[MilCom] MIL: 11175.0 USB - Major Exercise SKYMASTER

[Jeff Haverlah]

0309z 22 Aug 24

As per an earlier email a major exercise on the HFGCS and USN trigraph
frequencies took place between 1400z (21 Aug 24) and 0000z (22 Aug 24).

The HFGCS station ID sounded like "WAR SOCK" but was probably something
else, but it'll do for this.

There were two stations responding as SKYMASTER:
WARSOCK (HFGCS) - heard responding once.
SHAMRACK (believed to be an aircraft based on the power supply whine on the
audio.)

1400z/1405z Start of exercise with ZONAL 12 calling SKYMASTER. From that
point there was heavy activity from ZONAL 1#; MINER 1#; PULPY 0#;TEST 02;
GARBY 0#; YODEL 1#; maybe others passing SKYMASTER 4-element groups to
SHAMRACK and at least once to WARSOCK. The activity was heavy for about 2.5
hours.

1422z SHAMRACK standing by for traffic.
1422z WARSOCK standing by for traffic.
1500z WARSOCK standing by for traffic.
1531z WARSOCK with 34 character EAM BQPBKK.
1600z WARSOCK with BQPBKK repeat.
1608z WARSOCK with 30 character EAM BQ4E32.
1613z WARSOCK (weaker) with BQ4E32 repeat (with yet another under this
broadcast.)
1615z WARSOCK (very weak) with BQ4E32.
1631z WARSOCK with 30 character X2HGS7

>From 1630z the SKYMASTER activity went into an apparent quiet period;
(until no later than 1936z) but, upon search it was discovered that the USN
trigraph frequencies had become active with EAM activity. The trigraphs
were repeating BQPBKK; BQ4332 and X2HGS7. In addition these strings might
expire for some but not other trigraphs but had new X2 strings added to
their queues as the afternoon progressed. Maybe I just missed them on the
HFGCS, or maybe WARSOCK became "excercise destroyed" and the strings went
by other circuits, but the first instances of the new strings on the USN
frequencies are below:

1838z D6D; XS5HIP.
1943z F7Y; XSBLZE
2120z C8M; X2IUEV
2241z unk; X2POXO

The last 3 strings remained active in their message queue through around
2340z.

They were passing SKYMASTER traffic on 11175.0 and 8992.0; and, toward the
end SHAMRACK was unheard and all the traffic was passed in the blind. The
last heard activity was from PULPY 03 to SKYMASTER in the blind, T9H9 at
0000z 22 Aug 24. From that point it was quiet.

At no point during the exercise were E6Bs visible on ADSB sites. As soon as
the event was apparently over at 0000z, PASSO 26 popped up at TINKER on
ADSB sites at around 0010z and repositioned to PAX RIVER.

-- 
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Jeff Haverlah               Coastal Texas
Mostly California and eastern SDRs.
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