USAF High Frequency Global Communications System +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ GHFS now HF-GCS - most frequencies and times unchanged +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ HF-GCS History HF-GCS used to be GHFS. GHFS began on 1 June 1992, when it was created out of two earlier HF networks, the GIANT TALK used by the Strategic Air Command, and the Global Command and Control System (GCCS), used by the rest of the Air Force. This consolidation reflected the reorganization of the Air Force following the end of the cold war, with SAC becoming part of United States Strategic Command (STRATCOM), TAC becoming the Air Combat Command (ACC), and MAC becoming the Air Mobility Command (AMC aka "Reach"). GHFS became HFGCS in 2003, on completion of the multiyear equipment upgrade called SCOPE COMMAND, and control finally moved to Andrews. However, the ground stations are extremely configurable and can be operated locally, remotely, or both. Full documentation of HF-GCS is in the unclassified US mlitary Flight Information Handbook, published twice a year. USAF HF-GCS STATION LIST Andersen Air Base Guam Andrews Air Force Base MD Ascension Island AF S Atlantic Croughton AB UK Diego Garcia NS Indian Ocean Elmendorf AFB AK Hickam AFB HI Keflavik NAS Iceland Lajes AB Azores McClellan AB CA Offutt AFB NE Sigonella NAS Sicily Salinas PR Yokota AB Japan HF-GCS FREQUENCY SCHEDULE Summer = April-September Winter = October-March Andersen Air Base (AB), Guam (Voice call: Guam) Summer: 4724 (1300-2000) 6739 (1100-2000) 8992 (24h) 11175 (24h) 13200 (2000-1300) 15016 (2000-1100) Winter: 4724 (1200-2030) 6739 (1000-2030) 8992 (24h) 11175 (24h) 13200 (2030-1200) 15016 (2030-1000) ALE Address: GUA ALE Frequencies: 3137 4721 5708 6721 9025 11226 13215 15043 18003 23337 Andrews AFB, Maryland (Voice call: Andrews) HF-GCS CNCS (Centralized Net Control Station) Winter: 4724 (0200-1230) 6712 (2400-1230) 8992 (24h) 11175 (24h) 13200 (1230-0200) 15016 (1230-2400) Summer: 4724 (0430-0930) 6712 (0230-0930) 8992 (24h) 11175 (24h) 13200 (0930-0230) 15016 (0930-0230) Discrete: 8058 11053 11159 11181 11220 11460 ALE Address: ADW ALE Frequencies 3137 4721 5708 6721 9025 11226 13215 15043 18003 23337 Ascension Island (Voice call: Ascension) Year round: 4724 (2400-0700) 6739 (1900-2400) 8992 (24 Hrs) 11175 (24 Hrs) 15016 (0700-1900) Discrete: 11159 11226 14497 ALE Address: HAW ALE Frequencies: 3137 4721 6721 9025 11226 13215 15043 18003 23337 Croughton AB, United Kingdom (Voice call: Croughton) Winter: 4724 (1800-0800) 6712 (1800-0800) 8992 (24h) 11175 (24h) 13200 (0800-1800) 15016 (0800-1800) Summer: 4724 (2230-0400) 6712 (2230-0400) 8992 (24h) 11175 (24h) 13200 (0400-2230) 15016 (0400-2230) Discrete: 4894 5708 5117 6728 6731 6993 7567 7933 8032 10648 11118 11129 11181 11226 11232 11271 13822 15091 ALE Address: CRO ALE Frequencies: 3137 4721 6721 9025 11226 13215 15043 18003 23337 Diego Garcia Naval Station, Indian Ocean (Voice call: Diego Garcia) Year round: 8992 (24h) 11175 (24h) Discrete: 9012 11181 11226 11244 11269 13254 15095 20910 ALE Address: JDG ALE Frequencies: 3137 4721 5708 6721 9025 11226 13215 15043 18003 23337 Elmendorf AFB, Alaska (Voice call: Elmendorf) Winter: 4724 (0230-1900) 6739 (0030-2130) 8992 (24h) 11175 (24h) 13200 (1900-0230) 15016 (2130-0030) Summer: 4724 (1000-1300) 6739 (0800-1400) 8992 (24h) 11175 (24h) 13200 (1300-1000) 15016 (1400-0800) ALE Address: AED ALE Frequencies: 3137 4721 5708 6721 9025 11226 13215 15043 18003 23337 Hickam AFB, Hawaii (Voice call: Hickam) Summer: 4724 (1000-1600) 6739 (0500-1000) 8992 (24h) 11175 (24h) 13200 (2000-1300) 15016 (2000-1100) Winter: 4724 (0800-1700) 6739 (0400-0800) 8992 (24h) 11175 (24h) 15016 (1700-0400) Discrete: 11181 13242 ALE Address: HIK ALE Frequencies: 3137 4721 6721 9025 11226 13215 15043 18003 23337 Keflavik NAS, Iceland (Replaces Thule AB, Greenland) Year round/24 hours: 8992 11175 13200 15016 ALE address: IKF. Lajes AB, Azores (Voice call: Lajes) Summer: 4724 (2230-0400) 8992 (24h) 11175 (24h) 13200 (24h) 15016 (0400-2230) Winter: 4724 (1800-0800) 8992 (24h) 11175 (24h) 13200 (24h) 15016 (0800-1800) Discrete: 11220 13440 14896 ALE Address: PLA ALE Frequencies: 3137 4721 5708 6721 9025 11226 13215 15043 18003 23337 McClellan, California (Voice call: McClellan) Summer: 4724 (0730-1300) 6739 (0530-1300) 8992 (24h) 11175 (24h) 13200 (1300-0730) 15016 (1300-0530) Winter: 4724 (0500-1530) 6739 (0300-1530) 8992 (24h) 11175 (24h) 13200 (1530-0500) 15016 (1530-0300) ALE Address: