also names. Answer that both are antennas
The NET ID is three digits. The lesson's own summary slide defines it as a '3-Digit' start point along the hopset, and the four-digit figure appears only in the narrative paragraph. Answer three digits
The TSK and the VINSON key are not the same thing. Another slide in the same lesson states correctly that all radios in an FH net must share the same VINSON traffic encryption key and hopset, and the summary slide defines TSK as the key that 'controls the random FH pattern'. The check on learning confirms it: the TSK determines the hopping sequence. TSK is transmission security; the TEK, loaded as part of COMSEC, is traffic encryption. Answer that the TSK controls the hop pattern

Doctrinal sets to know cold

SINCGARS common characteristics

30.000 to 87.975 MHz in 25 kHz steps, giving 2,320 frequencies
Clear and encrypted voice; encrypted data only
Single channel frequency offsets of plus or minus 5 and plus or minus 10 kHz
Enhanced data mode: 1200N, 2400N, 4800N, 9600N bps
Standard data mode: 600, 1200, 2400, 4800, 16,000 bps

The frequency hopping vocabulary chain

Hopset - the list of frequencies the net will hop across
TSK - the transmission security key that controls the random hopping pattern
ESET - hopset plus TSK
COMSEC - the traffic encryption key that protects the content
LOADSET - ESET plus COMSEC
NET ID - the start point along the hopset that distinguishes one net from another
FHM - the frequency hopping master, the owner of the net

The four retransmission types

Single channel to single channel
Single channel to frequency hopping
FH1 to FH1
FH1 to FH2

What the S6 does during RETRANS planning

Ensures the communications course of action is integrated into the maneuver course of action
Plots primary and secondary RETRANS locations on the COA sketch using METT-TC
Determines whether collocation with another unit is required, considering security, logistics and evacuation
Plans contingency sites and establishes relocation and evacuation criteria known to all concerned
Develops reporting procedures back to the establishing headquarters
Builds a RETRANS team equipment list
Establishes a pre-combat checklist and rehearses before deployment

RETRANS team equipment list

Defense Advanced GPS Receiver (DAGR)
Simple Key Loader (SKL)
Two OE-254 or COM-201B antennas for each planned RETRANS net, with all required cables
Any additional SINCGARS radios, for backup
PRM-36 Radio Test Set
Additional batteries

The six FM net planning products and tools

COMMEX plan - what is communicated, when, where and by whom; drives everything else
Radio bump plan - initial contact procedures, authentication, synchronization, timing windows
Data requirements - bandwidth allocation, protocols, encryption, antenna selection
Loss of contact plan - alternate frequencies, alternate routes, redundancy, contingency procedures
Cue frequency - a standard common user frequency, pre-programmed, covered by SOP, monitored
ERF file - distributes hopsets and frequency lists and enables rapid deployment of pre-configured radios

SINCGARS planning factors

Terrain and environment - terrain type, vegetation, weather, ground conductivity, atmospheric conditions
Radio and technical - frequency selection, antenna height and type, transmitter power, FH versus SC, hopset selection, key management, radio configuration
Operational and tactical - mission requirements, unit dispersion, movement patterns, jamming threat, interference sources, network topology, NET ID assignment, synchronization time
Regulatory and administrative - frequency allocation, spectrum management policy, command and control requirements

Retransmission site planning considerations

Conduct a site survey to identify optimal retransmit locations
Coordinate frequency assignments to avoid interference
Determine power requirements for the retransmit station
Ensure the retransmit station is physically secure
Train personnel on proper retransmission procedures
Develop a backup plan in case the retransmit station fails
Plan antenna mounting to maximize separation, then test for self-interference and monitor continuously
Document the antenna configuration and separation distances

Key terms

SINCGARS: Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System. It provides voice and data in the VHF-low frequency range from 30.000 to 87.975 MHz and operates in two modes, single channel and frequency hopping.
Single channel (SC) mode: SINCGARS operating on one fixed frequency. A single-channel net supports plain text analog FM voice and cipher text CVSD voice, and can also be used for data. SC offers higher bandwidth than frequency hopping.
Frequency hopping (FH) mode: SINCGARS rapidly switching between the frequencies of a hopset in a predetermined pseudo-random order, roughly 100 times per second, making the signal difficult to jam or intercept. FH gives better security and jamming resistance than single channel.
Hopset: The pre-defined list of frequencies a SINCGARS radio cycles through during frequency hopping. Hopsets are loaded by fill device or Electronic Radio Frequency (ERF) file and can be stored in up to six presets.
Lockout set: A programmed blocked list of frequencies or frequency ranges on which the radio will not allow transmission, regardless of user settings. It prevents unintended or unauthorized transmission on critical frequencies and is a spectrum management and interference mitigation tool.
Network ID (NET ID): The identifier that distinguishes one frequency hopping net from another - the start point along the hopset. It prevents interference between nets and stops unauthorized radios from joining.
Transmission Security Key (TSK): The key that controls the random frequency hopping pattern. It is a transmission security item, not a traffic encryption item - it determines the hopping sequence, not the encryption of the voice.
Traffic Encryption Key (TEK): The COMSEC key that encrypts and decrypts operational voice and digital data. Every radio in a frequency hopping net must share the same TEK as well as the same hopset.
Electronic set (ESET): Hopset plus TSK. The combination that defines the hopping pattern for a net.
LOADSET: ESET plus COMSEC. The complete fill a radio needs to join a secure frequency hopping net. In some radio families the loadset is described as the combination of hopset and lockouts in a format loadable by a crypto fill device.
Frequency Hopping Master (FHM): The owner of the net, sometimes called the Net Control Station. In an FH net the master radio maintains synchronization and manages net procedures while all other radios are member stations.
Synchronization time: The time required for all radios in a net to align their internal clocks and hopsets before secure frequency hopping communications can begin. Each station in an FH net must be within plus or minus four seconds of net time to communicate.
Cold start: A start procedure used on the FM fixed frequency preset called the manual channel, whose frequency comes from the SOI. It can be used to gain time after cueing the SINCGARS net, and it takes practice with unit SOPs to work.
Cue frequency: A common user frequency that provides a standardized frequency for routine communication and emergencies. It should be pre-programmed into all radios, covered by SOP, and monitored for emergency traffic.
Electronic Radio Frequency (ERF) file: The file used to distribute hopsets and frequency lists and to program radios consistently across a network. ERFs allow rapid deployment of pre-configured radios and must be distributed securely.
COMMEX plan: The communications exercise plan. It dictates what needs to be communicated, when, where, and by whom, and therefore drives frequency allocation, network topology, bandwidth, security and timing.
Radio bump plan: The plan that details procedures for establishing initial contact and verifying communications between different units or agencies - common frequencies for initial contact, authentication procedures, synchronization procedures, and designated timing windows.
Loss of contact plan: The plan for what happens when communications fail: alternate frequencies, alternate routes such as relay stations, redundant systems, and contingency procedures for re-establishing communications.
FM retransmission (RETRANS): The technique of positioning a radio to receive a weak or obstructed signal and re-transmit it on a different frequency, extending range and getting around terrain. It uses a radio as a repeater.
Self-interference: The failure mode of a retransmission station whose transmit and receive antennas are too close: the transmitted signal bleeds into the receiver, causing desensitization, distortion, spurious signals, and in extreme cases oscillation.
Desensitization: The condition where a strong transmitted signal overwhelms a co-located receiver, reducing its ability to detect weak incoming signals.
OE-254: A ground-plane antenna group used with SINCGARS. The RETRANS equipment list calls for two OE-254 or COM-201B antennas for each planned RETRANS net, with all required cables.
COM-201B: A broadband antenna used as an alternative to the OE-254 in the same role. Like the OE-254, it is an antenna, not a keying or voice-security device.
Spectrum analyzer: A graphing receiver that displays signal amplitude across a defined frequency range. Frequency is the horizontal axis and amplitude the vertical. It is used to see spurious emissions, interference and unidentified signals.
Resolution bandwidth (RBW): The spectrum analyzer setting that determines the ability to distinguish closely spaced signals. Narrower RBW gives better resolution but slower sweep times.
Video bandwidth (VBW): The spectrum analyzer setting that smooths the displayed trace and reduces noise. Typically set equal to or greater than the RBW.
PRM-36 Radio Test Set: A test set on the RETRANS team equipment list, used to check radio performance before and during a retransmission mission.
DAGR: Defense Advanced GPS Receiver. The lesson stresses using the DAGR rather than a cell phone as the time and position source for SINCGARS net synchronization.

Testable points

Retransmission antenna separation: a minimum of 10 to 15 feet horizontally and 10 feet vertically. That is the course figure and it is the answer.
SINCGARS operates in the VHF-low range from 30.000 MHz to 87.975 MHz.
SINCGARS tunes in 25 kHz steps, which gives 2,320 frequencies across the band.
SINCGARS carries clear and encrypted voice, but encrypted data only.
Single channel frequency offsets are plus or minus 5 and plus or minus 10 kHz.
Enhanced data mode rates are 1200N, 2400N, 4800N and 9600N bits per second; standard data mode rates are 600, 1200, 2400, 4800 and 16,000 bits per second.
In frequency hopping mode the radio changes frequency approximately 100 times per second in a predetermined order.
All radios in an FH net must share the same traffic encryption key and the same programmed hopset.
A frequency hopping net has one MASTER radio acting as the net control station to maintain synchronization and manage net procedures; every other radio is a MEMBER station.
Each station in an FH net must be within plus or minus four seconds of net time to communicate.
Hopsets can be stored in up to six presets for quick access.
Compromise of a hopset renders every communication using it vulnerable, so generation, distribution, storage and updating must be strictly controlled.
The chain of definitions is: hopset plus TSK equals ESET, and ESET plus COMSEC equals LOADSET.
The TSK determines the hopping sequence of the six SINCGARS hopsets - this is a true/false check-on-learning item and the answer is true.
There are four retransmission types: single channel to single channel, single channel to frequency hopping, FH1 to FH1, and FH1 to FH2.
During RETRANS planning the S6 plots primary and secondary RETRANS locations on the course of action sketch, using METT-TC analysis to select them.
The commander owes a decision on the trigger for emplacement and displacement of retransmission teams.
A security element should be provided for a retransmission site but is not required for emplacement.
Retransmission teams must leave the site with all the information needed to execute - a pre-combat checklist and a rehearsal before deployment are part of the S6's RETRANS planning.
Missions may make retransmission a mission-critical C2 link, which can require the team to remain emplaced with the potential for enemy contact.
Antenna separation at a retransmission site is critical: too little separation causes self-interference, which desensitizes the receiver, distorts the signal, creates spurious signals, and can make the receiver oscillate.
Greater transmitter power and higher antenna gain both require greater antenna separation; greater frequency separation between the receive and transmit frequencies makes physical separation less critical.
Using different antenna polarizations - one vertical, one horizontal - significantly reduces interference at a retransmission site, and physical barriers such as metal shields can help.
SINCGARS FH provides better security and jamming resistance; SC offers higher bandwidth, so data transmission may require SC mode.
Choosing frequency hopping over single channel where a jamming threat exists is doctrine, not preference - the lesson makes that point explicitly in the PACE context.
For VHF and UHF, surface radio waves propagate as the direct wave and the ground-reflected wave; ground reflection causes a 180-degree phase shift, attenuates the signal (especially over rough or lossy terrain such as forest or saltwater), and creates areas of reinforcement or nulls where the two waves combine.

References

ATP 6-02.53, Techniques for Tactical Radio Operations (31 Jan 2020)FM 6-02, Signal Support to Operations (12 Sep 2019)ATP 6-02.70, Techniques for Spectrum Management Operations (15 Oct 2019)

UHF, TACSAT and MUOS 113-SCCCE02

Learning objective and standard

Learning objectiveDefine the principles and concepts of Ultra High Frequency (UHF) and TACSAT radios, and apply them in a planning exercise.

StandardDefine the principles and concepts of Ultra High Frequency (UHF) radios in a clear and concise manner, without error, and apply the principles and concepts of UHF and TACSAT radios in a planning exercise with no more than two errors.

Three hours forty on the band that gives a battalion beyond-line-of-sight communications without a dish. The lesson has a clean structure: how you get satellite access at all (SAR in, SAA out), how the legacy UHF constellation is laid out, the five UHF SATCOM waveform standards and the difference between dedicated and DAMA, and then MUOS, which is the modern replacement built on cellular 3G technology. The highest-yield facts are the frequency pairs - 243 to 270 MHz down and 291 to 318 MHz up for legacy UHF, 300 to 320 up and 360 to 380 down for MUOS - the MIL-STD numbers, the two DAMA frame lengths, and MUOS's three call service types. The Lower TI rubric grades a satellite radio diagram showing TBAs by variation of TACSAT, so DAMA terminal base addresses are not trivia here.

Doctrinal currencyOne paragraph in this lesson attributes DAMA to SINCGARS. It is a copy-paste error from the VHF block, and it is worth knowing about because it makes a plausible-looking distractor on a test.

What this course teaches — answer this on the exam

One slide states that 'DAMA (Demand Assigned Multiple Access) is a sophisticated technique used with SINCGARS radios to significantly increase the number of users that can share a single frequency'
The same slide then correctly describes DAMA as using TDMA, an orderwire-controlled channel controller, and terminal base addresses
The legacy constellation slide in the UHF deck still carries planning notes from 1999 about which satellite will move to which orbital slot

What is actually true

DAMA is a UHF SATCOM technique, not a SINCGARS technique. SINCGARS is a VHF-low line-of-sight radio; it has no relationship to demand-assigned satellite channel sharing. Everything else on that slide - TDMA, orderwire, channel controller, TBA - is correct and belongs to UHF SATCOM
The legacy constellation detail is historical. The UHF Follow-On constellation is at end of life and MUOS is its replacement; treat the satellite-by-satellite orbital positions as background, and learn the four footprints and their beacons instead
The Indian Ocean and Pacific footprints are both shown with a beacon at 250.650 on the same slide. If a question asks for a specific footprint beacon, CONUS at 250.550 and LANT at 250.450 are the two unambiguous ones

Doctrinal sets to know cold

What a Satellite Access Request contains

Mission dates - start and end
Location of the mission
Purpose of the access
Frequency range needed
Miscellaneous items such as deconfliction

Key information on the Satellite Access Authorization

Home channel
Satellite information
Transponder number
Network DAMA
Operation mode (COMSEC protocol)

The four SATCOM footprints and their beacons

CONUS - beacon at 250.550
Atlantic (LANT) - beacon at 250.450
Indian Ocean (IO) - beacon at 250.650
Pacific (PAC) - beacon at 250.650

UHF SATCOM waveform standards

MIL-STD-188-181B - dedicated, 5 kHz and 25 kHz, net-exclusive rights to one channel
MIL-STD-188-182A - 5 kHz DAMA, sharing a narrowband channel among multiple users
MIL-STD-188-183A - 25 kHz DAMA, higher quality voice and data throughput
MIL-STD-188-181C / 183B - Integrated Waveform, the DAMA replacement, up to 56 kbps
MIL-STD-188-187 - MUOS, on-demand global IP-based communications

DAMA programming items

Terminal Base Address (TBA)
Guard / network address
Configuration codes
COMSEC type
I/O device
Type of transmission
Current engineer orderwire key (TSK) position
Current traffic encryption key (TEK)
Satellite footprint and channel assignment (home channel)

Comparing 5 kHz and 25 kHz DAMA

Both have frames, forward and reverse orderwires, a communications segment, and active or passive ranging
5 kHz frame length is 8.96 seconds; 25 kHz frame length is 1.386 seconds
5 kHz frame structure is variable; 25 kHz is fixed
The nine-second 5 kHz frame makes it better suited to data than to voice

MUOS versus legacy UHF SATCOM

Data capacity - legacy 2.6 Mbps, MUOS 40.2 Mbps
Access capacity - legacy 1,117 at 2.4 kbps, MUOS a theoretical 16,332 at 2.4 kbps
Nominal data rates - legacy 75 bps to 48 kbps, MUOS 2.4 or 9.6 kbps voice and 9.6/32/64 kbps data
Point-to-point calling - legacy normally network calling only, MUOS full duplex
DISN services - legacy none, MUOS NIPRNET, SIPRNET and DSN
Simultaneous services - legacy no, MUOS yes (Multi-RAB)
Full duplex, immediate networks, adaptive power control and global roaming - legacy no, MUOS yes

