[MilCom] A-10 Dual UHF Capability

[Mac McCormick III]

Last week, while the CT ANG A-10s were operating out of the
Savannah CRTC, I discovered something new (to me at least).
I was unable to locate some of the flights on VHF or FM for
air-to-air while they were working Townsend Range.  Purely
by accident I caught them talking air-to-air on UHF while
working Townsend Range on UHF.  Initially this made no sense,
because A-10s have one VHF radio and one UHF radio (right?)

Wrong.  They referred to the radio they were talking on the
second UHF frequency with as "the LARS".  The LARS is
the Lightweight Airborne Recovery System (AN/ARS-6).
Amongst other things, this system gives them a second
UHF radio.  For more info, see these two URLs:

http://jdeis.cornerstoneindustry.com/jdeis/paragraphsPop.jsp?cId=447&parId=3430&SearchString=''

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/systems/an-prc-112.htm

Here is what I've heard the YANKEEs of the CT ANG using
while at the Savannah CRTC (note that 252.100 and 297.100
are known Savannah CRTC frequencies):

141.600/237.000     CRTC CP, Ops
139.800     a2a
140.500     a2a
142.600     a2a
236.000     "LARS a2a
252.100     "LARS a2a
297.100     "LARS a2a

Callsigns:
YANKEE, BASS, COOTER, CORVETTE, MAKO, SHARK,
SANDY


Mac McCormick                      "Green Comms Suck"
Savannah, GA
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/kf4lmt/index.html