[MilCom] MIL: 11175.0 USB - VAGABOND; GRAY MARE; and RAIL BIRD

Jeff Haverlah jehaverlah at gmail.com
Wed Dec 17 20:39:47 EST 2025


0137z 18 Dec 25

UTC 17 Nov 25

0316z: VAGABOND (NCS); NOKBK7; P1.
NOKBK7QTZPS4LDL2UFFCWDJK2CGLKX

0321z: VAGABOND; NOKBK7; echo rebroadcast; only heard on 4724.0 mid-CONUS
SDR.

Quiet.

1055z: CROUGHTON with test count; 11175 UTwente SDR.

["Early" start; interesting, continuous cycle of 22 character AK strings
over approximately 37 minutes, with 7 minutes for the initial burst and
then 30 minutes gap to final string.]
========
1120z: VAGABOND; AKQTFI; 22 characters; P4.
AKQTFIVDI3OKZAQBFISNET

1122z: VAGABOND; AKPCHT; 22 characters; P4.
AKPCHTRKADB4TCCSJKAMMD

1125z: VAGABOND; AKBFUY; 22 characters; P4.
AKBFUYHJS3AYTBLNXFAE7O

1127z: VAGABOND; AKG645; 22 characters; P4.
AKG645V4GDSWIVL33P757J
[30 minutes]
1157z: VAGABOND; OZ2XA6; 22 characters; P4; change of prefix; 16 days.
OZ2XA6MCOPNUAC2DGKYZIF
========

1552z: SIGONELLA with test count.

[Two hour+/- message traffic window.]
========
1629z: VAGABOND Standing by for traffic.

1632z: VAGABOND; NOWH6F; P1.
NOWH6FOJUBGAVN7Q6CWU5G4ZDZW4AV

1701z: VAGABOND Standing by for traffic.

1702z: VAGABOND; NOGMES; P1.
NOGMES7XZSULSKZXZTXQC4SE3HOQWF

[1718z+/-: AF2BC5 E6B launched from PAX RIVER, eventually flying to the
Atlantic and then a "quick" return to PAX (5 hours+/- in total). TACAMO
LANT.]

1727z: VAGABOND; NOQJ7T; P1.
NOQJ7TJJ4TTUDQN4HCA5HPIYVQN2OJ

1729z: VAGABOND Standing by for traffic.

1730z: VAGABOND; NOEHIE; P1.
NOEHIEXWQRWDXRRRCTXPIQARSLKVIB

1732z: VAGABOND; NOELTF; P1.
NOELTFUO3AKHSVPHQAXR3MHUBINQ6A

1735z: VAGABOND; NOVDX7; P1.
NOVDX7LOCRZIATOFMK73Q2KYBJVZUC

1738z: VAGABOND; NO6Y47; P1.
NO6Y47DFOKL4VH12UEWDHASNDJ2UJ7RL

1745z: VAGABOND; OZQLUE; 31 characters; P4.
OZQLUERFQNEUVDIQ7IXEAJZWZORH4AA

1748z: VAGABOND; NOELTF; NOEIE; NOQJ7T; h+00/h+30 NCS/ABNCP/Gulf restoral
rebroadcast window; apparently delayed by higher priority traffic.

1800z: VAGABOND; N06Y47; NOELTF; NOQJ7T; restoral.

1806z: VAGABOND Standing by for traffic.

1827z: VAGABOND with test count.
1827z: VAGABOND with test count.

1830z: VAGABOND; NOHHIE; P1.
NOHHIECUM3DH6EXXNU75YAOWTUAI65

1832z: VAGABOND; NOHKVK; P1.
NOHKVKK7IQ6DW2K5H7PC2AE2N2BTZP

1835z: VAGABOND; NOHHIE; NO6Y47; NOELTF; restoral.

1841z: VAGABOND Standing by for traffic.
========

1855z: SIGONELLA with test count.

[1912z+/-: AE3342 E6B launched from TINKER, flew to LUBBOCK for apparent
pattern work, and returned to TINKER. Backend callword not logged after
launch.]

[2008z+/-: AEB2F9 E6B launched from TINKER for about 60 minutes of area
flight time and apparent return. Launched west bound after 0000z new UTC
day.]

########
2032z: VAGABOND; FOR ESSAY 97 (sounds like); XBZOVM; P2.
XBZOVMFS7JV2JEIPVIXFHKY5X53GWD
[AF2BC5 launched about 2 hours earlier.]

[30 minutes]
2102z: VAGABOND; NOWS2U; P1.
NOWS2UL7FAXECJUUERBGH2C7EU34DG
[Fed to TACAMO LANT.]

2110z: GRAY MARE (presumed AF2BC5); NOWS2UL; h+10/h+40 TACAMO LANT restoral
rebroadcast window.
[2114z: 17.8 KHz (LANT) VLF FSK MSK broadcast.]

[90 minutes NCS message traffic window.]
========
2128z: VAGABOND; NOCIAY; P1.
NOCIAYHZNEQNYDSNQUZYQWUL3AJLPI

2130z: VAGABOND; NOVHOR; P1.
NOVHOREETHSERQPKMYFIZAGRDQFRWA

2133z: VAGABOND; NOJTJP; P1.
NOJTJPD7NGWDNSUSAD4ODJ5J4C7MFO

2135z: VAGABOND; NO5HUJ; P1.
NO5HUJYNPPBISGEO2KNJ3CCE6TXFLV

2138z: VAGABOND; NOVHOR; NOCIAY; NCS restoral.

2140z: GRAY MARE; NOWS2U; LANT restoral; dualling under VAGABOND restoral.

2200z: VAGABOND; NO5HUJ; restoral; out for higher priority traffic.

2202z: VAGABOND; NOJPIO; P1.
NOJPIO6HKSMCKI7SYRZ7LV3JSO7P?Q [low confidence]

2204z: VAGABOND; NOJTJP; NOVHOR; finish restoral.

2210z: GRAY MARE; NOWS2U; LANT restoral.
########
["Short" session; over Atlantic coast descending into PAX RIVER.]

2217z: GRAY MARE called and raised VAGABOND to exit the net.

2219z: VAGABOND; NOU4EK; P1.
NOU4EK5OV6ZU6HD56VYQCHGF7APIBS

2222z: GRAY MARE confirmed in the blind that he exited the net and had no
further requests.

2230z: VAGABOND; NOU4EK; NO5HUJ; NOJTJP; restoral.

2235z: VAGABOND; NOFBBI; P1.
NOFBBIZL3GWS3TUJJB2EVKAE6C3Z4L

2237z: VAGABOND; NOUMWN; P1.
NOUMWNW2PQZIUJGXZGDFNBS?Q6SBZT [Low confidence]

2240z: VAGABOND Standing by for traffic.

2242z: ANDREWS with test count.

2243z: VAGABOND; NO73FU; P1.
NO7EFUIQ3QJ3I2P7VKV7TF2WRUIZ7S
========

2246z: ANDREWS with test count.

2255z: RAIL BIRD (sounds like; presumed AE3342) called VAGABOND.
2257z: VAGABOND responded apparently to RAIL BIRD on 8992.  Nothing further
heard. A33342 was descending into TINKER this time.

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