[MilCom] MIL: 11175.0 USB - REAFFIRM "FOR OBOE"

[Jeff Haverlah]

2323z 14 Apr 25

14 Apr 25 UTC:

Something very rare this UTC day:

     11175.0 was active at 1333z with REAFFIRM (NCS HFGCS) broadcasting a
30-character EAM  WGE2H6 "FOR OBOE" (sounds like).

30 minutes later, something very rare:

     11175.0 was active at 1403z with REAFFIRM broadcasting a 63-character
EAM WGGNG "FOR OBOE."

Why is it rare?

     "FOR" EAMs are currently 30-characters in length, string after string.
At least since late 2022z there have been no hobby documented HF "FOR"
strings for lengths other than 30-characters. That in itself makes the 63
character string rare.

     Prior to April 2013z (the first month of the first quarter of the
second half of FY 13) the FOR strings were 20-characters in length; and the
exceptions at that time were very rare. In fact I stopped hearing/logging
them apparently in 1998. And I haven't seen examples of them since.

    When they were logged they were for codewords; suspected commands;
exercises; and named USN submarines (Los Angeles class attack subs and the
Ohio).

The FOR USS OHIO string was heard in early 1994 (commissioned in 1981 so
that's 13 years after commissioning) and I believe predates my April 94+
systematic logging of these strings. But some logged examples of such
strings  would be:

01-07 Dec 94 FOR strings to "you sink com" or "you cent com"; "your
set/cinc com"; "you ess sink com"; never clear 100+/- characters

09 Feb 95 WZFLMD FOR SOAR/SOLAR HAWK (sounded very much like SOLAR at the
time but what's a SOLAR HAWK so I logged it as "soar"?)  54 characters

21 Jul 95 YY64Z5 FOR SOAR/SOLAR HAWK 33

12 Sep 95 YY3GIP FOR EXERCISE BEARING VALLEY 57

24 May 96 PCXBYL FOR USS BUFFALO 73

12 Nov 96 E4GDMJ FOR USS MINNEAPOLIS & ST PAUL  63

02 Apr 98 XQ2JIC FOR USS ASHEVILLE 53
(They like the #3's>)

I'm comfortable with stating the apparent complete rareness since late 2022
based on available indepth logs; but, I suspect they are not *that* rare
over the past 27 years. Are there existing logs demonstrating otherwise? In
any event, it is very unusual (IMO).

The 90/aughts source for the above is at :
https://www.udxf.nl/EAM-Foxtrot-outlines.pdf

New subject:

NOTAMs published 14 Apr 25 for the Atlantic and Pacific indicate the strong
possibility of a major exercise for UTC Wed 16 April 25.  They tend to
happen this month around this time.

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