[MilCom] MIL: 8992,0/11175.0 USB - JAVELIN ALPHA; BAD BLOOD; NIGHTWEAR/EVENING WEAR; FORTUNATE; and MOLASSES

[Jeff Haverlah]

0713z 12 Apr 25

     11175.0 was active at 0347z with C5 87-040 aircraft ground maintenance
calling ANY STATION for radio check.

     8992.0 was active at 0500z, 0536z, and 0607z with NIGHTWEAR (NCS
HFGCS) standing by for traffic.

     8992.0 was active at 0636z with MOLASSES (E6B; TACAMO PAC) working
NIGHTWEAR and exiting the net. He was on approach to TRAVIS.

     8992.0 was active at 0732z with NIGHTWEAR broadcasting the
55-character EAM WG4OEI.

1131z CLOSE 61 (E6B; AE2567) departed from PAX RIVER and flew to the
Atlantic. He returned to PAX RIVER at 1758z+/-. No HF restoral rebroadcasts
were heard by me although the 1535z NIGHTWARE EAM AOPEZP broadcast may have
been for him.  17.8 KHz was shown active on W1VLD VLF "grabber" web site
after the 1535z broadcast which suggests CLOSE 61 activity.  No callword
known for him.

The HFGCS was active between 1213z and 1552z with 15 original EAM
broadcasts consisting mostly of WG, 5W, a single short H5 string, and 3 AO
strings (1535z through 1552z).

At 1513z and 1525z the HFGCS under the callword EVENING WEAR (11
characters) broadcast the 30 character EAM WGBE3Q and the 32 character
5WATZSK. The 5W string was disregarded and rebroadcast at 1527z under the
callword NIGHTWEAR.

     11175.0 was active at 1538z with NIGHTWEAR broadcasting the
50-character EAM H53HZB. The operator called it a 56 character EAM but it
is 50 characters. The H5 series contains the long variable strings with the
18/quad blocks. There's a point as the count shrinks where the quads
disappear. Compare and contrast:

H53HZBCJMXXCQNTSYT7OVFE2TUATN2QJCUUVCLXUZVYUQJ32HZ

2045z DORSY 62 AE266F departed from OFFUTT and flew in the area north of
OFFUTT.

     11175.0 was active at 2057z through 2117z with FORTUNATE (suspected
DORSY 62) calling any station for radio checks.  He had strong
powersupply artifacts on his audio. No known response to the calls.

     11175.0 was active at 2117z with NIGHTWARE broadcasting the
30-character EAM WGVETU FOR CLONE 61 FOR EARP 61.

2207z EARP 61 AF3DDE departed TRAVIS and flew to the Pacific.

     11175.0 was active at 2147z with NIGHTWEAR broadcasting the
30-character EAM AOXWAX.

     11175.0 was active at 2222z with MOLASSES (E6B; suspected EARP 61;
TACAMO PAC called JAVELIN ALPHA and went into his message traffic script:
274 Message of 3 groups follow: HF VOX CHX; time 2222; authentication SM;
repeat; MOLASSES out.

     11175.0 was active at 2224z MOLASSES calling BAD BLOOD and into his
message traffic script: 274 Message of 3 groups follows:  HF VOX CHX; time
2224; authentication FM; repeat; MOLASSES out.

The HFGCS was active at 2230z, 2232z, 2234z , 2235z and 2236z with MOLASSES
calling NIGHTWARE and MAINSAIL, sometimes "on 15016" but simulcasting on
8992.0). He raised NIGHTWEAR and requested retransmission of AOXWAX.
NIGHTWARE asked if he wanted it "here" or "other frequencies" (context:
system wide).  No answer was heard on the sdr in use.

     11175.0 was active at 2250z and 2320z with MOLASSES broadcasting
AOXWAX at the h+20/H+50 TACAMO PAC restoral rebroadcast windows.  MOLASSES
became INSURABLE in the new UTC day after 0000z.

Observations:

HACKBERRY/BEATRICE/MOLASSES/INSURABLE (TACAMO PAC 09-12 April)

They've been up to something for the past few days.

09 Apr 25: 2034z HACKBERRY acknowledges receipt of traffic AOFYKZ.
10 Apr 25: 2257z BEATRICE acknowledges receipt of traffic AO4FXN.
11 Apr 25: 2236z MOLASSES formally requests rebroadcast of AOXWAX.
All requests are in a structured, formal manner (scripts) as if part of a
daily scenario.

The 274  HF message traffic of 3 groups at 2222z and 2224z 11 Apr 25 UTC
gives (to me at least) the appearance of being pro forma. More for process
than content. Or, it's a table that produces visually interesting output
and tells a plaintext story.

Who is JAVELIN ALPHA? For that matter, who was yesterday's 10 character
BATTLE HYMN? And why would someone change (to correct) the NCS callword to
the 11 character EVENING WEAR for a time?

Jeff
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeff Haverlah               Coastal Texas
     Airspy HF+ Discovery   W6LVP loop  Various web SDRs
---------------------------------------------------------------------------