MUOS terminology a brigade S6 needs

MUOS Group Request (MGR), submitted through the Joint Integrated SATCOM Tool (JIST) on SIPRNET
MUOS profile request, submitted through JSMPS on SIPRNET
IMSI - the number that identifies the terminal to the network management system
MSISDN - the terminal's phone number
HAIPE and SCIP Firefly Vector Sets, Pre-Placed Keys, AES User Key and OTAR Key, and Group Cover Key

Radio siting considerations

Deploy antennas vertically, except for UHF SATCOM
Obstructions between sender and receiver reduce range
Structures and vehicles affect range performance
Best sites are free of obstructions and other structures
Best sites are free of excessive vegetation
Best sites are at the crest, or down from the crest, of a hill

Key terms

Satellite Access Request (SAR): The document a unit submits to gain any satellite access, dedicated or DAMA. It must be submitted 90 days prior, or a letter of lateness signed by an O-6 is required. It states mission start and end dates, location, purpose, frequency range needed, and deconfliction.
Satellite Access Authorization (SAA): The document provided when a SAR is approved. It gives the channel information to be programmed into the radio and the satellite assigned - home channel, satellite information, transponder number, network DAMA and operation mode. It does not give COMSEC information.
Uplink: The transmit frequency from the terminal to the satellite. Uplink and downlink frequencies are different, and the uplink is usually the higher of the two.
Downlink: The receive frequency from the satellite to the terminal.
Footprint: The area of coverage of a satellite. Each footprint area has two satellites in it, and there are four footprints for SATCOM operations: CONUS, Atlantic (LANT), Indian Ocean (IO) and Pacific (PAC). Satellites are commonly referred to by longitudinal position - 'the 172 east bird' or 'the 105 west bird'.
DAMA: Demand Assigned Multiple Access. Demand assigned means finite UHF SATCOM resources are assigned instantly on demand, with unused transponder space dynamically reallocated in near real time on the basis of precedence. Multiple access means many users can request service at any time, granted by priority and resource availability. It is a method of gaining efficiency in the use of UHF SATCOM channels.
Dedicated access: MIL-STD-188-181B. A single group of users has net-exclusive rights to a single channel, granted by the controlling authority, with full-time use until the system manager says otherwise.
Integrated Waveform (IW): MIL-STD-188-181C/183B. The DAMA replacement. It doubles the number of supported users over DAMA, simplifies connecting and starting service, supports 5 kHz narrowband or 25 kHz wideband service, and carries data rates up to 56 kbps.
Terminal Base Address (TBA): The address that identifies every radio in a DAMA network. It is one of the DAMA programming items and one of the things the Lower TI rubric expects to see on a unit's satellite radio diagram.
Orderwire: The control channel of a DAMA network. The channel controller controls the network via the orderwire, and DAMA becomes active once an uplink and downlink are established through it. All users share a common orderwire key so that control signalling is secured.
Call setup delay: The time taken for an orderwire message to reach the controller, for the controller to process the request, and for the resource to be assigned. It is affected by request channel contention - how many users are requesting service at once - and by queuing delay, the time a request is held before resources are assigned.
Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA): The access method DAMA uses. A synchronized frame format divides transmission time into slots, and each terminal transmits in its assigned slot, preventing collisions and maximizing channel efficiency.
Narrowband (NB) channel: A 5 kHz SATCOM channel. It supports data rates up to 2.4 kbps and is most commonly used with ANDVT KY-99 COMSEC.
Wideband (WB) channel: A 25 kHz SATCOM channel. Voice quality is similar to telephone or line-of-sight radio despite encryption, and VINSON KY-57 compatible COMSEC is most commonly used for voice.
MUOS: Mobile User Objective System. The DoD's next-generation military satellite communications system, replacing the UHF Follow-On constellation as it reaches end of life. It is based on cellular 3G technology and provides on-demand IP-based communication rather than legacy circuit-based communication.
UHF Follow-On (UFO): The legacy UHF satellite constellation that MUOS replaces, launched from 1992, alongside the older Fleet SATCOM (FLTSATCOM) satellites launched from 1978 to 1989.
Point-to-Point (PtP): A MUOS call service type, similar to a typical cell phone call. It allocates dedicated bandwidth for two terminals, supports full-duplex communication, and has lower latency than shared channels.
Point-to-Net (PtN): A MUOS call service type, similar to cell data - data access to a network such as SIPRNET or NIPRNET.
Group: A MUOS call service type, similar to a conference call with a dial-in number.
Radio Access Facility (RAF): The MUOS ground station. The Ka-band links carry wideband aggregate user data between a satellite and the RAFs on the ground.
Global roaming (Add-Me): The MUOS capability that lets a terminal use any visible satellite for point-to-point and point-to-net services without a new satellite access authorization.
Joint Integrated SATCOM Tool (JIST): The SIPRNET website where MUOS group requests (MGR) are submitted. The resulting MUOS group authorization contains the group IDs and access times for an approved MGR.
JSMPS: Joint Satellite Communications Management and Planning System. The SIPRNET website where MUOS profile requests are submitted. The Operational Provisioning Authority provides a synopsis file and an IP address assignment file to the requesting unit.
IMSI: International Mobile Subscriber Identity - the number that identifies a MUOS terminal to the Network Management System. The MSISDN is the terminal's 'phone number'.
ANDVT / KY-99: The narrowband COMSEC most commonly used on 5 kHz dedicated SATCOM channels. Its LPC-10 encoding gives poor voice quality; MELP digital voice encoding makes ANDVT communications more understandable.
VINSON / KY-57: The COMSEC most commonly used for voice on 25 kHz dedicated SATCOM channels.

Testable points

You must submit a Satellite Access Request for any satellite access, dedicated or DAMA, and you receive a Satellite Access Authorization when it is approved.
The SAR must be submitted 90 days prior, or a letter of lateness signed by an O-6 is required.
The SAA gives channel and satellite information but does not give COMSEC information.
Military UHF satellites are in geostationary orbit at a range of 22,300 miles above the equator, appearing stationary to users on the earth.
There are four SATCOM footprints - CONUS, Atlantic (LANT), Indian Ocean (IO) and Pacific (PAC) - and each footprint area has two satellites in it.
Legacy UHF SATCOM operates on 243 to 270 MHz downlink and 291 to 318 MHz uplink.
MUOS operates on 300 to 320 MHz uplink and 360 to 380 MHz downlink.
The UHF frequency range is 300 MHz to 3 GHz with wavelengths between 1 m and 100 mm; common civil applications include satellite, Wi-Fi, GPS, 4G and UHF television.
MIL-STD-188-181B is dedicated access - a single channel with net-exclusive rights.
MIL-STD-188-182A is 5 kHz DAMA, sharing a narrowband channel among multiple users.
MIL-STD-188-183A is 25 kHz DAMA, similar to 182A but supporting higher quality voice and data throughput.
MIL-STD-188-181C and 183B are the Integrated Waveform, the DAMA replacement, which doubles the number of supported users, supports 5 kHz or 25 kHz service, and carries data rates up to 56 kbps.
MIL-STD-188-187 is the MUOS waveform, supporting on-demand global IP-based communications.
The DAMA frame length is 1.386 seconds for 25 kHz and 8.96 seconds for 5 kHz.
The nine-second frame length of the 5 kHz channel causes problems for voice, which makes 5 kHz DAMA better suited to data operations.
The 5 kHz frame structure is variable; the 25 kHz frame structure is fixed.
Both 5 kHz and 25 kHz waveforms have frames, forward and reverse orderwires, a communications segment, and a method for ranging that is either active or passive.
Before DAMA, every user of a SATCOM channel had to use the same TEK. Under DAMA a unit can use its own TEK, different from other users on the satellite, with the same key required only between the two terminals of a service - but all users share a common orderwire key to secure control signalling.
5 kHz channels are called NB and support data rates up to 2.4 kbps; ANDVT KY-99 COMSEC is most commonly used, and voice quality is poor because of the slow LPC-10 encoding.
25 kHz channels are called WB; VINSON KY-57 compatible COMSEC is most commonly used for voice, and voice quality is similar to telephone or line-of-sight radio despite encryption.
Non-secure SATCOM is not permitted on either 5 kHz or 25 kHz dedicated channels.
MUOS is based on cellular 3G technology and provides on-demand IP-based communication rather than legacy circuit-based communication.
MUOS is comprised of four geosynchronous satellites and four ground stations - Hawaii, Norfolk (Virginia), Sicily and Geraldton (Australia) - with switching and network management facilities in Hawaii and Norfolk, each connected to the DISN.
MUOS uses a double-hop radio link consisting of four propagation paths: two UHF links between the satellite and the MUOS terminals, and two Ka-band links carrying wideband aggregate user data between the satellite and the Radio Access Facilities on the ground.
MUOS supports three general call service types: point-to-point, point-to-net and group.
MUOS raises data capacity from the legacy constellation's 2.6 Mbps to 40.2 Mbps, and access capacity from 1,117 users at 2.4 kbps to a theoretical 16,332 at 2.4 kbps.
MUOS nominal data rates are 2.4 or 9.6 kbps for voice and 9.6, 32 or 64 kbps for data; legacy nominal rates ran 75 bps to 48 kbps.
MUOS supports point-to-point calling at full duplex, DISN services (NIPRNET, SIPRNET and DSN), simultaneous services (Multi-RAB), full duplex, immediate networks, adaptive power control and global roaming - none of which legacy UHF SATCOM supports.
No satellite access request is needed for MUOS point-to-point or point-to-net services; a legacy SAA is required for all legacy satellite access.
A MUOS manpack connects the dismounted squad to the MUOS network, and legacy radios such as SINCGARS can connect to MUOS through the manpack bridge.
MUOS delivers roughly four times the capacity on a single satellite that the entire current legacy network provides, and ten times the capacity of legacy systems.
MUOS is not meant to replace legacy SATCOM entirely - the two coexist.
In siting a radio, deploy antennas vertically except for UHF SATCOM; obstructions, structures and vehicles all reduce range performance, and the best locations are free of obstructions and excessive vegetation, at or just below the crest of a hill.

References

MIL-STD-188-181B/181C, UHF SATCOM dedicated and Integrated WaveformMIL-STD-188-182A, 5 kHz DAMAMIL-STD-188-183A/183B, 25 kHz DAMA and Integrated WaveformMIL-STD-188-187, MUOS waveformATP 6-02.53, Techniques for Tactical Radio Operations (31 Jan 2020)ATP 6-02.54, Techniques for Satellite Communications

Tactical Radio Planning Tools - SPEED 113-SCCCE05

Learning objective and standard

Learning objectiveIdentify the Systems Planning, Engineering and Evaluation Device (SPEED) tactical radio planning tool capabilities, and perform tactical radio planning with it.

StandardIdentify the SPEED tactical radio planning tool capabilities in a clear and concise manner, without error, and perform tactical radio planning with SPEED for a simulated tactical scenario.

A 16-hour lesson on the tool that turns a map and a radio list into a defensible answer about whether two stations can actually talk. SPEED does path-profile analysis for VHF, UHF and SHF, plots transmitter coverage, plans satellite access, and runs interference analysis - and it produces the line-of-sight-by-phase product the Lower TI rubric grades. Two things are worth memorizing: the color code on a coverage plot and on an analysis link, because that is what you read off the screen and put on a slide, and the FOT workflow for HF, because that is how you satisfy the rubric requirement that ALE frequencies sit inside the frequency of optimum transmission. Everything else is menu navigation you will do with the tool in front of you.

Doctrinal currencyThis lesson describes a specific software build. Version-numbered facts age faster than anything else in Module E, so treat them as of the version the course teaches rather than as permanent truths.

What this course teaches — answer this on the exam

The lesson is written against SPEED 11.1.2 and 11.1.3, with database version 50.0.0 on install
The UI description refers to an Office 2010 look and feel with Blue, Black and Silver themes
The lesson notes SQL Server 2014 SP2 as the current database platform

How to use it

The functional facts - what path profiling, coverage analysis, SATPLAN and the interference analyses do, and what the colors mean - are stable and are what a written test can reasonably ask
The version numbers, database version and UI theme names are the kind of detail that changes with the next release. Learn them for a version-specific question but do not expect them to still be true in the field

Doctrinal sets to know cold

What SPEED does

Path-profiling analysis of VHF, UHF and SHF radio bands
Point-to-point analysis with 2D and 3D terrain profiles
Transmitter coverage analysis showing LOS, good and marginal coverage
Satellite planning - ground traces, footprints, visibility link analysis, terrain blockage, auto-generated SARs
Interference analysis - blue-on-blue and red-on-blue
Spectrum management - SFAF proposals and assignments, cut sheets
Asset management - personnel rosters, equipment density lists, convoy manifests, SF-153 and ECR templates
Comms on the move analysis along a route, including airborne in 3D
EPLRS network planning and expected quality of service

Transmitter coverage plot colors

Blue - line of sight
Green - good radio coverage
Yellow - marginal radio coverage

Link line colors in the analysis view

Black - not compatible
Red - cannot talk
Yellow - good, but not good
Green dashed - can talk, no line of sight
Green solid - can talk, with line of sight

The HF analysis workflow

Add radios, ensuring they are PRC-150 or PRC-160
Click the HF analysis button
Click the connection line
Read the FOT
Set each radio's frequency to the FOT
Set HF power (20 W for the dismounted PRC-160)
Click the red line, rank antennas, select the correct antenna, and apply

The retransmission coverage workflow

Highlight all radios
Run analyze transmitter coverage
Set common coverage areas to LOS / good / marginal
Set the radius to 35 km (the OE-254 maximum used in class is 40 km)
Click 'set parameters for all radios' twice
Analyze and wait for the green coverage clouds
Drag and drop the retransmission radio into the green area

Analysis results window indicators

White line - the physical line-of-sight path between antenna systems
Red line - the Fresnel zone, the diffraction and obstruction area surrounding the LOS path

Asset Manager outputs

Personnel roster, importable and updatable, feeding Joint Manning Documents
Equipment Density List (EDL) from equipment assigned to vehicles
Convoy transportation manifest, with convoy positions
SF-153 template for cryptographic equipment accountability
Equipment Custody Receipt (ECR) card template for temporary equipment tracking

Key terms

SPEED: Systems Planning, Engineering and Evaluation Device. A fully integrated system for generating, storing and disseminating communications information, providing rapid communications planning support for maneuver warfare in rapidly changing tactical environments.
Path-profiling analysis: SPEED's core function - estimating RF network configuration performance between connected transceivers in the VHF, UHF and SHF bands, with three-dimensional terrain profile displays between them.
Point-to-Point (PTP) analysis: SPEED's point-to-point communications analysis, engineering and planning function for VHF, UHF and SHF. It evaluates any network configuration of connected transceivers and provides two-dimensional terrain profile displays plus a graphics tool set for optimizing performance.
Transmitter coverage analysis: An analysis in which you select one or more radios as transmitters and define a virtual receiver, and SPEED plots the areas where a receiver could successfully receive from those transmitters.
Fresnel zone: The diffraction and obstruction area surrounding the line-of-sight path. In the SPEED analysis results window the white line indicates a physical LOS path between antenna systems and the red line indicates the Fresnel zone.
NASA WorldWind: The modern hardware-accelerated 3D mapping engine that replaced SPEED's original mapping capability. It uses the computer's graphics hardware and requires OpenGL 2.1 or higher.
DTED: Digital Terrain Elevation Data. SPEED supports DTED level 3 for more accurate maps and analyses. Elevation data such as DTED or SRTM is required for any analysis that uses elevation.
WMS: Web Mapping Service. SPEED can query and plot WMS map data such as weather forecast and cloud layers as additional map layers.
KMZ: A compressed Google Earth file containing a KML document with its icons and graphics. SPEED can export systems, mil units, map graphics, link lines and RCA plots to KMZ, and can import KML and KMZ. Systems and mil units export as icons, map graphics and link lines as polygons, and RCA plots as ground overlays. Actual analyses are not exported because Google Earth does not support them.
Satellite Planner (SATPLAN): SPEED's satellite module. It defines and configures satellite payloads alongside ground unit definitions, calculates and displays satellite ground traces, communications footprints and visibility link analysis, and works with both geostationary and non-geostationary satellites. It can auto-generate UHF satellite access requests from a template and show satellite terrain blockage in 2D or 3D.
Blue-on-blue interference: SPEED's friendly interference analysis, which accounts for the direct and cumulative effects of interference to receivers. Frequency Dependent Rejection is used to calculate on-tune rejection and off-frequency rejection.
Red-on-blue interference: SPEED's enemy jamming analysis, which calculates interference for each movement of a jammer along a route against the friendly communication links.
Asset Manager: SPEED's utility for managing and tracking equipment and personnel. Personnel rosters can be imported and updated to populate Joint Manning Documents, and equipment and personnel can be assigned to vehicles to generate Equipment Density Lists and convoy transportation manifests. It provides templates for the Equipment Custody Receipt card and the SF-153.
SF-153: The form used to account for cryptographic equipment. SPEED's Asset Manager provides a template for it.
Equipment Custody Receipt (ECR): The card SPEED's Asset Manager templates for temporary tracking of equipment.
SKR database: The radio equipment database, drawn from the JETS database, that SPEED uses. With it, there are several thousand available types of equipment to model, and the current version lets you mark a subset as favorites and organize them into folders.
Antenna azimuth: The aiming angle of a radio's antenna referenced to true north. Only directional antennas need to be aimed in the desired direction of signal propagation.
Custom Reports: The SPEED feature that exports database and run-specific data in Excel XML format, with user-selected fields, field order and user-defined templates. Run-specific data comes from Force Structure, Asset Manager and Resource Manager; database data from Spectrum Management, Equipment, Locations, Net Structure Management, Satellites and Resource Management.
C2PC: Command and Control Personal Computer. Its client can run SPEED as an injector, associating radios to Common Operational Picture tracks.
SFAF: Standard Frequency Action Format. SPEED's spectrum management tools prepare and export SFAF proposals and assignments, alongside satellite access requests and cut sheets.
Diffraction shot: The technique of using a hilltop as a diffraction point to extend communications range. The SPEED map window is used to identify hilltops suitable for it.