MCC ALE Frequencies: 3137 4721 5708 6721 9025 11226 13215 15043 18003 23337 Offutt AFB, Nebraska (Voice call: Offutt) Alternate control point Summer: 4724 (0600-1100) 6739 (0400-1100) 8992 (24h) 11175 (24h) 13200 (1100-0600) 15016 (1100-0400) Winter: 4724 (0300-1400) 6739 (0100-1400) 8992 (24h) 11175 (24h) 13200 (1400-0300) 15016 (1400-0100) Discrete: 11181 ALE Address: OFF ALE Frequencies: 3137 4721 5708 6721 9025 11226 13215 15043 18003 23337 Salinas, Puerto Rico (Voice call: Puerto Rico) Summer: 4724 (0300-1000) 6739 (0100-1000) 8992 (24h) 11175 (24h) 13200 (1000-0300) 15016 (1000-0100) Winter: 4724 (0200-1100) 6739 (2400-1100) 8992 (24h) 11175 (24h) 13200 (1100-0200) 15016 (1100-2400) Discrete: 9006 10648 11056 11220 11484 15087 ALE Address: JNR ALE Frequencies: 3137 4721 5708 6721 9025 11226 13215 15043 18003 23337 Sigonella Naval Station, Sicily, Italy (Voice call: Sigonella) Summer: 4724 (2230-0400) 6739 (24h) 8992 (24h) 11175 (24h) 13200 (24h 15016 (0400-2230) Winter: 4724 (1800-0800) 6739 (24h) 8992 (24h) 11175 (24h) 13200 (24h 15016 (0800-1800) ALE Address: ICZ ALE Frequencies: 3137 4721 5708 6721 9025 11226 13215 15043 18003 23337 Yokota AB, Japan (Voice call: Yokota) Summer: 4724 (1200-1930) 6739 (1000-2130) 8992 (24h) 11175 (24h) 13200 (1930-1200) 15016 (2130-1000) Winter: 4724 (0930-2200) 8992 (24h) 11175 (24h) 6739 (0730-2400) 13200 (2200-0930) 15016 (2400-0730) ALE Address: JTY ALE Frequencies 3137 4721 6721 9025 11226 13215 15043 18003 Air Force Eastern Test Range, Florida (Voice call: Cape Radio) Backup to HF-GCS 10780 (primary) 20390 (secondary) ALE: None "MPA" Location unknown- Falklands or ???? ALE Address: MPA ALE Frequencies 3137 4721 6721 5708 9025 11226 13215 15043 18003 23337 No voice heard Other HFGCS Facts EAM stands for Emergency Action Message. These coded military orders or bulletins have higher traffic priority than all other traffic except in-flight emergencies. Other users of the frequencies are supposed to stand by when one is in progress. (In practice, they often don't.) The distinctive touch-tone beeps (DTMF tones) heard at the end of transmissions from Offutt and some others are left over from Giant Talk, and may eventually be replaced by another system. Offutt, in particular, has capability to seize most or all of the ground net, and truly talk like a giant. The beeps key and unkey remote transmitters. The echoes heard are both propagation delays and the result of slow landlines or satellites going to the distant sites. SKYKING messages are special EAM, Emergency Action Messages, presumably the nuclear go/no-go codes. Urgent ones are repeated three or four times, instead of the usual two. SKYKING is a group callsign for units in the Single Integrated Operation Plan for strategic operations." "Do not answer" is the standard procedure for self-authenticating broadcasts, meaning that recipients don't need to give away their positions or existence by challenging the traffic. From the start, HFGCS was intended for multi-service use. It replaced US Navy's Fleet HICOM (High Command), which phased out and is now dead, though frequencies are occasionally used for other purposes. One also hears US Army vessels (yes, the Army has a "navy"). Finally, this leaves 6761, the former SAC night primary, as an air-to-air channel. Though it's not technically part of HFGCS, it is often busy during training exercises, as planes schedule boom time. HFGCS Lexicon: A--- US Army callsign, usually a troop boat or terminal AR Aerial Refueling, usually with a track number AUTODIN Automated Digital Network Block time Final arrival time, when plane is in the blocks Class A, B Refers to explosive on board DSN Defense Switched Network, old "Autovon" DV Distinguished Visitor FL Flight level (altitude when higher up) Hazmat Hazardous cargo IFE Inflight emergency, as declared by pilot IR Instrument Route; aerial training routes MAINSAIL General call: Any ground station this net METRO Base weather office NIPRNET Non-Secret Internet Protocol Routing Network Offload Fuel, in pounds Pallets Cargo Pax Passengers PIREP Pilot Report; weather observation with standard items REACH Standing callsign: any AMC flight. Followed by tail or mission number, sometimes a letter in large ops. RON Remain Over Night (crew needs place to sleep) RTB Return To Base, mission aborted SAM Special Air Mission (VIP) SIPRNET Secure Internet Protocol Routing Network SKYBIRD Group callsign: all STRATCOM assets on net SKYKING Group callsign: all SIOP assets on net --end-