[MilCom] MIL: 11175.0 USB - LAME DUCK; ASSEMBLY; CHIPSHOT; HOPALONG; SANDWICH; TEST TUBE; REITERATE; BACKBONE; and RECIPIENT

Jeff Haverlah jehaverlah at gmail.com
Fri Oct 10 20:27:24 EDT 2025


0020z 11 Oct 25

UTC 10 Oct 25

A very active UTC Friday.

At least 7 active E6Bs during the UTC day from 0839z.

1 E6B from WHITEMAN to TINKER: HOPALONG AF1091
1 E6B from OFFUT westbound to the northwest and then to TRAVIS: REITERATE
AF7E67
1 E6B from PAX RIVER as TACAMO LANT: TEST TUBE AF3378
1 E6B from PAX RIVER as TACAMO LANT: TEST TUBE (handoff) AFDBCC
1 E6B from TINKER as Gulf E6B/potential ABNCP: BACKBONE (launch)/RECIPIENT
(restorals) AF7F78
1 E6B from TRAVIS as TACAMO PAC repositioned to HAWAII; SANDWICH (at
launch) AF4009
1 E6B from TRAVIS as TACAMO PAC at launch: SANDWICH with restoral
rebroadcasts. AF1E3E

There were 5 known VLF FSK MSK broadcasts:

3 from TEST TUBE/LANT (2 from AF3378; 1 from AFDBCC).
1 from RECIPIENT/Gulf
1 from SANDWICH/PAC

0008z LAMEDUCK with communications test count.
[USSTRATCOM CP]

0021z: FEAR 21 called ANY RADIO and raised MAINSAIL for an exchange of
radio checks.

0105z: ANDREWS with test count.

========
0154z: ASSEMBLY (NCS); MITIFU; P1.
MITIFU6456VXN4NETG5S5H2LNVZTF7
========

0356z: CHIPSHOT called and raised ASSEMBLY to exit the net.
0358z: CHIPSHOT exited the net.
[CHIPSHOT is believed to be pre0000z WINDMAIL; approaching TINKER at time
of transmission.]

---------------------------------------
[This appears to be the beginning of a major message traffic event
involving the NCS and multiple E6Bs]
[Two hour NCS alert window]
********
0504z: ASSEMBLY Standing by for traffic.
0535z: ASSEMBLY Standing by for traffic.
0604z: ASSEMBLY Standing by for traffic.
0630z: ASSEMBLY Standing by for traffic.
********
0700: Nothing heard.

Quiet.

[0839z+/-: ? AF3378 E6B launched from PAX RIVER and flew to the Atlantic;
TACAMO LANT; never heard the E6B enter or exit the net as TEST TUBE; see
1758z]

========
1018z: ASSEMBLY; DERMYF; 60 characters; P2.
DERMYFDYU5VPO4BNXWG6NXW66EJZM4FH2HGUI2HD47OYJFHGHGUI2HD47OYW

Reformatted for clarity in the visible structure:

DERMYF  [Preamble; 6]
DYU5VPO4B  [9]
NXWG6  [5]
NXW66  [5]
EJZM4  [5]
FH2HGUI2HD47OYJ  [15]
FHGHGUI2HD47OYW  [15]
[Apparently fed to TACAMO LANT]

1025z: ANDREWS with test count.

[1040z+/-: 17.8 KHz (LANT) VLF FSK MSK broadcast indicated on the W1VD VLF
Grabber.]

1300z: MAINSAIL with test count.
1301z: MAINSAIL with test count.

1307z: FLUR 23 (weak; sounds like; could be something else) worked MAINSAIL
for a signal check.

1357z: ASSEMBLY; MII2EF; P1.
MII2EFW2V35ZQAZNQACXNVD6GE73JR
[Fed to TACAMO LANT]

[1400z+/-: 17.8 KHz (LANT) VLF FSK MSK broadcast indicated on the W1VD VLF
Grabber website.]

1410z: TEST TUBE; MII2EF; h+10/h+40 TACAMO LANT restoral rebroadcast window.
[Very weak/mostly unreadable on SDR; nothing heard at h+10/h+40 from this
E6B after this broadcast.]

1639z: MAINSAIL with test count.

[1638z+/-: ? AF1091 E6B launched from WHITEMAN southwest bound eventually
to TINKER.]

[1652z+/-: ? AF4009 E6B launched from TRAVIS and flew to the Pacific; in
fact, it repositioned to HAWAII. See 1658z and 2039z.]

1654z: HOPALONG (presumed AF1091) called ASSEMBLY and raised MAINSAIL to
enter the net.
1657z: HOPALONG entered the net.

1658z: SANDWICH (presumed AF4009; note: it went to Hawaii; note#2: see
2052z for SANDWICH #2) called ASSEMBLY and raised MAINSAIL to enter the net.
1701z: SANDWICH entered the net.