Testable points

SPEED provides path-profiling analysis of VHF, UHF and SHF radio bands.
SPEED estimates RF network configuration performance of connected transceivers, provides three-dimensional terrain profile displays between them, and provides a graphical tool set for optimizing performance.
SPEED assists in planning Enhanced Position Location Reporting System (EPLRS) networks and determining expected quality of service.
Beyond path profiling, SPEED provides spectrum management tools that prepare and export satellite access requests, Standard Frequency Action Format proposals and assignments, produce cut sheets, and track equipment and personnel.
In a transmitter coverage plot, blue regions represent line of sight, green regions represent good radio coverage, and yellow regions represent marginal radio coverage.
In the analysis results window, the white line indicates a physical line-of-sight path between antenna systems and the red line indicates the Fresnel zone - the diffraction and obstruction area surrounding the LOS path.
SPEED's link line colors run black for not compatible, red for cannot talk, yellow for good but not good, green dashed for can talk with no line of sight, and green solid for can talk with line of sight.
For a retransmission analysis, the class cheat sheet uses 40 km as the maximum range for the OE-254 and sets a coverage radius of 35 km, clicking 'set parameters for all radios' twice before running the analysis.
The HF workflow in SPEED is to add PRC-150 or PRC-160 radios, run the HF analysis, click the connection line, read the FOT, then set each radio's frequency to the FOT.
The class cheat sheet sets HF power to 20 watts, which matches the AN/PRC-160(V)3 dismounted output.
Radio location can be entered three ways in SPEED - by grid, by drag and drop, or through the browse button.
SPEED's mapping engine is based on NASA WorldWind, is hardware accelerated, and requires a computer running OpenGL 2.1 or higher.
SPEED can display CADRG, CIB and GEOTIFF files installed on the operator's system in addition to WMS layers.
Accurate analysis using elevation requires elevation data such as DTED or SRTM, and DTED level 3 is supported.
SPEED exports to KMZ for display in Google Earth, but actual analyses are not exported because Google Earth does not support them.
The SPEED database migrated from SQL Server 2008 to SQL Server 2014 SP2, and the pre-defined database is configuration managed - users cannot overwrite or change any element of it.
The SPEED database version is 50.0.0 on install, and the version number changes only when an official database update is applied.
If a SPEED database contains user-defined data, the About screen adds the text 'Contains User Data'.
SPEED 11.1.3 has a user interface based on Office 2010, with Blue, Black and Silver themes.
The SKR database brings radio equipment data from JETS into SPEED, giving several thousand equipment types to model.
Only directional antennas need to be aimed; the antenna azimuth is referenced to true north.
The SPEED map window is used to identify high terrain for maximizing range, low points for minimizing detection and direction finding by enemy forces, and hilltops for diffraction shots to extend range.
The Satellite Planner works with both geostationary and non-geostationary satellites and can auto-generate UHF satellite access requests from a template.
Blue-on-blue interference analysis uses Frequency Dependent Rejection to calculate on-tune rejection and off-frequency rejection.
Red-on-blue interference analysis calculates interference for each movement of a jammer along its route against the friendly links.
Asset Manager can generate a convoy manifest, and prompts personnel for their convoy position when they are added to a vehicle.
There is currently no automated import of military or training data into the SPEED personnel roster from MOL.
SPEED 11.1.2 features include continued enhancements to NASA WorldWind map overlays, FDR optimization algorithms for large and complex networks, GUI changes for interference analysis, integration of the MITRE offensive and defensive anti-jam module, Spectrum XXI Online integration for SSRF and Joint Restricted Frequency List support in a disconnected environment, and additional platforms and systems.

References

ATP 6-02.70, Techniques for Spectrum Management Operations (15 Oct 2019)ATP 6-02.53, Techniques for Tactical Radio Operations (31 Jan 2020)SPEED Analysis Cheat Sheet (course product)

PACE Planning Considerations 113-SCCCE10

Learning objective and standard

Learning objectiveDevelop a Primary, Alternate, Contingency, Emergency (PACE) communications plan for a Brigade Combat Team.

StandardDevelop a PACE communications plan for a Brigade Combat Team that clearly and concisely supports signal requirements from an approved OPORD within the required time, with less than two errors.

Sixteen hours on the single product the S6 is most identified with, and the one Module E lesson that is as much about the operations process as about radios. The lesson's organizing claim is that a PACE plan is a course of action, which means it has to pass the five COA screening criteria - feasible, acceptable, suitable, distinguishable, complete - and it means the commander approves it, not the S6. Two distinctions carry most of the testable weight: capability versus asset, and PACE as a plan versus PACE as a menu. Learn the four PACE definitions verbatim, learn FASDC, learn that most units run two PACE plans (one to higher, one to lower) and that higher usually sets the one between echelons, and learn that a PACE has to be validated during rehearsals with triggers established for switching.

Doctrinal currencyThe PACE deck's reference list carries three publication details that no longer match the current publications. The doctrine the lesson teaches is unchanged; the citations are stale.

What this course teaches — answer this on the exam

The reference slide lists FM 3-0, Operations, dated October 2017
The reference slide lists ADP 5-0 with the title 'Army Planning and Orders Production' dated July 2019
The reference slide lists FM 6-02, Signal Support to Operations, dated July 2019

What the current publications say

FM 3-0, Operations, was republished 21 March 2025. That is the version to cite and the version whose language about command and control in degraded conditions the lesson is quoting
ADP 5-0 is titled The Operations Process (July 2019). 'Planning and Orders Production' is the title of FM 5-0, a different publication. The slide has merged the two
FM 6-02, Signal Support to Operations, is dated 12 September 2019, not July 2019. The 113-SCCCE01 lesson plan's own reference list gives the correct date
None of this changes the four PACE definitions, the five COA criteria, or the two-PACE-plans rule - answer those from the lesson

Doctrinal sets to know cold

The four PACE lines defined

Primary - the best, and intended, method of communications
Alternate - another common, but perhaps less optimal, method
Contingency - may not be as fast, convenient or reliable, but can still accomplish the task
Emergency - the method of last resort; may cause delays or otherwise affect operations

The five COA screening criteria (FASDC) applied to a PACE

Feasible - accomplishes the mission within time, space and resource limitations
Acceptable - balances cost and risk against the advantage gained
Suitable - is within the commander's intent and planning guidance
Distinguishable - differs significantly from the others
Complete - contains the critical aspects of solving the problem from start to finish

Mission analysis questions for a PACE

What risk is associated with each means? If the enemy can jam single channel FM, is single channel a viable primary?
What are your capabilities, at your level and at your subordinates' level?
What assets are available, and what is their operational readiness rate?
How many phases does the operation have, and can your on-hand systems support all of them?
How many command posts must be supported, and by what means during which phase?
What is the duration, and will there be a COMSEC changeover partway through?
What does the enemy get a vote on - cyberspace, electromagnetic interference, and your own electronic signature?

Capability versus asset - the distinctions the lesson draws

FM, or VHF - and if FM, is it digital or voice, and on which nets?
TACSAT, or a PRC-117 - and if TACSAT, single channel or DAMA, and if DAMA, how many TBAs?
HF, or a Harris radio - and if HF, single channel or ALE, voice or data?
An MCIS system such as CPOF, DCGS-A, AFATDS, Ventrilo or JCR, versus WIN-T as the transport underneath it

Ways to lay out a PACE plan

By phase of the operation
By warfighting function - mission command, movement and maneuver, intelligence, fires, sustainment
On the move versus at the halt
By interoperability between systems and capability set - INC 1 versus INC 2
By assets available by unit, maintained against digital battle rosters

A worked PACE by warfighting function

Mission command - Primary FM (command net), Alternate JCR, Contingency single channel TACSAT, Emergency HF
Intelligence - Primary DCGS-A, Alternate FM (operations and intelligence net), Contingency JCR, Emergency single channel TACSAT
Fires - Primary AFATDS, Alternate FM (fires voice), Contingency FM (command net), Emergency JCR
Sustainment - Primary BCS3, Alternate FM (admin/log net), Contingency JCR LOG, Emergency single channel TACSAT

References the PACE lesson cites

ADP 5-0, The Operations Process
ADP 6-0, Mission Command: Command and Control of Army Forces
FM 3-0, Operations
FM 6-0, Commander and Staff Organization and Operations
FM 6-02, Signal Support to Operations
TC 6-02.1, The United States Army Signal Corps Training Strategy

Key terms

PACE: Primary, Alternate, Contingency, Emergency. For the purposes of this lesson, a course of action for communications - a prioritized set of redundant means that ensures effective command and control and interoperability.
Primary: The best, and intended, method of communications.
Alternate: Another common, but perhaps less optimal, method of communications.
Contingency: A method that may not be as fast, convenient or reliable, but that can still accomplish the task.
Emergency: The communications method of last resort. Emergency methods may cause delays or otherwise affect operations.
Feasible: One of the five COA screening criteria. Does it accomplish the mission within the established time, space and resource limitations?
Acceptable: One of the five COA screening criteria. It must balance cost and risk with the advantage gained.
Suitable: One of the five COA screening criteria. Is it within the commander's intent and planning guidance?
Distinguishable: One of the five COA screening criteria. It must differ significantly from the others - which is why the four lines of a PACE cannot all ride the same transmission path.
Complete: One of the five COA screening criteria. Does it contain the critical aspects of solving the problem from start to finish?
Capability: The ability to do something - for example single channel or TACSAT communication. Distinguished from an asset, which is the equipment itself. The lesson's example: a capability is SC/TS, whereas an asset is having two PRC-117F radios.
Asset: The equipment on hand. Two PRC-117F radios is an asset; the capability those radios give you is a different thing, and the PACE plan is built from capabilities that your assets and their operational readiness can actually support.
Operational readiness (OR) rate: The proportion of a system that is mission capable. The lesson uses an OR rate as a planning discriminator - you cannot rely on a system as an effective part of your PACE if you lack the required depth of working systems.
Trigger: The identified condition that causes a unit to transition from one PACE line to the next. Triggers are identified during COA comparison and wargaming, recommended by the S6, and approved by the commander. It is not up to a subordinate unit to decide which method it feels like using.
Running estimate: The continuously updated staff assessment of the situation from the S6's functional perspective, covering friendly and enemy Lower TI assets, weather and terrain, and the specified, implied and essential tasks for Lower TI communications. The Lower TI rubric grades whether it was updated and briefed.
COMSTAT: The communications status report - what signal equipment the unit has and how much of it works. The PLANNEX asks students to consult COMSTAT and PERSTAT when building a battalion PACE plan.
PACE by warfighting function: One of the ways to lay out a PACE plan - a separate PACE line set for mission command, movement and maneuver, intelligence, fires and sustainment, recognizing that each warfighting function uses different systems.
PACE by phase: The other common layout - a separate PACE for each phase of the operation, changing as command posts move and as the unit transitions between at-the-halt and on-the-move postures.

Testable points

A PACE plan is a course of action for communications, and like any COA it must be feasible, acceptable, suitable, distinguishable and complete.
Commanders must be able to communicate with adjacent units, supporting joint forces, and host-nation and multinational forces, in addition to their subordinates.
Successful commanders understand that networks may be degraded through threat or environmental factors during operations, and develop methods and measures to mitigate the impact of degraded networks (ADP 6-0).
A viable, effective PACE plan may be the most valuable contribution of a G-6 or S-6 in the planning process.
Most units establish two PACE plans - one for communications to higher headquarters and one for subordinate units.
The higher headquarters usually establishes the PACE plan for communications between echelons.
Units should validate the PACE plan during mission rehearsals, to confirm each means is viable and to establish triggers for execution.
If a subordinate unit does not have the required equipment or is untrained in employing a system, that system should not be part of the PACE plan.
A PACE must be supportable both up and down within the chain of command. If you task a subordinate with a communications system, it is incumbent on the higher headquarters to provide it.
PACE is not a menu. Transitioning from one method to another is recommended by the S6 based on a trigger identified during COA comparison and wargaming, and then approved by the commander.
When developing a PACE, use a mix of upper tier and lower tier systems, so that you are not reliant on one means of transmission - digital and analog both.
A PACE whose four lines all ride the same transmission path is not a PACE. The lesson's worked example - AFATDS primary, CPOF alternate, DCGS-A contingency, SVoIP emergency - fails because all four are the same transmission path.
Mission analysis for PACE covers risk, capabilities, assets available and their operational readiness, the number of phases in the operation, the number of command posts to be supported, the duration of the operation, and the enemy's vote in cyberspace and the electromagnetic spectrum.
Duration matters to a PACE because a long operation may include a COMSEC changeover partway through, which has to be planned for and mitigated.
Some phases may be lower tier only and some a mix of upper and lower tier, so the equipment must be able to support multiple command posts in that manner.
Annex B of the OPORD carries the enemy threat and capability, and it should include the electronic threat.
When command posts are moving, one of them - TOC, TAC, mobile command group or ALOC - is always in control of the fight, which raises the question of who is in control of the network.
A PACE is just a prayer if it is not constantly validated - the S6 is expected to have a plan to keep validating that the PACE is still relevant and operational.
The PACE lesson is a 16-hour block and is described as the crawl phase of a crawl-walk-run approach to a concept of signal support.
The S6 is the commander's subject matter expert for planning command and control systems, responsible for signal operations, automation requirements, network management functions and information systems security, and is expected to be fully familiar with MDMP and with the tactical employment of the unit.
The PACE practical exercise problems are built at both echelons: a BCT S6 planning a hasty defense with a suspected network intrusion, and a battalion S6 planning offensive operations while the BCT guards the division boundary.
The BCT practical exercise gives an INC 1 EOL brigade with 3 infantry battalions, a cavalry troop, a field artillery battalion, a BSB and a BEB, holding 2 JNN, 7 CPN, 2 HCLOS v3, 5 HCLOS v1, 3 BCT and 8 BN retransmission sets, a 92 percent JBC-P OR rate, a 95 percent FM OR rate, one 5 kHz DAMA TACSAT channel with 20 TBAs, and a 100 percent HF OR rate.

References

FM 3-0, Operations (21 Mar 2025)ADP 5-0, The Operations Process (Jul 2019)ADP 6-0, Mission Command: Command and Control of Army Forces (Jul 2019)FM 6-0, Commander and Staff Organization and Operations (May 2022)FM 6-02, Signal Support to Operations (12 Sep 2019)TC 6-02.1, The United States Army Signal Corps Training Strategy (Jul 2018)

Integrated Tactical Network Waveforms 113-SCCCE09

Learning objective and standard

Learning objectiveIdentify the capabilities of the Integrated Tactical Network (ITN) waveforms.

