[R-390] Fwd: As the feces is aboout to hit the blender...

[Terry O'Laughlin]

>Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2003 19:40:58 -0500
>From: Thomas Adams <103360.2133@compuserve.com>
>Subject: As the feces is aboout to hit the blender...
>Sender: Thomas Adams <103360.2133@compuserve.com>
>To: "Terry O'Laughlin" <terryo@wort-fm.terracom.net>
>
>Greetings.
>
>We're within a half hour of the time limit Bush imposed on
>Saddam now, and HF radio has gone slightly nuts.
>
>I've been going light on the aviation frequencies, instead checking
>out a number of modes other than SSB. Traffic levels are WELL
>above normal for a typical Wednesday evening.
>
>There's a great deal of NATO based ALE (Automatic Link
>Enablement) on the air, carrying digital communications,
>presumably for long haul US circuits...  so much, in fact, that
>the ionispheric sounding sweeper portion of the ALE signal
>format is interferring with other communications from 10 MHz
>up. Unfortunately, my digital decoder box isn't able to read
>ALE mode once links are established.
>
>The US Navy is very well represented right now; MANY more
>than usual encrypted, high power teletype links operating at
>the moment. They're breaking with normal operating
>patterns in that they aren't working station to station, `2 way
>traffic; they seem to be broadcasting one way.
>
>Most interestingly...  my pet information source, the French
>Navy, has also greatly increased it's radio activity level. The
>French are my favorite because they make a LOT of errors and
>security slips, and this show is no exception.
>
>At present, they're not handling much traffic, but a LOT of thier
>radio circuits are on the air, in hot standby mode, sending
>marker signals. A lot of stations that I haven't seen on the air
>in months or years are active. For example, right now I'm
>getting solid teletype copy on 6WW (Dakar, Senegal) sending
>a channel marker on 16,951.5 KHz . This is the first time I've
>copied this station in over a year. In terms of radio propagation,
>Dakar is in a perfect position to hit the Med and the Persian Gulf
>area.
>
>A great many French colonial radio circuits, running thier favorite
>teleprinter mode (ARQ-E3) are up and running from 8 MHz up.
>They're simply sending idling signals to keep the channels open.
>So far they're keeping thier callsigns mum, but they've already
>tipped their hand; the few that ARE identifying are on the wrong
>frequencies. For example...   a mainstay frequency for Fort De
>France, Martinique (Carribean) is suddenly inhabited by a Paris
>naval circuit; Fort De France is nowhere to be heard. French
>radios that have no chance of being useful in the middle east,
>like the Papeete, Tahiti naval radio, are suddenly gone, only to
>be replaced by other signals on thier frequencies.
>
>
>Checking the US military aviation frequencies briefly, I'm seeing
>something new. After initial voice contact with ground stations, a
>lot of aircraft are being asked if they have "L Band" (ie, satellite)
>comm capabilities. If they do, they're being moved to The Bird...
>and away from the snooping receivers of folk like me, even for
>routine message traffic.
>
>Lajes and Ascension Island are carrying a lot of SKY KING and
>EAM messages. Drills? Actual tactical orders? These two stations
>are well positioned to put solid signals into the middle east, so it
>can be just about anything.
>
>Identifyable callsigns have just about dissapeared, as have base
>references. Aircraft asking for weather at thier destinations aren't
>mentioning those destinations; ground stations apparently have
>a database that matches callsigns with destinations. They pass
>the information without mentioning destination names.
>
>One thing is clear...   domestic avaition comms have just about
>dried up; 8992 KHz and 11,175 KHz are being kept clear for a big
>glut of overseas voice traffic. The excaption to that is SKY KING
>broadcasts from Offut AFB (Omaha, Nebraska).
>
>Interestingly...  I've heard almost NO voice scrambling from KY-89s
>on mil air voice frequencies. They don't seem to trust the security of
>"Go Green" right now. Possibly that gear isn't being used right now
>to deprive enemy intercept / analysis posts of sample traffic to work
>a crack on.
>
>Diego Garcia (Indian Ocean) seems active with EAMs and SKY KINGS,
>and that's to be expected; they too can lay down a solid signal in the
>Middle East.
>
>I'm rather surprised that I'm not hearing as yet much in the way of
>BARRIE 6028 antijamming multiplex teletypewriter transmissions. It
>surprises me because that mode is a favorite of the Royal Navy and
>RAF.
>
>This could get interesting while it lasts...
>
>
>Mr. T.
>
>