[MilCom] MIL: 11175.0 USB: MAINROAD; TAILFIN; TEA TRAY; QUIETMAN; FARMBOY/APPLETREE; and STRIPLING

[Jeff Haverlah]

0255z  18 Feb 26

UTC 17 Feb 26

0006z: MAINROAD with communications test count.
0007z: MAINROAD with communications test count.

[0012z+/-: 22.7 KHz (PAC) VLF FSK MSK broadcast indicated on the W1VD VLF
Grabber website.]

0020z: TEA TRAY (pre0000z TRANSFIX); LQJ7U6; h+20/h+50 TACAMO PAC restoral
rebroadcast window.
0050z: Nothing heard.
========

0031z: BUCKEYE ONE (very weak; often unreadable on California SDR) called
and raised MAINSAIL. MAINSAIL would ask if anything further is required
with no specific response.  MAINSAIL was keying systemwide.

[0316/17z traffic broadcast window.]
========
0317z: TAILFIN (NCS; sometimes sounds like TAILSPIN); 375I6; P1; change of
prefix; 20 days.
375I6VB5JORZDCEYIBIBFK2BBFU3ZQ
[Fed to TACAMO PAC.]

0320z: AFK

[0330z+/-: 22.7 KHz (PAC) VLF FSK MSK broadcast indicated on W1VD.]

0350z: TEA TRAY; 375I6; PAC restoral.
0420z: TEA TRAY; 375I6 presumed; SDR in afternoon Japan; 11175.0 in the
noise floor but occasionally a character would be heard; a ghost in the
waterfall; excellent DX.

Quiet.

========
1629z: TAILFIN; 5X3OKR; 30 characters (rare for this series); P4.
5X3OKRVM5JD6SCRBCSBYRBWSYRBOQP

Unlike the 37 series and I4 series ubiquitous 30-character strings, this
series' rare 30- character set has a repeatable structure, string to
string, within the body of the block following the preamble.

IMO the 37 and I4 blocks can trace their (non)structural lineage back to FY
1988 (the 19/25 character series).

The 5X series "came out of the lab" (kaiju) FY 2025. IMO.

In the link below see this 30-character kaiju's birth at the beginning of
Fiscal Year 24 [the lone x__x) and it's rapid metamorphosis soon after.
It's like bug-eyed Shin Godzilla lumbering out of the sea, IMO.

https://neetintel.github.io/structure_heatmap_30char.html

5X3OKR [Preamble; 6]
VM5JD6S [7]
CRBC [4; x__x]
SB  [2]
YRB  [3; repeated later]
WS  [2]
YRB  [3]
OQP  [3]
========

[1726z+/-: AFBFEE E6B launched from PAX RIVER and flew to the Atlantic;
TACAMO LANT.]

[1734z+/-: AF8B3A E6B launched from TINKER and flew westbound.

1746z: QUIETMAN (presumed AF8B3A) raised WEST COAST/TAILFIN to eventually
enter the net.
1750z: QUIETMAN entered the net.

1752z: FARMBOX (presumed E6B; suspected AFBFEE based on signal level and
below) called TAILSPIN and raised ANDREWS/TAILFIN to eventually enter the
net after a few challenge exchanges.
1758z: FARMBOY entered the net. His final transmission at good levels on an
east coast SDR sounded like it had polar flutter on his signal.

1817z: FARMBOY called TAILFIN and raised ANDREWS/TAILFIN and requested to
exit the net.
1820z: FARMBOY exited the net.

1829z: AXELTREE/APPLETREE (sounds both ways; you pick; previous FARMBOY)
called and raised TAILFIN to enter th enet.
1833z: APPLETREE/AXELTREE entered the net; strong levels on east coast SDR.

========
1840z: TAILFIN; 37LYX4; P1.
37LYX42WCPB44JKPRWV4Y3DVHIAEWX
[Fed to TACAMO LANT]

[1856z+/-: 17.8 KHz (LANT) VLF FSK MSK broadcast. MSK stop/start
transmission visible on the W1VD VLF Grabber waterfall.]

1910z: APPLETREE; 37LYX4; h+10/h+40 TACAMO LANT restoral rebroadcast window.
1940z: APPLETREE; 37LYX4; LANT restoral.

[1947z+/-: AEF1C7 E6B launched from TRAVIS and flew a route over California
and briefly over the Pacific.]

2010z: APPLETREE; 37LYX4; LANT restoral.

[2036z+/-: AE0417 static hex ROOST 17 E6B launched from TINKER to the Gulf;
no backend callword heard; no VLF detected while over Gulf; no HF restoral
activity logged.]

2040z: AFK; but apparently quiet.
========

========
2126z: TAILFIN; 37K3HQ; P1.
37K3HQ6JRQBG27625FZ4UBQDJ7KOXQ
[Fed to ??; maybe the Gulf E6??]
========

2228z: QUIETMAN (good levels on SDR) called MAINSAIL with no known
response. AF8B3A was approaching the LAKE CHARLES, Louisiana area at that
time.  It left that area around 0024z north northwest bound.

========
2230z: TAILFIN; 5X3BBG; 22 characters; P4.
5X3BBGO3J5U26VU7AJ4PSN

2236z: TAILFIN; 5XMLFT; 25 characters; P4.
5XMLFTKHZIWDZDNHDAHVEPLQ4

2303z: MAINSAIL with test count.

[2315z+/-: AE81A5 E6B launched from OFFUTT southbound and immediate return
to OFFUTT; see "0009z" below.]

2316z: TAILFIN; 37LILH; P1.
37LILH7YVR4NW7NQABTIPBZXJ6EUBQ
========

2325z: STRIPLING (presumed E6B) worked TAILFIN to enter the net.
2330z: STRIPLING entered the net.
[0009z new UTC day; STRIPLING (backend) passed a sitrep (not called that;
position/speed/souls on board; etc) regarding fire or fumes detected and
return to OFFUTT.]

Audio: https://on.soundcloud.com/ydoawl5izRClquaUqu

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