StandardDefine the MUOS, Tactical Scalable MANET (TSM), Mobile Networked Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MN-MIMO) and Link 16 waveforms in a clear and concise manner, without error.

The waveform half of the ITN material - what actually rides the new radios. TSM is the one to know cold: a self-forming, self-healing, infrastructure-less mobile ad hoc network that carries voice, data, video and position location information at once, 26 miles per hop, up to eight hops, over 200 nodes on one RF channel. The numbers in this lesson are unusually clean and therefore unusually easy to test: 26 miles, eight hops, 200-plus nodes, 32 talk groups, 16 Mbps, 256-bit AES keys of 64 hexadecimal symbols, and Link 16 at 960 to 1215 MHz. If you learn one thing beyond the numbers, learn barrage relay - that is the mechanism that makes TSM different from ordinary MANET.

Doctrinal currencyRead this before you rely on the page. The Module E ITN deck is rights-protected and unreadable, so this lesson is built from the Module H ITN decks, which cover the same subject and are the newest material in the drop.

What this course teaches — answer this on the exam

113-SCCCE09 Introduction to the Integrated Tactical Network (v1.1) is rights-managed and cannot be opened; there is no lesson plan or advance sheet for it in the module drop
The Module E folder also contains a subfolder of Module H ITN decks - 113-SCCCH01 Primer, H02 Waveforms and H03 Capabilities - which are readable and are dated August and September 2026, newer than the December 2025 E-series material
The course map in the Module H primer shows ITN as its own module, Module H, alongside Module E Lower Tactical Tier
The Module H waveforms deck expands MUOS as 'Mobile Objective User System'

What that means for you

This page teaches Module E's ITN lesson from Module H sources. The subject matter is the same and the H material is more recent, but if the E09 deck differs, the deck wins
MUOS is the Mobile User Objective System. The Module E UHF lesson has it right; the Module H waveforms deck has the words in the wrong order on one slide
Because ITN now has a module of its own, it is worth asking whether E09 is still taught as a Module E lesson or has been absorbed into Module H. That changes nothing about the facts, but it changes which module a question about them belongs to

Doctrinal sets to know cold

TSM features - the headline numbers

26 miles line-of-sight range per hop
Up to eight hops, which is also the default TTL
Over 200 nodes on a single RF channel
Up to 32 voice talk groups
Up to 16 Mbps IP throughput per channel
Less than one second lost on re-entry, less than five seconds when merging networks
Less than five minutes for GPS acquisition, one node per second position update rate

What makes a TSM network different from a legacy SRW network

Infrastructure-less - not dependent on towers, buildings or advantaged nodes, though advantaged nodes enhance throughput
Decentralized - no programmed IP routes or tables, no central control points, access points or directional antennas
Dynamic - no restrictions on topology and no latency in highly dynamic scenarios
Self-healing - two networks in range merge automatically with no user configuration
Barrage relay - multiple simultaneous transmissions per hop rather than one
Scalable - node count does not increase network overhead

TSM COMSEC

One network security TSK per network
One COMSEC data TEK per network
One COMSEC voice TEK per talk group, up to 32
Keys are generated by the application, not issued by the COMSEC custodian
256-bit AES, expressed as 64 hexadecimal symbols of 4 bits each

TSM frequency ranges by radio

AN/PRC-148C - 225 to 450 MHz, 1775 to 1815 MHz, 2200 to 2260 MHz
AN/PRC-163 - 225 to 450 MHz and 1300 to 2600 MHz
AN/PRC-158 - 225 to 450 MHz, 762 to 970 MHz, 1250 to 2600 MHz
AN/PRC-162 - 225 to 450 MHz, 1250 to 1450 MHz, 1788 to 1850 MHz
TrellisWare CUB and Ghost - 1775 to 1815 MHz and 2200 to 2250 MHz
TrellisWare Shadow - 225 to 450 MHz, 698 to 970 MHz, 1250 to 2600 MHz

The four ITN waveforms

MUOS - beyond line of sight satellite, IP-based, 300 to 320 MHz up and 360 to 380 MHz down
TSM - self-forming self-healing MANET for voice, data, video and PLI
MN-MIMO - Silvus high-bandwidth meshed video and data using COFDM and multiple antennas
Link 16 - allied tactical data link at 960 to 1215 MHz using TDMA and frequency hopping

Harsh RF environments TSM is built for

Urban locations
Ships
Buildings
Tunnels
Dense foliage

Key terms

Integrated Tactical Network (ITN): The Army modernization effort that fields commercial and government radios, mesh waveforms and end-user devices to the tactical edge, giving squads and platoons network access that previously existed only at company level and above. It is tied to the Transformation in Contact and C2 Fix initiatives.
MANET: Mobile Ad-hoc Network - an infrastructure-less network in which every radio is a transmitter, a receiver and a relay, and the network forms and re-forms itself as nodes move.
Tactical Scalable MANET (TSM): The self-forming, self-healing, infrastructure-less MANET waveform at the center of the ITN. It supports simultaneous voice, data, video and position location information in a single tactical network and operates in the UHF, S and L frequency bands. A single TSM network is defined by a centerline frequency and its own encryption.
Barrage Relay: The technique that distinguishes TSM from traditional MANET. Traditional MANET depends on a single transmission per hop, so a break at one point fails the whole path. TSM sends multiple transmissions simultaneously per hop, using digital signal processing and cooperative combining to exploit multipath reflections, which greatly increases the chance the transmission gets through.
TSM-E and TSM-X: The two TSM waveform types. TSM-E is compatibility mode and is supported on all TSM products; TSM-X is the newer version.
Time to live (TTL): The number of hops a voice or data transmission travels in a TSM network. The default is no override, which is eight hops; the override values are 8, 4, 2 and 1.
Talk group: A TSM voice channel. TSM provides up to 32 voice talk groups depending on availability, and each requires its own COMSEC voice TEK.
Command node: The TSM node that provides the network time synchronization reference.
Advantaged node: A TSM node in a favorable position - elevated, or on a mast or aircraft - that enhances throughput. Advantaged nodes are not required, because TSM is infrastructure-less, but they help.
MN-MIMO: Mobile Networked Multiple-Input Multiple-Output, a Silvus Technologies waveform providing reliable high-bandwidth meshed video and data communications in challenging conditions. It combines COFDM, multiple antennas at both ends, and MANET behavior.
COFDM: Coded Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing - the technique MN-MIMO uses to break a broadband channel into many discrete narrow sub-channels for increased robustness.
MIMO: Multiple antennas at both transmitter and receiver, increasing power, range, noise immunity and throughput.
Link 16: The tactical data link used to exchange near-real-time tactical data among allied weapons systems and platforms. It operates from 960 to 1215 MHz in the UHF spectrum, a range also used for aeronautical radio navigation and sometimes called the L-band.
Soldier Radio Waveform (SRW): The legacy networking waveform TSM is contrasted against. SRW networks use programmed IP routes, require complex IP networking knowledge, are designed for fixed wired networks, rely heavily on pre-mission planning, and are subject to latency issues.
AMR 5.9: Adaptive Multi-Rate codec, one of the two voice codecs TSM uses to deliver cellular-quality voice.
MELPe: Mixed-Excitation Linear Prediction enhanced - the other TSM voice codec, and the low-rate digital voice standard used across tactical radios.
Network Security TSK: The transmission security key a TSM network requires. Each TSM network needs one network security TSK, one COMSEC data TEK, and a COMSEC voice TEK for each talk group.
Position Location Information (PLI): The GPS-derived position of each node, shared constantly across the TSM network. PLI is enabled on every radio by default, is separate from push-to-talk voice and IP data, and updates at a rate of one node per second.
MUOS Group Request (MGR): The request submitted through the Joint Integrated SATCOM Tool on SIPRNET to establish a MUOS group. The resulting group authorization contains the group IDs and access times.
Multi-RAB: MUOS's simultaneous services capability - running more than one MUOS service at the same time, which legacy UHF SATCOM cannot do.

Testable points

TSM is a self-forming, self-healing, infrastructure-less mobile ad hoc network designed from the ground up to carry simultaneous voice, data, video and position location information on a single tactical network.
TSM operates in the UHF, S and L frequency bands, and a single network is defined by a centerline frequency and its own encryption.
TSM provides a 26-mile line-of-sight range per network hop and can use up to eight hops.
Every TSM radio is a receiver, transmitter and relay.
TSM supports IP data rates up to 16 Mbps per channel.
TSM has no restriction on the number of radios in a single network, an increasing node count does not increase network overhead, and over 200 nodes can join a single RF channel.
TSM loses less than one second on re-entry and less than five seconds when merging networks.
If two separate TSM networks come into range they automatically merge into a single network with no user configuration required.
TSM push-to-talk voice is separate from IP data and can be used simultaneously without reducing IP bandwidth, and the number of radios and selected voice channels does not affect available bandwidth.
TSM offers cellular-quality voice through the AMR 5.9 codec or MELPe, and provides up to 32 voice talk groups depending on availability.
GPS position location tracking is enabled on every TSM radio by default, requires less than five minutes for GPS acquisition, and provides position updates at a rate of one node per second.
TSM works in harsh RF environments including urban locations, ships, buildings, dense foliage and tunnels.
A TSM network requires one network security TSK, one COMSEC data TEK, and one COMSEC voice TEK for each talk group, up to 32 TEKs.
TSM keys are generated by the application, are 256-bit AES, and are 64 hexadecimal symbols long - each symbol is 4 bits and hexadecimal uses the 16 symbols 0 through 9 and A through F.
TSM keys are not maintained and issued by the COMSEC custodian.
TSM IP devices are non-routing, giving plug-and-play capability that is not tied to a specific radio.
TSM bandwidth options are 1.2 MHz, 3.6 MHz, 10 MHz, 20 MHz and 40 MHz.
TSM transmit power depends on the radio and can be 8, 5, 4, 3.2, 2, 1, 0.5, 0.25 or 0.10 watts, or high, medium and low settings.
The command node in a TSM network provides the network time synchronization reference.
MN-MIMO is a Silvus Technologies waveform for high-bandwidth video and data in harsh tactical environments, combining COFDM sub-channelization, multiple antennas at both ends, and MANET relaying.
Link 16 operates from 960 to 1215 MHz, uses Time Division Multiple Access and frequency hopping to resist interference and jamming, and transmits discrete messages containing target location, identity and status.
The 960 to 1215 MHz range is also used for aeronautical radio navigation, including civil Distance Measuring Equipment and military TACAN.
SINCGARS in the ITN refresher is described as VHF-low FM line-of-sight, 30 to 88 MHz, hopping approximately 100 times per second, with each station required to be within plus or minus four seconds of net time.
In the ITN SINCGARS refresher, the loadset is defined as the combination of hopset and lockouts in a format loadable into the radio with a crypto fill device such as the Simple Key Loader.
The ITN HF refresher describes HF as 3 to 30 MHz, relying on skywave propagation, with lower data rates, larger antennas, susceptibility to jamming and atmospheric interference, ALE-enabled modern systems, and value as a resilient backup.
MUOS comprises four geosynchronous satellites and four ground stations - Virginia, Sicily, Geraldton and Hawaii - giving worldwide coverage.
A MUOS manpack connects the dismounted squad to the MUOS network, and legacy radios such as SINCGARS can connect to MUOS through the manpack bridge.
MUOS gives all squad-level Soldiers potential access to SATCOM, against a current figure of roughly 5 percent - special operations only.
Initial MUOS configuration requires radio firmware version 2.3.0 or later, the MUOS option and waveform firmware, AES cover keys (KPK-UK and KPK-OK), HAIPE or SCIP Firefly Vectors or Pre-Placed Keys, a mission plan file, and the MUOS antenna connected.

References

FM 6-02, Signal Support to Operations (12 Sep 2019)ATP 6-02.53, Techniques for Tactical Radio Operations (31 Jan 2020)MIL-STD-188-187, MUOS waveform

ITN Radios and Equipment 113-SCCCE09

Learning objective and standard

Learning objectiveIdentify the capabilities of the Integrated Tactical Network equipment set.

StandardIdentify the radios, power systems, mission command platforms, network systems and encryption devices that comprise the Integrated Tactical Network, and their capabilities, in a clear and concise manner, without error.

The equipment catalog behind the ITN, and the reference you need to allocate assets in the Lower TI PLANNEX. It is a long list, so learn it by role rather than by nomenclature: the two HF manpacks, the two dual-channel multiband manpacks, the handhelds, the TSM-only relays and trackers, the satellite terminals, the two inline network encryptors, and the mission command platforms. The exam-friendly discriminators are the frequency ranges and the channel counts - which radios are dual channel, which reach into L and S band, which do SATCOM, and which do only one waveform. If you can say what a AN/PRC-158 does that a AN/PRC-160 cannot, and what a AN/PRC-166 does that neither does, you have most of what this lesson can ask.

Doctrinal currencyThe same sourcing caveat applies here as to the ITN waveforms page: the Module E ITN deck could not be opened, so this catalog comes from the Module H ITN capabilities deck, dated August 2026.

What this course teaches — answer this on the exam

113-SCCCE09 Introduction to the Integrated Tactical Network (v1.1) is rights-managed and unreadable
The equipment catalog on this page comes from 113-SCCCH03 Integrated Tactical Network (ITN) Capabilities (v1.0), whose slides carry an 'as of 5 August 2026' date

How to use this page

Treat this as a reference for asset allocation in the PLANNEX rather than as a list to memorize whole. The frequency ranges, channel counts and waveform support are what distinguish one radio from another and are what a question can turn on
Vendor specification figures - weights, battery lives, dimensions - change between variants and fielding increments. Learn the ones that separate radios from each other, not every number on every card

Doctrinal sets to know cold

ITN radios by role

SINCGARS VHF - AN/PRC-119F (RT-1523)
HF manpacks - AN/PRC-150C (legacy) and AN/PRC-160 (current)
Dual-channel multiband manpacks - AN/PRC-158 and AN/PRC-162
Multichannel handheld - AN/PRC-163 / VRC-135
Dual-channel leader handheld - AN/PRC-148C IMBITR
TSM handhelds and team radios - AN/PRC-170, AN/PRC-171, AN/PRC-168
TSM tracking and repeating - AN/PRC-166 TSM Ghost
Link 16 handheld - AN/PRC-161
Satellite push-to-talk - DTCS
Trackers and beacons - EMSS Beacon, SHOUT nano
Off-grid mesh - goTenna Pro
Net joining - Tactical Voice Bridge

Soldier power in the ITN set

IntelliGEN 1000 flex-fuel generator - up to 900 W nominal on gasoline, 800 W on JP-8/F-24, 1000 W peak
Ex-Power 2000 Ranger generator - 1500 W continuous, 2000 W peak, 3.0 kVA in parallel
Squad Power Manager (SPM) - scavenges and converts power from solar, AC, vehicle and partly used disposable batteries
Universal Battery Charger (UBC)

Mission command platforms

JBC-P - joint digital battle command, on-the-move C2 and situational awareness
MMC-S - Mounted Mission Command Software, the Mounted Computing Environment
Network Services Gateway - bridges JBC-P messaging to SRW and TSM networks
TSIv2 large and small - Tactical Server Infrastructure hosting CPCE and Movement and Maneuver servers
CPCE - Command Post Computing Environment, the primary computing operating environment initiative

Network transport and encryption components

T2C2 - brigade command post satellite terminals, about 35 minutes to set up
SCOUT - manpack satellite terminals in X, Ku and Ka, 10 minutes to set up
PacStar 400-series baseband modules - HAIPE, server, routing, switching and radio over IP in one chassis
Mobile Broadband Kit and MiFi hotspot - commercial cellular and WiFi extension
Silvus StreamCaster - MN-MIMO mesh for high-bandwidth video and data
GMR-1000 - rugged multi-domain vehicle data router
KG-175D and KG-250XS - inline network encryptors
TACDS - tactical cross domain solution

Radios with UHF SATCOM capability

AN/PRC-163 - 243 to 270 MHz and 291 to 318.3 MHz on both RT1 and RT2
AN/PRC-158 - SATCOM dedicated, HPW and UHF SATCOM waveforms
AN/PRC-162 - MUOS 300 to 380 MHz, SATCOM Integrated Waveform, and UHF SATCOM DAMA
AN/PRC-148C - Integrated Waveform SATCOM