1703z: MAINSAIL with test count.
1704z: YAKOTA with test count.
1704z: HICKAM with test count.

1747z: ASSEMBLY; FOR LANA 55; DEDBIS; P2.
DEDBISISEYZPLNGDADMBRCEROG7CIA

[1758z+/-: ? AFDBCC E6B launched from PAX RIVER to the Atlantic; TACAMO
PAC; TEST TUBE (replaced AF3378 who was approaching PAX RIVER at time of
launch)]

1802z: TEST TUBE (replacement; same mission) called and raised MAINSAIL to
enter the net.
1805z: TEST TUBE entered the net.

1816z: ASSEMBLY; MIZVGO; P1.
MIZVGOJT5U44NZ5LZFN2HXXTGFNVRP
[Fed to TACAMO LANT]

1836z: ASSEMBLY; MI34U7; P1.
MI34U76DAQLRLH4H3TAZCPOI5EF3SH

1840z: TEST TUBE; MIZVGO; h+10/h+40 TACAMO LANT restoral rebroadcast window.

[1900z+/-: 17.8 KHz (LANT) VLF FSK MSK broadcast indicated on the W1VD VLF
Grabber website.]

1910z: TEST TUBE; MIZVGO; restoral.
1940z: TEST TUBE; MIZVGO; restoral.

[1947z+/-: ? AF7E67 E6B launched from OFFUTT westbound.]

1943z: REITERATE (presumed AF7E67) worked ASSEMBLY to enter the net.
1947z: REITERATE entered the net.

2010z: TEST TUBE; MIZVGO; restoral.

[2010z+/-: ? AF7F78 E6B launched from TINKER southbound to the Gulf.]

2012z: BACKBONE called ASSEMBLY.  I did not hear BACKBONE enter the net.
See 2100z.

2018z: ASSEMBLY; FOR FLOW 55; DEGG22; P2.
DEGG226KQDUAUNZZRALPY766GFYV5L

2026z: ASSEMBLY called BACKBONE.
2028z: BACKBONE called ASSEMBLY.
2031z: TEST TUBE worked ASSEMBLY to see if he was called. ASSEMBLY
explained that she was calling out to BACKBONE.

2035z: REITERATE called BACKBONE and raised MAINSAIL.
2036z: REITERATE called BACKBONE. No known response.

[2039z+/-: AF1E3E E6B launched from TRAVIS and flew to the Pacific; TACAMO
PAC; SANDWICH #2]

========
2047z: ASSEMBLY; MINRE7; P1.
MINRE7WJ42GOUHPJYCU2T5ZCXTU57H
[Fed to TACAMO PAC and Gulf E6B]

2052z: SANDWICH; MINKE7; h+20/h+50 TACAMO PAC restoral rebroadcast window.

2100z: RECIPIENT (suspected AF7478; suspected BACKBONE); MINRE7; h+00/h+30
Gulf restoral rebroadcast window.

2102z: ASSEMBLY; MIXLFG; P1.
MIXLFGJW2VL6YT33A26IFMEBZPNCLH
[NCS restoral rebroadcast string]

2119z: ANDREWS with test count.

2120z: SANDWICH; MINRE7; restoral.

[2127z+/-: 27.2 KHz (Gulf) VLF FSK MSK broadcast was captured on the W1VD
VLF Grabber website.]

[2128z: 22.7 KHz (PAC) VLF FSK MSK broadcast captured on the KPH SDR and
W1VD.]

2130z: RECIPIENT; MINRE7; restoral.

********
2133z: ASSEMBLY; MISJVF; P1.
MISJVFVDHZQJPBJLEEXWD6O6HG76KD

2136z: ASSEMBLY; MIXLFG; h+00/h+30 NCS restoral rebroadcast window.
********

2150z: SANDWICH; MINRE7; restoral.

2200z: RECIPIENT; MINRE7; restoral.

2220z: Nothing heard from SANDWICH.
[2230z: ADSB indication of returning to the California coast]

2230z: RECIPIENT; MINRE7; restoral.
========
[2225z+/-: ADSB indication of returning to the Louisiana Gulf coast.]

2247z: BACKBONE (suspected AF7F78 using launch callword instead of restoral
callword RECIPIENT; approaching Louisiana Gulf coast) called and raised
REITERATE (AE7E67 over the Northwest southwest bound) and requested a move
to the CHARLIE ECHO for HF DATA work.

2321z: TEST TUBE worked MAINSAIL to exit the net.
2324z: TEST TUBE exited the net approaching PAX RIVER from the east
southeast.

All transcription and logging errors and omissions are mine.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeff Haverlah               Coastal Texas
     Airspy HF+ Discovery   W6LVP loop  Various web SDRs
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