Real-Time Updates:
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| 05/22/19 23:26:03 UTC 308.125 MHz ALBEMARLE, NC "...17SPU...""...triangle shaped field.." CAS work. First time noted. 05/22/2019 1915h and prev 2hrs. Based on players involved, one w/ "new orleans accent" as was on 123.475 05/21/2019 likely N611MG/MAG Aero in Moore Co vic. Very weak RX Stanly Co NC -AJ |
| 05/22/19 20:26:14 UTC 310.600 MHz ALBEMARLE, NC "...knock it off! Knock it off!" 05/22/2019 1615h Stanly Co NC. Ok Rx. -AJ |
| 05/22/19 11:45:49 UTC 288.4 MHz HARRISBURG, PA Air-to-Air chatting |
| 05/22/19 11:45:10 UTC 268.725 MHz HARRISBURG, PA Bored mil pilots chatting |
| 05/22/19 11:44:32 UTC 236.75 MHz HARRISBURG, PA Refueling Ops |
Frequency Updates:
Latest Frequency Submissions
| 05/21/19 17:43:03 UTC 310.600 MHz "...bullseye, one three two point one..." First time noted. Ok Rx. Presume distant. 05/20/2019 between 1030-1300h -AJ |
| 05/19/19 21:04:56 UTC 130.300 MHz "...Team Rescue this is Red Leader, Red Leader..." "...(?)broke(?) one, Red Leader, Red Leader, one-thirty-thirty..." 05/19/2019 between 12-1500h. Weak Rx. Poss Related to 236.0/251.9 comms -AJ |
| 05/19/19 21:01:46 UTC 236.000 MHz "...have your condition, number in your party?" "...this is Red Leader...clear comms...I have report of unknown personnel directly west of your position...window for...cache...concealment..." 05/19/2019 between 12-1500h. Weak Rx. Poss Relaed to 130.3/251.9 comms -AJ |
| 05/19/19 20:56:59 UTC 251.900 MHz "...light...wait for contact then say position..." "...08, 98, 179...(?)Strike King(?) grids are...17SPU...6(missed digit here?)308...98179..." 05/19/2019 1615h weak Rx. poss related to 130.3/236.0 comms -AJ |
| 05/16/19 01:11:53 UTC 49.150 MHz "...one this is DUSTOFF35 in the blind, we are 30 sec out calling for smoke for a clear...in for landing..." "...here are the patients you have to pickup, one bravo four alpha..." "...one this is 279..." PL151.4. 05/15/2019 1330-1400h. GUARD26279, H60, heard on 126.275 "8mi west" of KVUJ minutes later. First time 49.15 heard in use. -AJ |
| 05/15/19 12:32:35 UTC 42.000 MHz "...operations, DUSTOFF37 radio check on fox mike..." due to good Rx w/ suboptimal antenna prob in KVUJ vic. 2006h 05/14/2019 -AJ |
| 05/10/19 18:24:04 UTC 173.4125 MHz "Test one two, radio service" new NAC:911h. between 1300-1400h 05/10/2019 -AJ |
Tweets by MilAirComms
Over 25 Years Custom Web and Programming Experience
In this article I hope to give you a better understanding on what the Military HAVEQUICK radio system is, how it works, and what it's not.
It is important to remember that HAVEQUICK is NOT a form nor was intended to be a form of encryption. Many HAVEQUICK transmissions are voice analog and in the clear. Yes, encryption can be used. However the HAVEQUICK radio system was not developed with the intent of being an encryption system. I have personally heard some HAVEQUICK encrypted comms on the scanner however most of the HAVEQUICK transmission were in the clear and you could usually make out a word or two during the transmission.
HAVEQUICK is a frequency hopping system used to as an anti-jamming communication system. Basically the HAVEQUICK system uses a series of 16 UHF AM (225-380 MHz) radio frequencies. During a radio transmission a computer in the aircraft rapidly switches the transmission between the 16 pre-set frequencies, both the length and order of frequency selection are "random" and are based on very precise timing. The the transmitter and receiver must be "in-sync" as to the timing of each frequency switch or the received signal will be broken.
The perfered method of frequency switch timing is via a GPS receiver attached to the HAVEQUICK radio. However GPS is not always a perfect method. GPS signals can be blocked during various maneuvers a jet figher is performing during a dog-fight. GPS signal can also be blocked by another aircraft above, blocking line-of-site to the GPS satelittes. Due to these possiblities HAVEQUICK radios have other methods of getting a "timing-tick" signal.
In the absence of GPS equipment, a Time Signal Set (TSS) can pass Time-Of-Day (TOD) over-the-air to any HAVEQUICK radio. These TSS's are normally installed at Air Force bases or on large surface vessels.
Another method of sending TOD information to a HAVEQUICK radio is from an AWACS or JSTARS aircraft. These aircraft have onboard rubidium oscillators that can pass an accurate TOD signal to any HAVEQUICK radio. I have personally heard these TOD signals, below is a YouTube video I made of such a signal.
Video of Actual TOD Timing Signal from an AWACS during Exercises in Florida
When you are searching the Military Air Band (225-380 MHz) and your scanner stops on what seems like a transmission that was the length of a word or two, that was probably a HAVEQUICK transmission. The table below outlines the HAVEQUICK frequenices. These frequencies are what are known as the "Frequency Managed Training Net".
| FMT-Net for Continental United States | |
| Channel Designation | Frequency (AM) |
| Preset Channel 20: | 235.050 MHz |
| Preset Channel 19: | 225.150 MHz |
| Preset Channel 18: | 252.925 MHz |
| Preset Channel 17: | 239.950 MHz |
| Preset Channel 16: | 271.950 MHz |
| Preset Channel 15: | 267.850 MHz |
| Preset Channel 14: | 262.450 MHz |
| Preset Channel 13: | 257.250 MHz |
| Preset Channel 12: | 314.450 MHz |
| Preset Channel 11: | 308.750 MHz |
| Preset Channel 10: | 303.275 MHz |
| Preset Channel 9: | 298.650 MHz |
| Preset Channel 8: | 293.550 MHz |
| Preset Channel 7: | 289.050 MHz |
| Preset Channel 6: | 284.150 MHz |
| Preset Channel 5: | 279.750 MHz |
| TOD AWACS/JSTARS signal 287.450 MHz | |
I have personally heard HAVEQUICK comms on all of the above frequencies except for 298.650. That could simply be that over the years my searching scanner just never was at the right place at the right time.
The above frequencies maintain a 4 MHz minimum separation and have been standardized for continental United States FMT-Nets. These frequencies are in the order in which they will be used for training by the Tactical Air Command.
You may ask why Preset Channels 0 - 4 do not exist in the above table. I do not know the answer to that question, but I do have some thoughts. There are 2 different types of nets, FMT-Nets as outlined here and are used for training in the CONUS. Then there are T-Nets. I believe the empty channels deal with allowing open memory in the HAVEQUICK radios to allow for the coded "Word-of-the-Day" which are used in T-Nets. Just a thought.
I had always know a little about what HAVEQUICK was and how it functioned. However until doing some research I didn't know the HAVEQUICK frequency order until I found an online non-classified document. Now with this information I am going to try and scan HAVEQUICK and hear the entire transmission. My first thought is to enter the above frequencies into a bank, in the order as listed above without any delay. Next time there are HAVEQUICK transmissions in Florida I hope to learn more.
I hope you've enjoyed this article.