MAPS GEN I satellite acquisition times

Cold - 12 to 15 minutes
Warm - 3 to 5 minutes
Hot - 20 seconds, following the hot start procedure

Key terms

AN/PRC-119F (RT-1523): The SINCGARS VHF radio, 30 MHz to 87.975 MHz. Single channel fixed frequency with eight presets in single channel mode, frequency hopping, embedded COMSEC, continuous PLI transmission and GPS. 10 to 30 hours of typical battery life. Used as a manpack at dismount and on the move with the Vehicular Amplifier Adapter.
AN/PRC-148C (IMBITR): A tactical radio operating in single or simultaneous dual-channel configuration, providing wideband TSM ad hoc network coverage and interoperability with both TrellisWare and Thales radios. 30 to 512 MHz, 698 to 970 MHz and 1250 to 2600 MHz, AES-256, embedded commercial GPS, 2.7 lbs with battery and antennas, immersible to 2 meters.
AN/PRC-163: A multichannel handheld radio providing simultaneous up-and-down echelon connectivity, crossbanding, and redundancy in a small form factor. Capable of simultaneous RT1, RT2 and MM operation, with up to 99 system presets per channel and each channel configurable differently. VHF low 30 to 88 MHz and VHF high 118 to 174 MHz on RT1 only, UHF 225 to 512 MHz on RT1 and 225 to 450 MHz on RT2, UHF SATCOM 243 to 270 MHz and 291 to 318.3 MHz on both. Vehicle variant is the VRC-135.
AN/PRC-170: A TSM wideband MANET radio for harsh multipath and highly dynamic environments such as shipboard, caves and urban settings, interoperable with the IMBITR two-channel leader radio and other TSM radios. L/S band 1250 to 2600 MHz, L-UHF 225 to 450 MHz, U-UHF 698 to 970 MHz, Type-3 AES 256, 32 talk groups, 1.3 lbs with battery.
AN/PRC-171: A single-channel compact team radio with tactical MANET and legacy line-of-sight capability, a simplified user interface, 3.2 watts output, 13 net presets, 225 to 2600 MHz, and channel spacing from 25 kHz to 40 MHz. Narrowband waveform is UHF LOS; wideband is WRAITH TSM software 6.1.
AN/PRC-158: A dual-channel manpack with two discrete radio modules, each a single-channel multi-band multi-mode transceiver and amplifier, supporting ground-to-ground, ground-to-air and TACSAT. 30 MHz to 2 GHz, 99 net presets, embedded COMSEC, NSA certified to TOP SECRET and below, frequency hopping, radio and network crossbanding, optional internal GPS, about 13 hours of typical battery life. Vehicle variants VRC-124 and VRC-125; TOC variant TRC-240.
AN/PRC-162: A certified wideband network-capable software defined radio for man-portable, vehicle-mounted and fixed-site use, with two independent channels running simultaneous Type 1 and Type 3 secure voice and data, up to 20 watts of amplification, and voice/data crossband bridging. VHF 30 to 88 MHz, UHF 225 to 450 MHz, L-band 1250 to 1850 MHz, MUOS 300 to 380 MHz. Waveforms include SRW, WREN TSM, SINCGARS, MUOS, SATCOM IW and UHF SATCOM DAMA. Vehicle variants VRC-126, 127 and 128.
AN/PRC-150C: The previous-generation multiband HF manpack. 1.6 to 59.999 MHz, up to 200 presets per fixed channel, embedded COMSEC, ALE/3G, frequency hopping, about 8 hours of typical battery life. Its extended range to 60 MHz gives secure FSK voice and data in the VHF band.
AN/PRC-160: The smallest, lightest and fastest wideband HF manpack, and the replacement for the AN/PRC-150C. 1.5 to 59.999 MHz, up to 75 fully programmable net presets, embedded COMSEC, ALE/3G, frequency hopping, wideband data rates up to 120 kbps - ten times the rate of existing HF radios - and compatible with AN/PRC-150C power amplifiers, antenna couplers and vehicular mounts. TOC variant is the TRC-210.
AN/PRC-161: A handheld Link 16 device giving air and ground situational awareness to mounted and dismounted operators. 969 to 1206 MHz, embedded GPS, jam resistant, coalition interoperable, and capable of direct Link 16 voice. Fielded OCONUS.
AN/PRC-166: The TW-875 TSM Ghost radio - a small, highly portable TSM radio with a built-in battery that distributes real-time PLI and repeats data within a mesh network as an advantaged node. Up to 16 Mbps, up to 2 watts, L-UHF 225 to 450 MHz, U-UHF 698 to 970 MHz, L/S 1250 to 2600 MHz.
AN/PRC-168: A TSM radio supporting simultaneous voice, video, data and PLI, up to 16 voice channels, SD and HD H.264 video encoding, and data rates up to 16 Mbps. Transmit power 100 mW, 250 mW, 500 mW, 1 W or 2 W; up to 8 hours of battery life; can be run unmanned. Same three bands as the PRC-166.
DTCS: Distributed Tactical Communications System - a standalone over-the-horizon handheld push-to-talk device that works over a satellite constellation with worldwide pole-to-pole coverage. AES-256 encrypted voice and data, simultaneous voice and position streams, GPS receiver, IP67 and MIL-STD-810G.
EMSS Beacon: The Enhanced Mobile Satellite System beacon, providing near real-time continuous PLI of personnel and assets visible on the Nett Warrior/ATAK or WinTAK common operational picture. Transfers Iridium short burst data between 1616 and 1626 MHz, transmits once every five minutes, and points to a TAK server through the DISA EMSS portal.
SHOUT nano: A two-way messaging and GPS tracking handheld over the Iridium satellite network. Ultra-low power design allows position reports for up to 10 days on a single charge; supports two-way short burst data messaging and emergency notifications, and complies with Blue Force Tracking data formatting.
goTenna Pro: A small, lightweight VHF/UHF tactical mesh networking radio that pairs with an end-user device to give situational awareness and command and control off-grid. The deployment kit charges and transports up to 30 goTennas and supports mesh networking for up to 30 people.
Tactical Voice Bridge (TVB): A device that joins disparate voice nets regardless of band, frequency, mode or encryption. It requires no backhaul links, computers, generators or specialized training, runs on two AA cells for over 48 hours internally or 6 to 40 VDC externally, and provides full galvanic isolation.
Squad Power Manager (SPM): A power scavenging and conversion device that maintains critical systems by taking power from any available source - solar, AC, vehicle, or partially used disposable batteries - and converting it as required. It can simultaneously charge military and COTS batteries and functions fully submerged.
JBC-P: Joint Battle Command Platform - the next generation joint digital battle command family of systems, providing on-the-move command and control and situational awareness. Sends and receives full duplex data, refreshes situational awareness between 100 ms and 5 minutes, bridges to unclassified TSM networks through the Network Services Gateway, and runs about ten times faster than BFT 1 at roughly 56 kbps down and 32 kbps up.
Network Services Gateway (NSG): The JBC-P component that bridges JBC-P messaging with SRW and TSM networks. For unclassified TSM connectivity the KGV-72 is bypassed, and the bypass cable must be removed before going classified.
MMC-S: Mounted Mission Command - Software. Provides the Mounted Computing Environment, converging warfighting function applications, with collaboration and chat with CPCE, a common look and feel with the dismounted TAK clients, mission command on the move, and assured position, navigation and timing support for the MAPS device.
T2C2: Transportable Tactical Command Communications - satellite terminals providing beyond-line-of-sight voice, video and data for brigade command post elements at the halt, extending the network to early entry units. Setup time is about 35 minutes.
Mobile Broadband Kit (MBK): A lightweight WiFi and cellular kit that integrates with an existing PSC-15 GRRIP to extend coverage over commercial or unit wireless networks, works in a satellite-denied environment, sets up in about two minutes, and can increase GRRIP bandwidth to 5 MB.
KG-175D: An inline network encryptor securing IP datagram traffic, certified to protect information classified Top Secret Codeword and below, HAIPE v4.2.5 certified, with 200 Mb/s aggregate throughput, IPv4/IPv6 dual stack, remote HAIPE-to-HAIPE keying, remote zeroize, and both copper and fiber interfaces.
KG-250XS: A small NSA-certified Type 1 inline network encryptor supporting asymmetric throughput of 100 Mbps aggregated. It can tunnel layer 2 traffic over layer 3 networks, routes OSPF and PIM multicast, distributes multicast video, accelerates TCP/IP with embedded xPEP, and supports a browser-based configuration interface.
TACDS: A tactical cross domain solution enabling information sharing across security domains in vehicles, aircraft and dismounted soldier systems. One-way classified communication, up to 12 Mbps throughput, up to 4 SD or 2 HD video streams, up to 400 VMF messages per second with latency under 10 ms, with plug-and-play filter components and user-programmable rule sets.
TSIv2: Tactical Server Infrastructure version 2 - small and large hardware platforms that consolidate digital warfighting capabilities by hosting the Command Post Computing Environment and Movement and Maneuver server applications on one platform, reducing operational, maintenance and training requirements.
CPCE: Command Post Computing Environment - the integrated command and control system replacing legacy systems, enabling command and control throughout the operations process to plan, prepare, execute and assess. It is the primary computing operating environment initiative under the Network Cross-Functional Team's modernization strategy, with an integrated common operational picture accessible through a standard web browser, and operators trainable in under 24 hours.
MAPS: Mounted Assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing System. Generation I comprises an Enhanced DAGR Distributed Device with a VICTORY chip-scale atomic clock module and an anti-jam antenna system, letting commanders move, shoot and communicate in a GPS-challenged environment by replacing multiple GPS receivers and integrating non-GPS augmentation.
Silvus StreamCaster: The mesh radio family powered by the MN-MIMO waveform, designed for distributing video and other high-bandwidth data in harsh tactical environments. The SC4200 is 4 watts and the SC4400 is 8 watts.
GMR-1000: Gateway Mission Router - a fully rugged multi-domain data router for vehicle communications, with 802.11ac WiFi with dual layer encryption, a removable SSD up to 2 TB with AES-256 whole disk encryption and secure purge, a 5-port router, a 7-port gigabit Ethernet switch, an embedded IPSec tunneling server, firewall, and operational PKI certificates.

Testable points

The AN/PRC-158 and AN/PRC-162 are the two dual-channel manpacks in the set, both NSA certified to TOP SECRET and below, both with 99 net presets, both capable of radio and network crossbanding, and both with about 13 hours of typical battery life.
The AN/PRC-158 covers 30 MHz to 2 GHz; the AN/PRC-162 covers VHF 30 to 88 MHz, UHF 225 to 450 MHz, L-band 1250 to 1850 MHz and MUOS 300 to 380 MHz.
The AN/PRC-162 provides up to 20 watts of amplification and supports SRW, WREN TSM, SINCGARS, MUOS, SATCOM IW and UHF SATCOM DAMA.
The AN/PRC-158 supports narrowband AM/FM, VULOS, SINCGARS and HAVEQUICK I/II; wideband SRW, ANW2 and ANW2C; and SATCOM dedicated, HPW and UHF SATCOM.
The AN/PRC-160 replaces the AN/PRC-150C and is compatible with its power amplifiers, antenna couplers, vehicular mounts and accessories.
The AN/PRC-160 achieves wideband data rates up to 120 kbps, ten times greater than existing HF radios.
The AN/PRC-119F provides eight presets in single channel mode and 10 to 30 hours of typical battery life.
The AN/PRC-148C and the AN/PRC-158 are the two radios in the set capable of simultaneous dual-channel operation at squad and leader level; the AN/PRC-163 is capable of simultaneous RT1, RT2 and MM operation.
The AN/PRC-163 supports UHF SATCOM on both RT1 and RT2 at 243 to 270 MHz and 291 to 318.3 MHz, but VHF low and VHF high only on RT1.
The AN/PRC-170 supports 32 talk groups and weighs 1.3 pounds with battery.
The AN/PRC-171 has 13 net presets, 3.2 watts of output power, and channel spacing and bandwidth from 25 kHz to 40 MHz.
The AN/PRC-166 TSM Ghost repeats data within a mesh network as an advantaged node and distributes real-time PLI without requiring a larger full-featured TSM radio.
The AN/PRC-168 can encode SD and HD H.264 video, supports up to 16 voice channels, and can be run unmanned.
The AN/PRC-161 is the Link 16 handheld, 969 to 1206 MHz, giving air and ground situational awareness and direct Link 16 voice, and interoperating with TRAX, ATRAX, BOSS, ADSI, JRE and Gateway Manager.
The EMSS beacon transmits once every five minutes and operates between 1616 and 1626 MHz on Iridium.
The SHOUT nano can send position reports for up to 10 days on a single charge.
The goTenna Pro deployment kit supports mesh networking communications for up to 30 people and weighs less than 25 pounds.
The Tactical Voice Bridge joins disparate voice nets regardless of band, frequency, mode or encryption, with no backhaul, computers, generators or specialized training required.
The IntelliGEN 1000 flex-fuel generator provides up to 900 watts nominal on gasoline and 800 watts on JP-8/F-24, with a 1,000 watt peak, from multiple fuel types including JP-8, F-24, F-34 NATO, gasoline, propane, methanol and isopropanol.
The Ex-Power 2000 Ranger generator provides 0 to 1500 watts continuous at sea level with a 2000 watt peak, de-rated to 1250 watts above 104 degrees Fahrenheit, and runs on JP-8, F-24, Jet-A or JP-5.
JBC-P refreshes situational awareness between 100 milliseconds and 5 minutes, is roughly ten times faster than BFT 1 at about 56 kbps down and 32 kbps up, and can communicate from unclassified to classified systems with about an eight-second turnaround through the MCSC network operations center.
For unclassified TSM connectivity the JBC-P KGV-72 is bypassed with a bypass cable, which must be removed before going classified.
T2C2 satellite terminals take about 35 minutes to set up; SCOUT manpack terminals set up within 10 minutes with zero tools and can be operated by one person.
SCOUT supports X, Ku and Ka bands with auto-assist pointing and throughputs up to 4 Mbps for the small terminal and 6 Mbps for the medium.
The KG-175D is certified to Top Secret Codeword and below with 200 Mb/s aggregate throughput; the KG-250XS supports 100 Mbps aggregated and can tunnel layer 2 over layer 3.
TACDS passes up to 4 SD or 2 HD video streams, provides up to 12 Mbps of throughput, transfers up to 400 VMF messages per second, and passes low-latency VMF messages in under 10 milliseconds.
CPCE operators can be trained in less than 24 hours with minimal field service representative support.
MAPS GEN I satellite acquisition takes 12 to 15 minutes cold, 3 to 5 minutes warm, and 20 seconds hot following the hot start procedure.
The Silvus SC4200 is a 4-watt radio and the SC4400 an 8-watt radio, both running MN-MIMO.

References

FM 6-02, Signal Support to Operations (12 Sep 2019)ATP 6-02.53, Techniques for Tactical Radio Operations (31 Jan 2020)

Electromagnetic Spectrum (EMS) Signature Reduction in a Tactical Environment 113-SCCCE11

Learning objective and standard

Learning objectiveApply Signal planning considerations for Electromagnetic Spectrum (EMS) reduction within a contested or degraded environment.

StandardApply Signal planning considerations for EMS reduction within a contested or degraded environment by identifying those considerations in a clear and concise manner without error, applying EMS reduction techniques for a contested or degraded environment by receiving a GO on the practical exercise, and conducting a threat brief in a clear and concise manner without error.

The lesson opens with a heat map of a brigade in the box at the National Training Center and asks how an S6 hides that from the enemy, and it closes on how to replicate a denied, disrupted and degraded environment at home station so a unit finds out before someone else does. In between are three blocks: cyber threats and their mitigations, electromagnetic warfare threats and their mitigations, and replicating CEMA effects for training. The framing quotation is from the Marine Corps Operating Concept - to be detected is to be targeted is to be killed - and the practical core is electronic protection: minimize transmissions, mask with terrain, remote the antennas, move the command post, and control emissions deliberately rather than by accident. The empirical spine of the lesson is real collection against a rotational training unit, including WiFi and Bluetooth signatures picked up by a cellphone in a 3D-printed box flown on a drone.

