ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

- CONTENT--
The U.S. Air Force Global Shortwave Communication System is a radio network designed to provide continuous control of nuclear missile forces, combat and auxiliary aviation of the U.S. Air Force and provides:
bringing to the immediate executors of the orders of the highest governing bodies of the US Air Force;
control of aircraft of the US Air Force and Navy on flight routes and during their training flights (reports of aircraft on departure, normal flight passage, flight plans, requests for weather conditions on the route and in the area of the landing airbase, transmission of closed information by aircraft RC-135, U-2S, EP-3E);
transfer of weather reports by ground communication hubs to the areas of the main air bases.

Composition of the network
The network consists of:
stationary ground communication nodes;
airborne radio stations of strategic and transport aircraft of the US Air Force, aircraft of AWACS long-range radar detection systems, air command posts, air communication hubs and relay of TACAMO SSBNs, aircraft of the US Navy base patrol aviation, reconnaissance aviation;
Communication nodes of the organs and command posts of the US Air Force (the main command center of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, the reserve command center of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, the command center of the joint strategic command, the command centers of the air armies, aviation and space wings);
maritime transport;
advanced control points for strategic and military transport aviation during operations and exercises;
other users from the U.S. Air Force, Navy and U.S. Air Force.

Ground communications hubs
The terrestrial communications hubs of the system are located both in the United States and abroad in all regions of the world and ensure the establishment and maintenance of stable radio communication with all groups of correspondents on a global scale.

Network stations:
Andersen, Guam
Andrews, Maryland, USA
Ascension Island, Atlantic Ocean
Crowton, UK
Diego Garcia, Chagos Archipelago, Indian Ocean (United Kingdom)
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
Hickam, Hawaii, USA
Ludges, Azores
Keflavik, Iceland
McClellan, California, USA
Affet, Nebraska, USA
Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico
Sigonella, Sicily, Italy
Yokota, Japan

In addition, periodically (only during the flights of U-2S reconnaissance aircraft based at the airbase) the Akrotiri NUS (Cyprus) operates as part of the network.

Mode of work
The communication system operates around the clock, without a schedule. The type of work is single-band telephony. The main station of the network is performed by the communication node Andrews. During the periods of large-scale exercises, the issues of transferring control of the US Air Force from ground nodes to the control bodies of the global system of air command posts are being worked out. Transmissions are carried out on duty and spare frequencies in the range of 3-25 MHz. Frequency values in radio exchange are indicated openly.

Primary frequencies
The frequencies of GCSS are concentrated in the range of 5-8 and 11-12 MHz. Main microphone hour