The High Frequency Global Communications System (HFGCS) is a US worldwide network of 14 high-power HF stations providing air/ground HF command and control radio communications between ground agencies and US military aircraft and ships. Allied military and other aircraft are also provided support in accordance with agreements, and international protocols, as appropriate.
HFGCS is controlled remotely from the Centralized Network Control Station (CNCS) at Andrews AFB, MD.
The HFGCS is not dedicated to any service or command, but supports all DoD authorized users on a traffic precedence/priority basis. General services provided by the HFGCS are:
- General Phone Patch and Message
Relay Services
- Automatic Link Establishment (ALE)
- HF Data Support (AUTODIN/NOVA and SACCS)
- Command and Control Mission Following
- Emergency Assistance
- Broadcasts
- HF Direction Finding Assistance
- ATC Support
- E-Mail connectivity to NIPRNeT and SIPRNet
- Secure calls (not phone patch) via dedicated circuits can be made from
AMC aircraft -TACC-AMC aircraft (Tanker airlift control centre)
HFGCS stations operate on “core” frequencies to provide increased "Global" coverage. The published frequency listing does not reflect complete system frequency authorizations. These published frequencies will be used for initial contact, EAM broadcasts, and short-term C2 phone patch and message delivery. Other extended or special services will be moved to each station’s available "discrete" frequencies.
HFGCS Core Frequencies
USE | OPERATION | FREQUENCY | FREQUENCY |
HFGCS PRIMARY | H24 | 8992 | 11175 |
HFGCS SECONDARY | DAY | 13200 | 15016 |
HFGCS SECONDARY | NIGHT | 4724 | 6739 |
HFGCS Station Frequencies
Note: McClellan has now
been renamed West Coast
The Western Space Missile Centre (WSMC) HF Net operates the following frequencies for emergency contact relating to munitions:
5700, 13218 with the callsign Abnormal One Zero (Vandenberg AFB, CA) and Abnormal Two Zero (Wheeler AFB, HI)
The Air Force Eastern Test Range (AFETR) HF Network may be used as a backup to HF GLOBAL. They may be contacted on USB 10780 (primary) and 20390 (secondary). Their call sign is CAPE RADIO.
ALE Addresses:
Andrews ADW
Ascension HAW
Croughton CRO
Diego Garcia JDG
Elmendorf AED
Guam GUA
Hawaii HIK
Lajes PLA
Offutt OFF
Salinas JNR
Sigonella ICZ
South Atlantic MPA
West Coast MCC
Yokota JTY
USAF MARS HF PHONE PATCH NETWORK
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The Air Force MARS phone patch system is a network of auxiliary HF stations
authorised by DoD to provide phone patch service between US military
aircraft and ground agencies and ships. Allied military and other aircraft
are also provided support IAW agreements and international protocols as
appropriate.
General services provided by MARSRADIO are:
- Unencrypted official and morale phone patch services to DSN or commercial
numbers
- Emergency assistance through phone patch or operator message relay
- Radio equipment checks
- SEL CAL radio equipment checks
Callsign: MARSRADIO
Frequencies:
- Primary 24H 13927
- Alternate 24H 7633.5
- Tertiary / CONUS Night 2300-1400z 4557
USSOUTHCOM
USSOUTHCOM is responsible for the force protection of U.S. military resources in Central and South America, and the Caribbean. SOUTHCOM is also responsible for ensuring the defense of the Panama Canal.
Callsigns:
Mainsail (HFGCS Puerto Rico)
4724
6739
8992
11175
13200
15016
Smasher (USSOUTHCOM -
Honduras, Florida, Guantanamo, Aruba-Curacao)
11205
15025
Skywatch (US Army South ATC & AIC -
Honduras)
8120 Secondary
11410 Primary
15790 Secondary
Updated 13 August, 2018
Below an archived copy of old USAF information for your reference.
Procedures are largely similar in HFGCS.
(Specific base frequencies have not been varified since 2002):
Standard
Operating Procedures (SOP's):
Authorized users may request service from GHFS station by calling
"Mainsail". Any station in the net recieving the call will respond and
provide requested service. Minimum service by all stations are phone patch and
message relay service. Phone patch permits direct voice communication between
ground agencies and aircraft/ships by electronically connecting telephone
circuits or other voice channels to radio transmitting and recieving equipment.
For pp: callsign, telephone number and location should be stated if known.
When
contacting GHFS for RTTY, global will designate and alternate frequency for the
service.
EAM messages are common on all frequencies, only aircraft with
emergency or distress situations are to interupt EAM broadcasts made out by GHFS
using the static words "PAN PAN PAN" or "MAYDAY MAYDAY
MAYDAY". GHFS are not directly capable of Direction Finding. However
stations can assist in DF by coordinating between various aircraft in the
vicinity.
More often then not you will hear "REACH" aircraft requesting a pp to an airbases' AMC CP giving them a heads up about their load, passengers, estimated time of arrival and aircraft technical status. Almost always this pp is followed by one to the destinations airbase meteorological office to ask them the current or expected weather conditions before they land there. At the end of the pp to the wx shop on an airbase the pilot occasionally asks the meta man if he wants a PIlots REPort (PIREP) as an extra service, so the wx shops can give better forecasts on the weather for other aircraft and anticipate.
AMC Operations Center: The USAF Air Mobility Command Tanker airlift Control Center (TACC) at Scott AFB, provides worldwide service for AMC missions. Either TACC or appropriate AMCC can be contacted for airlift movement reporting or assistance through Global stations. Calls can be made out to:
CALLSIGN | LOCATION |
Denali | Elmendorf AMCC (Alaska) |
Furious | Howard AMCC (Panama) |
Brickyard | Osan AMCC (Korea) |
Hilda East | TACC East Cell (USA) |
Hilda West | TACC West Cell (USA) |
Tracker | USAFE UTRACC (Germany) |
Note: Also the Air Force Eastern Test Range (AFETR) can be contacted as back-up on 10780 (pri) or 20390 (sec) under callsign "Cape Radio". Furthermore a new station has stepped in with callsign "Puerto Rico".
352 SOG, Mildenhall, UK
The 352nd Special Operations Group at Mildenhall AB operates several aircraft. Operations are using the callsign 'Blackhat'. For HF they have a wide array of frequencies available although the following are mostly used:
D1 | 4888 |
D2 | 5402.5 |
D3 | 6691 |
D4 | 11228 |
USAF KC-135, Det Istres, France
After operation 'Allied' force the USAF(E) still maintains a KC-135 detechment at Istres/le-Tube, France. Operations goes by the name 'Riviera Ops'. Their HF Operations are taking place on:
OPS DAY | 11269.5 |
OPS NIGHT | 8999.5 |
A/A | 6761 |
Ramstein Airbase, Germany
Apart from the GHFS system, the 86AW
aircraft based at Ramstein have a specially formed HF service at their disposal
which can help them to make the missions a succes. The communication unit is
based at Ramstein and is using the callsign 'Metaphore' and uses the following
frequencies:
6819
6870
7919
14682
15082
Giebelstadt, Germany
13.273 | 'Big Windy' |
19.100 | Flight Following |
22.914 | 'Blue Star' |
24.750 | 'War Eagles' |
26.725 | Aviation Regiment Common |
Brindisi Airbase, Italy
Identical to Mildenhall, the Special
Operation Squadron here has a HF usage. Operations here are using the callsign
'Promenade'.
5590
10596
14511