Doctrinal currencyThis is the one Module E lesson with a genuine content gap. Everything on this page is inference from adjacent lessons, not the lesson itself.

What this course teaches — answer this on the exam

113-SCCCE11 EMS Reduction in a tactical environment.pptx is rights-managed and cannot be opened
There is no lesson plan, advance sheet, instructor guide or student handout for 113-SCCCE11 anywhere in the Module E drop
No other file in Module E - including the vendor and field service representative documentation - teaches emissions reduction at the planning level

What to do about it

Get the E11 deck or its notes from the class Teams page and check this page against it. Anything the deck says overrides anything here
The material above is real Module E content and is worth knowing regardless, but do not assume it matches the lesson's learning objective, its list format, or its check-on-learning answers - none of which are recoverable
If your exam has a question on this lesson that this page does not cover, that is the expected outcome of the gap, not a surprise

Doctrinal sets to know cold

The three blocks of the lesson

Cyber threats and mitigation techniques
Electromagnetic warfare threats and mitigation techniques
Replicating CEMA effects for training

Six techniques for minimizing transmissions - the deck's check on learning

Clear and concise transmissions, in a well-modulated voice using proper radio telephone procedure
Equipment capable of data burst transmission
Alternate means of communications - cable, wire, or messengers, per the PACE plan
Brevity codes, which shorten a message without concealing its content
Low power, which decreases range and reserves high power for penetrating jamming
Radio operator procedures, to reduce distinguishing characteristics

The eight actions to overcome jamming

Continue to operate
Adjust the receiver
Increase the transmitter power output
Adjust or change the antenna
Establish a retransmission station
Relocate the antenna
Use an alternate route for communications
Change frequencies

The three steps of reducing enemy jamming effectiveness

Recognize jamming or interference - is it internal or external, jamming or unintentional?
Report it - MIJI report, and JSIRO for electromagnetic interference
Overcome it - the eight actions

Command post protection measures

Limit electromagnetic emissions
Use terrain to mask
Operate emitters remotely
Move the command post frequently, and practise dislocation and handoff
Set radar cueing cycles
Execute survivability moves
Mask with camouflage netting

GPS and PNT protection techniques

Use only encrypted positioning, navigation and timing systems
Use a directional antenna to limit EMI direct access
Employ antenna diversity - multiple receivers or a multi-antenna receiver
Antenna masking and terrain masking
Body mass shielding to locate the interference source
Train and maintain the ability to navigate with map and compass

Indicators that personal electronic devices are being attacked

Enemy attacks that seem to correlate with personal electronic device usage
Incoming lethal attacks that occur with unexplained precision
A barrage of text messages, up to several per second, preventing use of the device
Incoming propaganda or psychological warfare messages from unknown numbers

Protecting personal electronic devices

Maintain strict control and accountability of devices
Download only trusted apps from approved sources
Maintain current security updates on devices and apps
Disable Bluetooth and WiFi features when not in use
Encrypt sensitive files and personal information
Allow only government-provided devices to connect to the DOD network

Site selection cautions near man-made obstructions

No tunnels, underpasses or steel bridges - RF absorption makes comms almost impossible
Avoid steel and reinforced concrete buildings between stations, but use buildings to camouflage antennas
Avoid suspended wire lines - they absorb power and introduce hum and noise
Avoid positions adjacent to heavily travelled roads - vehicle ignition systems interfere
Do not locate battery charging units and generators close to the radio station
Do not locate radio stations close to each other
Choose relatively quiet areas - copying weak signals requires concentration

Battle Drill 71-8-D7176 - React to Jamming or Suspected Communications Compromise

S6 alerts the TOC; battle captain directs execution of the PACE plan and re-establishes comms on an alternate net
EWO, S6 and S2 verify the nature of the attack and identify where it came from
EWO re-tasks any available ES sensor to DF or geolocate the source
S2 verifies SIGINT and ELINT sensor availability without impeding higher-priority collection
S6 determines whether it is enemy action, environmental or equipment failure, executes internal battle drills and submits a JSIR
Commander and S3 put eyes on the geolocated jammer and decide to retrieve or destroy per attack guidance

How a denied, disrupted and degraded environment is replicated in training

SINCGARS and HF - a reprogrammed Duke v3, cleared through the installation spectrum manager under CJCSM 3212.02D
GPS - handheld low-power Navigation Warfare Electronic Attack Trainers, under CJCSM 3212.03A
WIN-T - the regional hub node blocks the unit's network access
JCR / BFT - the Mission Command Support Center decommissions transceivers by serial number

Key terms

Electronic protection (EP): The division of electronic warfare involving actions taken to protect personnel, facilities and equipment from any effects of friendly or enemy use of the electromagnetic spectrum that degrade, neutralize or destroy friendly combat capability (JP 3-13.1, cited via ATP 6-02.53).
Emission control (EMCON): The selective and controlled use of electromagnetic, acoustic or other emitters to optimize command and control capabilities while minimizing, for operations security: detection by enemy sensors; mutual interference among friendly systems; and enemy interference with the ability to execute a military deception plan (JP 3-85).
Radio silence: The status on a radio network in which all stations are directed to continuously monitor without transmitting, except under established criteria. Emission control can be total - a commander may direct radio silence whenever desired.
Electromagnetic masking: What emission control enables, by integrating intelligence and electromagnetic warfare to adjust spectrum management and communications plans. A practical and disciplined EMCON plan, with other EP measures, is a critical aspect of good OPSEC.
Electromagnetic jamming: The intentional radiation, reradiation or reflection of electromagnetic energy for the purpose of preventing or reducing an opponent's effective use of the EMS, with the intent of degrading or neutralizing the opponent's actions.
Unmodulated jamming signal: A powerful jamming signal characterized by a lack of noise. If normal static noise returns when the antenna is temporarily disconnected, there is a high probability the radio is being jammed by an unmodulated signal.
Noise-modulated jamming signal: A jamming signal characterized by obvious interference noises. A greater than normal level of noise or an obviously modulated signal may indicate it; the same antenna-disconnect test confirms it.
Signal-to-jamming ratio: The relative strength of the desired signal to the jamming signal at the receiver. It is always desirable to have the desired signal stronger than the jamming signal, and most of the overcome-jamming techniques are ways of improving this ratio.
MIJI report: The format for reporting suspected enemy jamming and any unidentified or unintentional interference that disrupts communication - submitted even where the operator overcomes the effects. The specifics are usually listed in the SOI.
Joint Spectrum Interference Report Online (JSIRO): The web-based centralized application in which victims of interference report electromagnetic interference. It holds data and correspondence for reported EMI, intrusion and jamming incidents, and is the repository for analyses and supporting documentation used in trend and future interference resolution.
Electromagnetic interference (EMI): Any electromagnetic disturbance that interrupts, obstructs, degrades or limits the effective performance of electronics and electrical equipment. It can be induced intentionally, as in some forms of electronic warfare, or unintentionally through spurious emissions, responses or intermodulation products.
Terrain masking: Hiding behind terrain features so that detectors - radar, lasers, cameras or eyeballs - cannot pinpoint the position. Typically an aviation term, applied here to signal: positioning communications systems with large terrain features or man-made structures between the system and the forward line of own troops effectively blocks an enemy from detecting the signal.
Body mass shielding: A GPS technique for locating an EMI source: place your body between the offending transmitter and the receiver, hold the receiver close to your body with the screen pointed away, and rotate slowly 90 degrees at a time, allowing two minutes at each position. When the signal is restored, the EMI source is likely behind you.
Antenna diversity: A PNT protection technique. Employ multiple separate receivers or a multi-antenna receiver; it is effective against spoofing because a spoofer generally needs an additional transmit antenna for each additional GPS antenna, and must locate each transmit antenna in close physical proximity to the GPS receiver antenna.
False peaks / traffic leveling: Deceptive communication traffic used to prevent the enemy connecting an increase in communications with a tactical operation. Transmission increases on a random schedule create false peaks.
Brevity code: A code that provides no security, but has as its sole purpose the shortening of messages rather than the concealment of their content.
JINTACCS: The Joint Interoperability of Tactical Command and Control Systems, which provides a standard vocabulary for message planning. Its voice templates are among the best tools a radio operator has for minimizing transmission time.
Burst transmission: Encoding a message on a digital entry device before transmission, greatly reducing transmission time. Described in the lesson as the most significant advantage of TACSAT communications systems.
Steerable null antenna processor: One of the antenna techniques listed for electronic protection, alongside directional, mobile and decoy antennas.
Mixed-mode retransmission: A retransmission site or station that provides communications between a single-channel station or network and a frequency-hopping network without requiring all stations to operate in the vulnerable single-channel mode. Locate them away from friendly positions to reduce the risk of being targeted by enemy direction finding.
Battle Drill 71-8-D7176: React to Jamming or Suspected Communications Compromise, battalion through division. Triggered when the S6 receives a report of suspected jamming or compromise of the mission command system.
Personal electronic device (PED) attack: Attacks against the phones, watches, trackers and headphones soldiers bring with them. Indicators include enemy attacks correlating with PED usage, incoming lethal attacks with unexplained precision, a barrage of text messages preventing use of the device, and propaganda or psychological warfare messages from unknown numbers.
Duke version 3: The jammer NTC Operations Group reprogrammed to attack brigade combat team SINCGARS. Mounted on a HMMWV, it provides a small localized jamming environment, so the opposing force uses a visual model to replicate the jammer's position at standoff.
Navigation Warfare Electronic Attack Trainer (NEAT): A handheld, low-power commercially available GPS jamming trainer integrated at NTC to significantly reduce risk outside the reservation. SMDC/ARSTRAT uses these to demonstrate the effects of GPS jamming on military receivers at installations around the country as part of their home station training package.
Mission Command Support Center (MCSC): Monitors the Blue Force Tracking network, publishes network announcements and helps users troubleshoot access. It can decommission and re-commission a BFT transceiver on demand using the transceiver's unique serial number, which boots the transceiver from the network without harming the platform.
Regional hub node (RHN): One of the worldwide nodes maintaining the WIN-T network broadcast. Because the RHN allows users to access the network, it can also deny access - which is how a WIN-T denial event is replicated in training without a jammer.
Rotational training unit (RTU): The unit undergoing a combat training center rotation - the unit whose signature was collected in the 23-07 data this lesson is built on.

