Learning Lab DO05

1. Learning Lab DO05 Operating in the Next Generation of HF Radio: Automatic Link Establishment (ALE) Malcolm Kyser, Hartley Gardner, Chuck Bishop, Steve Haney

2. Why HF?

3. Advantages of HF • Medium to long distance communications • Adaptable • Fixed, mobile or tactical • Survivable • Infrastructure independent • Works when everything else fails • Low (or no) operating costs • No recurring charges, air time or usage fees

4. Disadvantages of HF • Propagation limitations • Conditions always in flux • No single channel works all the time • Diverse channels needed • Requires understanding of propagation • Antenna size • Limits station locations • Noisy operations • Gets turned down or ignored

5. Why ALE?

6. Advantages of ALE • Next generation of HF • Moves us beyond single channel “conventional” mode • Frequency agile • Takes advantage of changing propagation conditions • Active propagation evaluation • Soundings in real-time • On board database

7. Advantages of ALE • Automated calling and linking • “Hands-Free” • Quiet when not in use • Reduces instances of “turn down”, “turn off” or “ignore” • Limited text capability • Using built in modem

8. Disadvantages of ALE None 

9. ALE Challenges • Point-to-point • Like a phone call rather than a “broadcast” • Comm planning is essential • Possible hybrid applications of conventional and ALE • Soundings interrupt voice communications • Operator training • Planning is important • Sounding data degrades in value over time • Use of BIDR

10. ALE Challenges • Calling is not instantaneous • Operator training • Several possible reason for link failures • Operator training

11. ALE System Structure • Over 100 HF frequencies • Nine nets • Designated message center stations • Tactical and C2

12. Equipment

13. How will ALE be used? • Tactical • Day to day when beyond range of repeater • In a disaster scenario • Ground team to ICP • Ground team to ground team • Command and Control • As a survivable back up • Forward operating base to ICP • ICP to area command • Area command to NOC • Unit to group, to wing, to region, to NHQ

14. Constant Watch ‘11 • National Communications Exercise • Intent: Snapshot of our starting point with ALE • Simulated New Madrid Earthquake • Stress the system • Tasking messages from NOC to wings • Pre-formatted resource report messages from wings to NOC • Side test of mobile ALE on-site reporting • Limited AMD testing

15. ALE Looking Forward • Constant Watch – Lessons Learned • The system can take much more traffic than we anticipated • The plan was not clear enough. Regions/wings did not generate traffic • The overall network structure needs to be better understood • Stations need to understand which net they belong to • Stations need to understand primary and possible alternate routes for traffic • Our formal message handling skills are “rusty” • Region message center stations need two radios • Multi-net is not a good solution – obscenely long soundings

16. ALE Looking Forward • Constant Watch – Lessons Learned • Message center stations need to understand their role and responsibilities • Wings need to appoint message centers • We need some sort of “any” call on ALE • Need a “BIDR From” display on Micom 3 • A “Sounding” display would be helpful on the Micom 3 • Mobile operators need to understand their radiation pattern • Don’t do BIDR’s out of curiosity! • Preformatted messages WORK! • AMD needs to be leveraged

17. ALE Looking Forward • AMD for text messaging • Proved to be an outstanding weak signal asset • Immediately available with no extra costs • Standard format being developed • Will utilize the “pre-formatted” message concept • Deliverable Product: • Extend WMIRS beyond the internet

18. Questions?