[Milsurplus] VLF

[Mike Morrow]

Brad wrote:

>Looks like the military still use VLF for comms, have a look at
>http://ncamonitor.tripod.com/abncp/e-6b_overview.html


I suppose VLF comms will always be the principal link to (but not from) our
submarine force, especially the SSBN ballistic missile boats.  During the
cold war in the 1970s, I was an officer on an SSBN.  I seem to recall most
of our comms came in around 15 kHz, and were maintained continuously while
on alert.  It was always a big flap if communications were lost, even
momentarily, while on patrol alert, and thus a potentially painful subject
for the captain to discuss when presenting his patrol report afterwards.

The radio shacks on the SSBNs were more like computer centers, and several
cesium-beam atomic time standards were on board to serve the needs of the
comm systems and other purposes.  The radiomen ratings usually had very
minimal Morse skills, since that wasn't used.  In fact submarines almost
never transmit anything.  A whole 70 day patrol could elapse with the only
radio transmissions from the sub coming from the marine VHF-FM handi-talkie
we OODs used to talk to the harbor tugs when departing or return from
patrol.

Oddly enough, in the late 1970s in my squadron, someone in authority took
the notion that should a nuclear exchange ever take place, many of the
sophisticated comm systems would possibly be inoperable afterwards.  As a
result, the radiomen were required to improve their Morse skills.  On my
boat, an engineering officer (even though the radiomen were in the
operations department) with a ham ticket was used to run the upgrade course.
It wasn't me, though, for I was transferring away at the time the program
started.  Apparently this Morse upgrade program was unique to my squadron,
but still it made good sense to me.

I'm sure the flavor and urgency of things have abated significantly since
the demise of the USSR.  Things change.  Nowadays, there's not even a
radioman rating in the US Navy any more!

73,
Mike / KK5F