Testable points

The framing quotation of the lesson is from the Marine Corps Operating Concept (2016): to be detected is to be targeted is to be killed.
The enemy will seek to render US combat power ineffective by systemic and continual attacks across multiple domains and the information environment, both before and during combat operations. The isolation or destruction of a key command and control node offers the enemy a marked tactical advantage (FM 6-02).
Commanders should assume the enemy considers the network and the ability to communicate to be key targets for destruction or degradation (FM 6-02).
In large-scale combat operations against near-peer competitors, the enemy is expected to use EW capabilities to detect, intercept, deny, degrade, disrupt, destroy or manipulate friendly communications, command and control, and intelligence capabilities (GTA 11-11-001).
Congestion is not only the enemy's doing: neutral systems such as commercial aircraft and airports, WiMAX and commercial cellular infrastructure contribute to continuing congestion in cyberspace and the EMS (FM 3-12).
The 28 April 2023 combined EMS heat map recorded 31,800 hits at 1,766 hits per hour across four surveyed systems, with signatures from HF, VHF, TACSAT, Q50, JCR, cellular, WiFi, Q53, Sentinel and SATCOM.
Broken out by system on the same date: VHF 8,056 hits at 447 per hour; TACSAT 11,532 at 641; Q50 10,672 at 593; JCR 1,536 at 85.
Rotation 23-07 'Phone in a Drone': using a free open-source application on a midgrade-cost cellphone, OPFOR collected WiFi and Bluetooth signals from the rotational training unit. The phone was placed in a 3D-printed box, attached to a drone and flown around suspected RTU positions - a low-cost, extremely high-payoff method of identifying and tracking communications systems.
RTU communication increasingly relies on networked or meshed devices. That shift decreases the probability of detection through traditional electromagnetic warfare methods, while increasing the probability of detection and attribution using low-cost commercial off-the-shelf equipment.
A brigade main command post that was well concealed visually from UAS was located electronically by its WiFi emissions, detected using a cellphone attached to a drone. The signatures were unique and not present in the area until the RTU arrived - and the TOC had named its router 1FA6-TOC.
A battalion in a wood line was detectable because there were no known WiFi sources or infrastructure in the area, which makes it easy to identify WiFi signals as hostile when no other signals are around.
A dismounted cavalry element moving through the woods was located as a result of a Bluetooth emission from a smart watch. The collected device list included smart watches, fitness trackers, a smart tag, wireless speakers, headphones, an Apple Pencil and a ResMed device.
Personal electronic devices brought into the box produce emissions that help OPFOR locate and track the unit that owns them.
Denial of service mitigations: maintain current anti-virus software and virus definition files, and maintain properly configured network firewalls.
Malware mitigations: up-to-date anti-virus software and definitions; creating and changing passwords to the standards in Army Information Assurance Best Practices; keeping system software updated and patched; ensuring compliance with the most recent security technical implementation guidance; and maintaining properly configured network firewalls.
Malware attacks against combat platforms are mitigated by verifying the source of all software updates, checking the software hash to verify software has not been manipulated, maintaining strict physical control of data storage devices and maintenance computer systems, and avoiding unauthorized use of removable storage media such as thumb drives.
Data exfiltration and collection mitigations: strict identity and access management controls, strict physical security controls, access control restrictions, data loss prevention software, encrypting data at rest, and maintaining strong passwords for network access.
Social engineering mitigation: as a rule, individuals should avoid disclosing any information to unknown or unverified persons, because even seemingly innocuous information can make a later social engineering or spear phishing attempt against another target seem much more legitimate. Confirm the identity of anyone asking for personal information or access credentials, and pay close attention to website addresses.
Phishing and spear phishing mitigations: maintain awareness of the personal use of commercial e-mail, restrict the use of personal e-mail as required, and block access to commercial e-mail providers.
PED protection measures: maintain strict control and accountability of personal electronic devices; download only trusted apps from approved sources; maintain current security updates on devices and apps; disable Bluetooth and WiFi features when not in use; encrypt sensitive files and personal information; and allow only government-provided personal electronic devices to connect to the DOD network.
Indicators of a PED attack: enemy attacks that seem to correlate with PED usage; incoming lethal attacks that occur with unexplained precision; a barrage of text messages, up to several per second, preventing the intended use of the device; and incoming propaganda or psychological warfare messages from unknown numbers.
Battle Drill 71-8-D7176, React to Jamming or Suspected Communications Compromise, is triggered when the S6 receives a report of suspected jamming or compromise of the mission command system, under the condition that communications with higher, lower and adjacent units are established and the mission command system is functioning.
In that drill the S6 alerts the TOC - the deck's example is repeating 'Jammer Jammer Jammer' - and the battle captain directs the TOC staff to execute the PACE plan per unit SOP and re-establish communications with higher, lower and adjacent units on an alternate net.
The EWO, S6 and S2 work together to verify the nature of the attack and identify where it came from. The EWO immediately re-tasks any available ES sensor to direction-find or geolocate the source; the S2 verifies availability of SIGINT and ELINT sensors so as not to impede higher-priority collection, and re-tasks assets as needed.
The S6 determines whether the interference or communications loss is internal or external - enemy action, environmental issue, or equipment malfunction - executes internal battle drills to re-establish the primary means of communication, and submits a Joint Spectrum Interference Report to higher headquarters.
Once the jammer's signal is geolocated, the commander and S3 must get eyes on the device via UAS, scouts or attack weapons team, and decide whether to retrieve or destroy it based on pre-established attack guidance or refined guidance from the brigade commander.
For the drill to work, threat electronic attack systems must be planned for as on-call targets with clearly specified attack guidance, because a jammer will not stay stationary for long before it stops radiating and displaces - yet losing the mission command system for even a few moments at a critical time could be disastrous.
The most effective preventive EP technique is to minimize both radio transmissions and transmission times. The high volume of radio communications that usually precedes a tactical operation makes the friendly force vulnerable to interception, direction finding, jamming and deception.
Traffic is minimized by ensuring transmissions are necessary, executing the operation per established SOPs, and preplanning messages before transmission.
Keep radio transmissions to six seconds or less (FM 6-02). ATP 6-02.53 gives the harder ceiling: keep power output to a minimum and transmissions to 20 seconds absolute maximum, 15 seconds maximum preferred, containing only mission-critical information.
Six techniques for minimizing transmissions: clear and concise transmissions, equipment capable of data burst transmission, alternate means of communications, brevity codes, low power, and radio operator procedures. That six-item list is the deck's own check on learning.
Many radio operators can be readily identified by certain voice characteristics or overused phrases; strict adherence to the proper use of procedure words in the unit SOP keeps an operator's distinguishing characteristics to a minimum.
Operating on low power decreases range and makes it more difficult for an adversary to detect and intercept transmissions - and it reserves high power for penetrating enemy jamming later.
Avoid establishing a pattern of communication: do not develop patterns through hourly radio checks, daily reports at specific times or any other periodic transmissions. Periodic reports should be made by other means.
The number of friendly transmissions tends to rise and fall with the type of tactical operation being executed, which is itself intelligence. Execute deceptive communication traffic using false peaks or traffic leveling, with transmission increases on a random schedule.
Use alternate means of communication before enemy engagements so the enemy cannot build a database with which to destroy the primary means. Replacements require preplanning and careful coordination, or the alternative means is compromised and can no longer serve as primary.
Select the antenna with the shortest range possible.
Terrain masking can effectively block radio signals from reaching enemy direction finding. Positioning communications systems with large terrain features or man-made structures between the system and the forward line of own troops effectively blocks detection (FM 6-02).
The deck shows terrain masking working in practice: a line of bearing taken from north of a TOC using an ES platform, against a heat map from the west side, where terrain features caused the actual TOC line of bearing to differ from the electronic signature detected 100 yards away from a field artillery battalion's use of the EMS.
Command post protection has three named measures: limit electromagnetic emissions, use terrain to mask, and operate emitters remotely. ATP 3-12.3 holds the techniques for reducing command post electromagnetic signature.
Locate major communications antennas as far from the supported command post as practical, consider the additional physical security and site defense requirements of a remote site during planning, and disperse emitters in a non-symmetric pattern.
Command post locations generally determine antenna locations, so selecting them requires careful planning. Disperse and position antennas and emitters at the maximum remote distance the terrain allows, so that not all of a unit's transmissions come from one central location.
Despite every effort to reduce and mask a command post's signature, a peer threat is likely to locate it eventually. Moving a command post frequently reduces the chances of destruction, and frequent moves are especially important within range of enemy artillery.
Maintaining continuity during displacement or catastrophic loss requires designating alternate command posts and passing control between them; units must practice frequent command post dislocation and handoff between main and tactical command posts during training exercises.
Single-channel TACSAT reduces friendly command post vulnerability to enemy direction finding, because tactical SATCOM is inherently resistant to it.
GTA 11-11-001 adds three command post measures: set radar cueing cycles, execute survivability moves, and mask with camouflage netting.
EMCON in practice: JBCP transceivers should be turned off when not in use; antennas should be spread and positioned further away from the TOC tent; and even GPS and RFID tags for shipping produce a detectable signature, which removing the battery during operations eliminates.
The deck uses a map of Russian military cellphone use in Ukraine to make the point that even with a local SIM card, cellphones provide a unique IMEI code for their nation or region of origin, which makes it easier to distinguish a foreign user from a local one - and that a high concentration of emitters produces a similar heat map anywhere.
Position, navigation and timing protection: use only encrypted PNT systems, use encrypted GPS, use a directional antenna to limit EMI direct access, employ antenna diversity, use antenna masking and terrain masking, and train on land navigation without GPS.
Antenna diversity is effective against spoofing because it increases the technical difficulty of a successful attack: generally an additional spoofer transmitter is required for each additional GPS antenna, and each transmit antenna must be located in close physical proximity to the GPS receiver antenna.
The three-part sequence for jamming is: recognize jamming or interference; report it; overcome it.
To recognize jamming, determine whether the interference is internal or external to the radio and whether it is jamming or unintentional. The test is to temporarily disconnect the antenna: if normal static noise returns, there is a high probability the radio is being jammed.
Suspected enemy jamming and any unidentified or unintentional interference must be reported even where the operator overcomes it, using the MIJI report format. The information could be used to destroy the enemy jamming effort.
Reporting comes first because from the time jamming occurs there may be mere minutes before another adversary capability is used to simultaneously destroy friendly units. Troubleshooting begins after the report has been sent.
The single most important rule while being jammed: never shut down operations or in any other way disclose to the enemy that the jamming is having an effect. A jamming effort typically involves a period of jamming followed by a brief listening period to assess effectiveness, and normal operations continued calmly tell the enemy the jamming has not worked.
The eight actions to overcome jamming: continue to operate; adjust the receiver; increase the transmitter power output; adjust or change the antenna; establish a retransmission station; relocate the antenna; use an alternate route for communications; and change frequencies.
Adjusting the receiver may include adjusting the beat frequency oscillator, adjusting the bandwidth, adjusting the gain or volume control, and fine tuning the frequency.
Increasing transmitter power only works if the transmitter was set below full power at the start of jamming - which is exactly what using low power as a preventive EP technique achieves. Once the enemy begins jamming, the threat of being detected becomes academic and the reserve power should be used.
Antenna adjustments include reorienting the antenna, changing the antenna polarization - which must be done by all stations - and installing an antenna with a longer range.
Antenna placement matters most when antennas operate in the same or nearby frequency ranges: the greater the separation between transmitting and receiving antennas, the less interference. Tilting the tops of transmitting and receiving antennas away from each other, at between 15 and 30 degrees, can enhance vertically polarized ground wave communications; the best angle is found by trial and error.
Relocating the antenna may involve a movement of a few meters or several hundred, and it is best to place a terrain feature between the antenna and the suspected enemy jamming location. Even a 10-foot move can make a difference.
Changing frequencies is the last resort. If practical, dummy stations can continue to operate on the jammed frequency to mask the change, but this must be preplanned and well coordinated - during jamming it is difficult to coordinate a frequency change, and a sophisticated jammer will simply find the new frequency. It remains useful for EMI identification.
Consult ATP 6-02.72 for the full range of EMI resolution and overcoming jamming.
PACE is described as signal planning at its finest, and as determining a unit's survivability by giving the signal planner and the staff the ability to coordinate mission command assets by phase of the operation.
Site selection cautions when near man-made obstructions: do not site an antenna in a tunnel, or beneath an underpass or steel bridge, because RF absorption makes transmission and reception almost impossible; avoid steel and reinforced concrete buildings between radio stations, though buildings can be used to camouflage antennas from the enemy; avoid suspended wire lines such as telephone, telegraph and high-tension power lines, which absorb power and introduce hum and noise; avoid positions adjacent to heavily travelled roads, where vehicle ignition systems cause electrical interference; do not locate battery charging units and generators close to the radio station; and do not locate radio stations close to each other.
CJCSM 3212.02D governs electronic attack for test and training purposes, and specifies that clearance to enter a military facility is also clearance to perform electronic attack training. Most installations can freely attack SINCGARS frequencies after clearing the event through the installation spectrum manager.
GPS jamming is harder to replicate than radio jamming because the GPS signal is much weaker than most other electromagnetic signals: a simple 100-watt GPS jammer, while extremely effective in training, could potentially jam aircraft GPS receivers or precision munitions at ordnance ranges over 100 kilometers away. CJCSM 3212.03A governs requesting and operating GPS jammers for testing and training.
SATCOM jammers are very costly and require additional training and manpower to employ, so denial is replicated instead: the RHN can deny network access, and the MCSC can decommission a BFT transceiver on demand by its unique serial number, booting it from the network without harming the platform.
In the NTC example, Operations Group coordinated with the RHN at Camp Roberts and the MCSC to deny both WIN-T and JCR to the rotational training unit during phase III of the decisive action fight, forcing the unit into analog mode during planning and execution while it simultaneously executed the military decision-making process.
The WIN-T denial was coordinated several weeks in advance and was scripted: planners injected a thread in which Donovian Special Purpose Forces seized an Atropian satellite ground control station and repurposed it as an uplink jammer, and the RHN was given a script to follow if the RTU called to troubleshoot. Special operations forces resolved it by raiding the facility and returning the station to Atropian control.
For the JCR denial, Operations Group chose on MCSC recommendation to deny only the BFT-2 signal, which feeds JCR. Decommissioning over 300 transceivers took less than 30 minutes from the initial call to realized effect.
The Blue Force Tracking network passes data between FBCB2, JCR and JBC-P over two signals, BFT-1 and BFT-2, each with its own frequency and transceiver type.
There is one electromagnetic warfare company per brigade combat team, with 7 officers and 86 soldiers, and a full EMS jamming capability, both defensive and offensive. (This slide is in v6.5 and was dropped from v1.1.)
Electromagnetic warfare contributes to friendly command node protection by monitoring for an impending enemy attack on friendly command nodes. Electromagnetic support is a common task between EW and signals intelligence and can be actioned from either EW assets or intelligence data. Frequency management using the joint restricted frequency list is an essential defensive measure. (v6.5 only.)
High-throughput line of sight radios can carry high bandwidth data up to 25 miles, but the links must be engineered to minimize the chance of detection, targeting and jamming. If the line of sight path is parallel to the forward line of own troops, the enemy is less likely to detect the signal and enemy jammers will be unable to reach the antenna with enough strength to jam the radio. (v6.5 only.)
Deploying units and communications systems perpendicular to the forward line of own troops enhances the enemy's ability to intercept communication, because US forces aim transmissions in the enemy's direction. Install terrestrial line of sight links parallel to the FLOT where possible, to keep the primary strength of transmissions in friendly terrain. (v6.5 only.)
SPEED's map window is used to identify low terrain points for the specific purpose of minimizing detection and direction finding by enemy forces - the same terrain-masking logic this lesson teaches, made into a planning tool.
SPEED's red-on-blue analysis calculates the interference a jammer causes at each movement along its route against friendly links, which is how the module quantifies what this lesson describes.
The MUOS group service topology allows a user to sit in EMCON, receiving only, while the rest of the group transmits and receives.
In a TSM network every radio is a transmitter, receiver and relay, and position location information is enabled on every radio by default, updating at one node per second - every radio in the network is emitting continuously by design.
The lesson's major topic is 4.0 Spectrum Management Operations, and its supported task is 113-25A-2001, Plan DODIN Enterprise Services in support of a Mission.
The purpose stated on the administrative slide is to further the student's knowledge of how to reduce EM signatures in a tactical environment. Risk assessment level is low, with no major safety considerations and no environmental considerations. Foreign Disclosure Rating FD3.
The two released versions state the objective differently. The later v1.1 says Apply, and requires a GO on the practical exercise and a threat brief in addition to identifying the planning considerations. The earlier v6.5 says Identify, and requires five different techniques for mitigating electronic warfare attacks or limiting electromagnetic emissions.

References

FM 3-12, Cyberspace Operations and Electromagnetic Warfare (Aug 2021)FM 6-02, Signal Support to Operations (Sep 2019)GTA 11-11-001, Emission Control Planning Aid (Jun 2021)Signature Management (SIGMAN) EP EMCON SOP, Marine Corps Intelligence Schools (1 Nov 2020)FM 3-96, Brigade Combat Team (Jan 2021)ATP 6-02.75, Techniques for Communications Security (May 2020)ATP 6-02.53, Techniques for Tactical Radio Operations (Feb 2020)ATP 3-12.3, Electronic Warfare TechniquesATP 6-02.72, Tactical Radio Operations (EMI resolution)ATP 3-13.3, OPSEC techniques for division and belowCJCSM 3212.02D / CJCSM 3212.03AATP 6-02.70, Techniques for Spectrum Management Operations (15 Oct 2019)

The Lower TI Planning Exercise and Rubric 113-SCCCE08

Learning objective and standard

Learning objectivePlan Lower Tactical Internet communications for a battalion from a brigade order, and brief the plan.

StandardReview the RAK HAMMER OPORD and plan Lower Tactical Internet communications for the assigned battalion, producing and briefing the satellite radio diagram, line of sight analysis by phase, HF diagram, commo card, COMSEC compromise drill, asset allocation, PACE plan, retransmission plan and updated running estimates, without error.

The graded exercise that closes Module E, at 15 hours 50 minutes the longest single block in the module. Everything else in Module E exists to make this brief possible. The rubric is published, which means you can work backward from it: nine graded areas, each scored met / marginally met / did not meet, with the bands set by error count - zero errors meets, two to four is marginal, five or more fails. Students plan for one of four battalions in the RAK HAMMER scenario. The single most useful thing you can do with this page is treat the rubric list as a checklist and confirm you can produce each product from the lessons that taught it.

Doctrinal currencyThe rubric PDF is readable but its text extracts with the 'ti' and 'ti'-family ligatures dropped, so words appear as 'Taccal' for tactical and 'communicaons' for communications. The wording quoted on this page has been restored; if you extract the rubric yourself you will see the mangled version.

What this course teaches — answer this on the exam

The published product is '05. Lower TI Rubric.pdf' in the root of the Module E folder
The rubric names the RAK HAMMER OPORD and the four battalions, but the OPORD itself is not in the Module E drop

What is missing

The RAK HAMMER OPORD is not in the Module E material. Without it you cannot rehearse against the actual scenario - phases, unit locations, enemy situation and timeline all come from the order
Get the OPORD from the class Teams page before you plan. The rubric tells you what products are graded; the order tells you what the answers are

Doctrinal sets to know cold

The nine graded areas of the Lower TI rubric

Terrain and weather, with the satellite radio diagram (10 points)
Line of sight analysis by phase
HF diagram
Commo card
COMSEC compromise drill
Asset allocation with COMSTAT and the PACE plan
Retransmission team tasks, purpose and locations by phase
Update running estimate
Briefing style

The three scoring bands

Met expectations - the product is complete and correct; 10 points on the satellite radio diagram
Marginally met expectations - two to four errors or omissions; 9 to 5 points
Did not meet expectations - five or more errors or omissions, or the product was not produced or briefed; 4 to 0 points

Which Module E lesson gives you each PLANNEX product

Satellite radio diagram and TBAs - the UHF, TACSAT and MUOS lesson
Line of sight analysis by phase - the SPEED lesson, using transmitter coverage and point-to-point analysis
HF diagram and FOT frequencies - the HF radios lesson for ALE nets, the VOACAP lesson for the frequency of optimum transmission
Commo card - net IDs and cipher text frequencies from the VHF and HF lessons
COMSEC compromise drill - unit SOP and the COMSEC handling taught across the radio lessons
Asset allocation and COMSTAT - the ITN equipment catalog and the PACE lesson's capability-versus-asset distinction
PACE plan - the PACE lesson
Retransmission tasks and locations - the VHF, SINCGARS and retransmission lesson
Running estimate - the operations process material carried forward from Modules A and B

What separates a top-band brief from a middle-band brief

You justify the TACSAT and HF allocations rather than merely listing them
You volunteer the impact of degraded links and your mitigations rather than waiting to be asked
You brief the COMSEC compromise drill from memory and can say why it matters
You can defend the reasoning behind your PACE against the assets available
You brief from little or no notes, hold eye contact, and use few filler words

The four battalions in the RAK HAMMER scenario

21 BEB
1-187 IN
2-506 IN
3-187 IN

Key terms

Lower TI PLANNEX: The Lower Tactical Internet planning exercise, lesson 113-SCCCE08, at 15 hours 50 minutes. It is the test lesson for Module E.
RAK HAMMER OPORD: The brigade order the exercise is built on. Students review it to plan Lower TI communications for their assigned battalion.
Satellite radio diagram: The graded product showing TBAs or radios in system based on the variation of TACSAT in use, with all radio platforms listed and a justification for TACSAT allocation. It is worth 10 points.
Line of sight analysis by phase: The graded product showing the unit's line-of-sight transmission coverage for each phase of the operation, stating the power setting and antenna used for the analysis, and briefing the impact of degraded links with possible mitigations.
HF diagram: The graded product showing units within the brigade and their own ALE nets, with the HF frequencies used in the ALE network sitting inside the frequency of optimum transmission and supported by VOACAP analysis, plus a justification for HF allocation.
Commo card: The graded product listing the net IDs, call signs and secure/cipher text frequencies the unit plans to use. Errors on the commo card count against the same two-to-four and five-or-more bands as every other product.
COMSEC compromise drill: The battle drill for a suspected or confirmed COMSEC compromise. The rubric requires the student to brief it without consulting the slides and to articulate why it matters. Reading it off the slides is an automatic drop to the lowest band.
COMSTAT: The communications status report - what signal equipment the unit holds and how much of it is mission capable. The rubric grades asset allocation together with COMSTAT and the impact to operations based on equipment status.
TBA: Terminal Base Address - the identifier for each radio in a DAMA network. The satellite radio diagram is graded on showing TBAs or radios in system based on the variation of TACSAT.

Testable points

The Lower TI PLANNEX is lesson 113-SCCCE08 and runs 15 hours 50 minutes, listed as the test lesson on the 113-SCCCE01 lesson plan.
Students review the RAK HAMMER OPORD and plan for one of four battalions: 21 BEB, 1-187 IN, 2-506 IN, or 3-187 IN.
The rubric scores each area in three bands - met expectations, marginally met expectations, and did not meet expectations.
The satellite radio diagram area is worth 10 points, with 9 to 5 for marginally met and 4 to 0 for did not meet.
Two to four errors or omissions on a product drops it to marginally met; five or more drops it to did not meet expectations.
The satellite radio diagram must show TBAs or radios in system based on the variation of TACSAT, list all radio platforms, and carry an exemplary justification for TACSAT allocation to score at the top band.
The terrain and weather area requires the student to assess the impact of both terrestrial and atmospheric conditions on communications for their battalion; failing to brief either drops the score.
The line of sight analysis must be produced for each phase of the operation and must state the power setting and antenna used for the analysis.
The line of sight area also grades whether the student briefed the impact of degraded links and gave possible solutions to mitigate them - having to be prompted for that drops the score to the middle band.
The HF diagram must show units within the brigade and their own ALE nets, and the frequencies used in the ALE network must be within the frequency of optimum transmission and supported by VOACAP analysis.
The commo card must carry the correct net IDs, call signs and secure/cipher text frequencies the unit plans to use.
The COMSEC compromise drill must be briefed without consulting the slides for the top band; briefing it with minor consultation of the slide is the middle band; having to read it from the slides is the bottom band.
The student must be able to articulate the importance of the COMSEC compromise drill, not merely recite it.
The asset allocation area requires the student to list assets available to the organization and discuss impacts to the operation based on equipment status.
The PACE plan must be feasible and the student must be able to defend the reasoning behind it based on assets available; failing to defend the reasoning drops the score even if the plan itself has few errors.
The retransmission area requires the task and purpose of each retransmission team for each phase of the operation, plus primary and alternate locations for each team.
Running estimates must be updated based on Lower TI assets - friendly, enemy, weather and terrain - and must update specified, implied and essential tasks, facts, assumptions, constraints, limitations and risk for Lower TI communications.
Briefing style is graded: the top band requires little to no use of notes, eye contact with the audience, and little to no filler words. Heavy reliance on notes, reading off slides, or failing to maintain eye contact drops the score.
The HF and UHF practical exercises inside 113-SCCCE02 use the same 30/30/20/20 split - 30 percent strategic planning, 30 percent technical proficiency, 20 percent contingency planning and 20 percent plan clarity and presentation.
The PACE practical exercise runs two problems, one at brigade for a hasty defense with a suspected network intrusion, and one at battalion for offensive operations while the brigade guards the division boundary.

References

Lower TI Rubric (course product)FM 6-0, Commander and Staff Organization and Operations (May 2022)FM 6-02, Signal Support to Operations (12 Sep 2019)ATP 6-02.53, Techniques for Tactical Radio Operations (31 Jan 2020)

Reference Publications and the ITN FSR Documentation Module E

Learning objective and standard

Learning objectiveIdentify the governing publications behind Module E, and identify what is in the ITN field service representative documentation set and when to use it.

StandardIdentify the doctrinal publications cited by the Module E lesson plans with their correct titles and dates, and identify the structure and purpose of the ITN FSR documentation distributed with the module.

Two things no lesson teaches but that the module hands you. First, the reference lists: the Module E lesson plans and the PACE deck cite thirteen publications between them, several of which have been superseded or are cited with the wrong date, and knowing which is which matters when the exam quotes doctrine. Second, the ITN FSR documentation - roughly 155 files of vendor operator courses, technical manuals, smartcards and unit quick reference guides sitting under the E09 folder. None of it is testable material, but it is the reference set you would actually use as a battalion S6, and knowing what is in it and how it is organized is worth ten minutes. This page is the map to both.

Doctrinal currencyThe point of this page is that the course's own reference lists are not all current. Where a lesson plan's reference list and the actual publication disagree, the publication wins.

What this course teaches — answer this on the exam

The PACE deck's reference slide gives FM 3-0 as October 2017, ADP 5-0 under FM 5-0's title, and FM 6-02 as July 2019
The 113-SCCCE01 lesson plan's reference table is garbled by the PDF layout - titles and dates are offset from their publication numbers in several rows

The corrected list

FM 3-0, Operations, 21 March 2025 - use this edition
ADP 5-0 is The Operations Process; FM 5-0 is Planning and Orders Production
FM 6-02, Signal Support to Operations, 12 September 2019
Everything else on the E01 reference list is correctly dated once the offset rows are realigned

Doctrinal sets to know cold

Doctrinal publications cited by Module E, with correct dates

ADP 5-0, The Operations Process (Jul 2019)
ADP 6-0, Mission Command: Command and Control of Army Forces (31 Jul 2019)
FM 3-0, Operations (21 Mar 2025)
FM 6-0, Commander and Staff Organization and Operations (May 2022)
FM 6-02, Signal Support to Operations (12 Sep 2019)
ATP 6-02.53, Techniques for Tactical Radio Operations (31 Jan 2020)
ATP 6-02.70, Techniques for Spectrum Management Operations (15 Oct 2019)
TC 6-02.1, The United States Army Signal Corps Training Strategy (Jul 2018)
TC 9-64, Communications-Electronics Fundamentals: Wave Propagation, Transmission Lines, and Antennas (14 Jul 2004)
MCRP 6-22D, Field Antenna Handbook (31 May 1999)
MCRP 8-10B.11, Antenna Handbook (1 May 2016)
TB 11-5820-1141-10, HF NVIS Antenna Handbook (31 May 2008)
TB 11-5820-1148-10, Operator's Antenna Erection and Recovery Reference Guide for HF Antenna System (29 Dec 2005)

Citations in the course material that do not match the publication

FM 3-0 is cited as October 2017; the current edition is 21 March 2025
ADP 5-0 is cited with the title 'Army Planning and Orders Production'; that is FM 5-0's title. ADP 5-0 is The Operations Process
FM 6-02 is cited by the PACE deck as July 2019; it is dated 12 September 2019, which the 113-SCCCE01 lesson plan gets right

How the ITN FSR documentation is organized

By radio nomenclature - 148C Thales, 148D Thales, 158 Harris, 160 Harris, 162 Rockwell Collins, 163 Harris, 166 Thales, 168 Thales, 170 Thales, 171 Harris
DCTS - user guides for the satellite push-to-talk radio
HF - operator courses plus the seven-part Military HF Radio video series
Nett Warrior - brigade smartbooks and system operation guides
QRGs - unit-produced quick reference binders from 1-82, 11ABN 2BCT, 2CR, 82ABN 2BDE and SFAB2
25ID ITN Products - system smartcards organized by radio family, plus Nett Warrior, HF, Silvus and vehicle hardware

What to use each kind of FSR document for

System smartcard - one or two pages of controls, connectors and quick procedures; the fastest way to answer 'what does this radio do'
Technical manual - full maintenance and troubleshooting; use it when something is broken, not when planning
Operator course deck - the vendor's own training on setup, configuration and operation; the closest thing to a lesson in the set
Unit QRG - how a specific unit configured and employed the equipment; useful as a model for your own SOP
Training video - the only demonstration material in the set; the Military HF Radio series covers VOACAP, NVIS and ALE

Files that could not be recovered from the Module E drop

113-SCCCE02 HF Radios and Planning (v5_2) - rights-protected; recovered in full from the E02 lesson plan
113-SCCCE02 VHF FM (v5_2) - rights-protected; recovered in full from the E02 lesson plan
113-SCCCE09 Introduction to the ITN (v1.1) - rights-protected; substituted from the Module H ITN decks
113-SCCCE11 EMS Reduction in a tactical environment - rights-protected; no substitute exists
113-SCCCE12 Lower Tactical Tier - Internet Module Primer (v1_0) - rights-protected; reconstructed from the lesson plans and rubric
PM TR 162 Operator PPT v3.1 - rights-protected vendor deck; other 162 material covers the same ground
AN/PRC-163 Nett Warrior combined slide deck master - zero bytes
The 113-SCCCE02 HF VOACAP folder - present but empty

Key terms

FM 6-02: Signal Support to Operations, 12 September 2019. The Signal Corps' capstone field manual and the reference cited by nearly every Module E lesson plan. The PACE deck cites it as July 2019, which is wrong.
FM 3-0: Operations, republished 21 March 2025. The PACE deck's reference list still shows the October 2017 edition. Cite and answer from the 2025 version.
ADP 5-0: The Operations Process, July 2019. The PACE deck lists it under the title 'Army Planning and Orders Production', which is the title of FM 5-0, a different publication.
ADP 6-0: Mission Command: Command and Control of Army Forces, 31 July 2019. Cited by both the 113-SCCCE01 lesson plan and the PACE deck, and the source of the statement that commanders must develop methods and measures to mitigate degraded networks.
ATP 6-02.53: Techniques for Tactical Radio Operations, 31 January 2020. The technical reference behind the SINCGARS, retransmission and combat net radio material.
ATP 6-02.70: Techniques for Spectrum Management Operations, 15 October 2019. Chapter 1 and appendix C are assigned pre-class reading for 113-SCCCE01; chapter 5 is assigned as a scan.
TC 9-64: Communications-Electronics Fundamentals: Wave Propagation, Transmission Lines, and Antennas, 14 July 2004. Chapters 3 and 4 are assigned reading for 113-SCCCE01, and most of the wave propagation and antenna theory content is drawn from it.
MCRP 6-22D: Field Antenna Handbook, 31 May 1999. A Marine Corps reference publication cited by the 113-SCCCE01 lesson plan for antenna construction and employment.
MCRP 8-10B.11: Antenna Handbook, 1 May 2016. The more recent of the two Marine Corps antenna references on the E01 list.
TB 11-5820-1141-10: Operator Manual for High Frequency Near Vertical Incidence Skywave (NVIS) Antenna Handbook, 31 May 2008.
TB 11-5820-1148-10: Operator's Antenna Erection and Recovery Reference Guide for HF Antenna System, NSN 5985-01-455-9286, 29 December 2005.
TC 6-02.1: The United States Army Signal Corps Training Strategy, July 2018. Cited by the PACE lesson as a condition of its learning objective.
FM 6-0: Commander and Staff Organization and Operations, May 2022. Cited by the PACE lesson and the source of the running estimate format the PLANNEX rubric grades.
ITN FSR documentation: The field service representative reference set distributed under the 113-SCCCE09 folder - roughly 155 files of vendor operator courses, technical manuals, smartcards, unit quick reference guides and training videos for the radios in the ITN equipment set.
Smartcard: A short, laminated, illustrated reference card for one radio, covering controls, connectors, and common procedures. The FSR set holds smartcards for the PRC-148C, 148D, 154, 155, 158, 160, 162, 163, 166, 168, 170, 171 and 117G, and for the vehicular mounts.
Unit QRG: A unit-produced quick reference guide binder. The FSR set includes QRGs published by 1-82, 11ABN 2BCT, 2CR, 82ABN 2BDE and SFAB2, plus the 25ID commo QRG and the 225 LSB QRG binder.
RAP-TR: Ruggedized Applications Platform - Tactical Radios. It combines several software applications into a single tactical network management tool to plan, configure, load and monitor legacy and advanced networking waveforms in current and future tactical radios. Atom runs on it.
Atom: The mission planning application for the current radio set, running on the RAP-TR. It handles TSM passphrases, presets and waveform configuration; its preset status indicator shows light gray for unmodified presets and dark gray for modified ones.
Nett Warrior: The dismounted leader situational awareness system, paired with an end-user device running ATAK. The FSR set carries combined smartbooks and an 'Operate the Nett Warrior System' guide.
ATAK and WinTAK: The Android and Windows Team Awareness Kit clients that display the common operational picture from PLI-producing devices. The FSR set includes WinTAK 4.0 training materials.

Testable points

The Module E lesson plans and the PACE deck cite thirteen doctrinal publications between them. Nine come from the three readable lesson plans: ADP 6-0, ATP 6-02.53, ATP 6-02.70, FM 6-02, MCRP 6-22D, MCRP 8-10B.11, TB 11-5820-1141-10, TB 11-5820-1148-10, TC 9-64, plus ADP 5-0, FM 3-0, FM 6-0 and TC 6-02.1 from the PACE deck.
The 113-SCCCE01 advance sheet assigns three pieces of pre-class reading: ATP 6-02.70 chapter 1 (8 pages, 2 minutes) for a spectrum management review, ATP 6-02.70 appendix C (3 pages, 2 minutes) for spectrum physics, and a 10-page Army Communicator article from Fall 2002 on planning for high-frequency radios in brigade combat teams.
The 113-SCCCE01 advance sheet also assigns 43 minutes of scanning: TC 9-64 chapters 3 and 4, and ATP 6-02.70 chapter 5.
Students are told to come to 113-SCCCE01 prepared to discuss the characteristics of radio waves and wave propagation, what makes up a radio circuit, what maximum, lowest and optimal usable frequencies are, and the factors that affect propagation.
Every readable Module E lesson plan carries the same instructor certification requirements, including two years in the MOS or AOC, the rank of CPT or SSG and above, six years of service, completion of the Common Faculty Development Instructor Course, and graduation from the course itself.
The 113-SCCCE01 lesson plan recommends the lesson be taught by a 25U staff sergeant or above with current instructor credentials, with one automation lab support person in support of the classroom.
The ITN FSR documentation is organized by radio nomenclature - folders for the 148C, 148D, 158, 160, 162, 163, 166, 168, 170 and 171 - plus DCTS, HF, Nett Warrior, QRGs and a 25th Infantry Division ITN products tree.
The FSR set includes 29 training videos: twenty-two AN/PRC-160 operator videos covering everything from safety and zeroization to 3G and adaptive wideband, and a seven-part Military HF Radio series covering RF theory, HF history, NVIS, VOACAP analysis, HF antennas, and 2G and 3G ALE. A separate Codan HF introduction is supplied as a .3gp file.
The Military HF Radio video series is the only place in Module E where VOACAP analysis is demonstrated rather than described - the 113-SCCCE02 HF VOACAP folder in the module tree is empty.
The 25ID ITN Products tree is organized by radio family and holds the system smartcards for the PRC-154, 155, 158, 162, 163, 166, 168, 148C, 148D, 170, 171 and 117G, plus Nett Warrior, HF, Silvus and vehicle hardware antenna documents.
The FSR set includes a TrellisWare document, Understanding MANET Networks, dated 10 July 2018, which is the vendor's own explanation of barrage relay and TSM network behavior.
Seven files in the Module E drop are rights-protected and cannot be opened: the E02 HF deck, the E02 VHF deck, the E09 ITN deck, the E11 EMS reduction deck, the E12 module primer, one Rockwell Collins PRC-162 operator presentation, and the 225 LSB quick reference guide binder - the last of which is a PDF rather than a PowerPoint file.
One file in the FSR tree is zero bytes - the AN/PRC-163 Nett Warrior combined slide deck master from April 2021 - and one PDF, the VHA 1001355 operator's guide, produced no extractable text.
Eight files in the FSR tree are scanned images rather than text, mostly Rockwell Collins smartcards and bills of materials; they are readable by eye but not by text search. One more, the STARSHIELD document, is a dynamic form the text extractor cannot flatten.

References

FM 3-0, Operations (21 Mar 2025)FM 6-02, Signal Support to Operations (12 Sep 2019)ATP 6-02.53, Techniques for Tactical Radio Operations (31 Jan 2020)ATP 6-02.70, Techniques for Spectrum Management Operations (15 Oct 2019)TC 9-64, Communications-Electronics Fundamentals (14 Jul 2004)