Overview of Russian Federation Naval HF Comms
The Russian Navy
"The Crew—One Family"
VMF - Voyenno Morskoy Flot Rossiyskoy Federatsii
Military Marine Fleet Russian Federation
==================
Surface Ships of the CIS Navy employ cw "41st Channel" via hf radio networks "Globus" (globe), "Equator" (self explanatory) or "Vympel" (Pennant)
Globe seems to be the top echelon command network while Equator may mean hemispherical comms regions, Vympel (Pennant) may mean comms between units under a specific flag/fleet command and their subordinates
For example;
KRASNAYA OKTOBER (a very sneaky ficticious ruskii submarine) transmits to Murmansk RIT over the Vympel network, RIT then passes the traffic to Moscow RIW via the Globus network.
Submarines of the CIS Navy employ superfast telegraph (SAD = Russian acronym for high speed cw?) via radio mode "Akula-Splav" (Akula = shark, Splav = Alloy) or "49th Channel" via hf radio networks "Globus" (Globe) or "Okean" (Ocean). "49th Channel" may be Akula mode specific rather than routing all digital mode traffic. To be precise, Akula isn't CW, it's phase coherent FSK and PSK in Akula II. Subs aren't the only units to deploy Akula.
Often, CW traffic passage is preceded by tuning procedures composed of a series of Vs and/or random dits and dashes.
All stations that are going to be heard in this net period will be tuning their systems to the net freq.
Radio checks take place after every day/night frequency change; 1800Z & 0600Z.
Sessions are closed with "ZNN ZNN sk sk" by the NCS.
As a general rule, expect QTC traffic on the hour, synoptic traffic at 0000/0300/0600 etc you get the idea
For example, right now 2222Z 13DEC19 there's the faintest of very fast CW on 12464, my guess 30wpm or better and way outta my league.
The terms "CIS Navy" (Commonwealth of Independant States Navy) and "RN" (Russian Navy) are used interchangeably.
The Easy Ones
CIS Navy CW qrgs
Fleetwide primary freqs
08345 (1800Z to 0600Z)
12464 (0600Z to 1800Z).
However there are many regional frequencies that are used, and are being more used than primaries these days
The 0600/1800 QSY is apparently a suggestion not a maxim so one can find traffic on either freq regardless of the current Moscow Time; 3 hours ahead of UTC
8348 is a primary Pacific fleet frequency which may propagate to the US, also try:
3594
4048
4190
5233
5411
5142
6240
6242
6989
7630
7632
9142
10203
10834
10834
13636
13907
18373
If you're located in the midwestern US you'd logically try to hear traffic to Navy HQ St. Petersburg RAA on 8120 evenings/nights, and perhaps traffic to Navy HQ Moscow RIW on 8345 (after 1800Z) or 12464 (after 0600Z) as these HQ are geographically closer to the monitoring station than say Murmansk (artic circle) RIT 5343, 7467, 11155 or especially Vladivostok (pacific coast of Russia) RJS on 4048, 5411, 7632, 10203, 13636, if you lived on the west coast US you'd logically try for the opposite as Vladivostok is much closer and only a salty okean (ocean) away from you.
This will become even more apparent and important as the sunspot numbers keep dropping and propagation fails to deliver. Fortunately we have remote sdrs we can log into to get our itch scratched. Who coulda thunk in 1989 that today, from any place in the world that has innernet connection, one could freely log onto an sdr located in Moscow and tune the hf spectrum at will, perhaps mere blocks from Kreml.
Duplex Circuits;
Many RN CW nets in use are duplex, ship transmits on one freq, shore transmits on another.
RIW Moscow sends to ships on 9145, 11000, 14556
RCV Sevastopol sends to ships on 15586 day and 7566 night, with weather reports also on 5915, in the past on 10543
So when you hear traffic on 7345 or 12464 look for the other side on the above freqs, but these are by no means all in use.
Behold!
http://www.udxf.nl/CISN-December-2015.pdf Callsigns CW Stations:
======================
RCV Navy HQ Sevastopol
REA4 Airforce HQ Moscow
RIT Navy HQ Severomorsk North Fleet
RJS Navy HQ Vladivostok
RIW Navy HQ Moscow
RMP Navy HQ Kaliningrad
RMxx Warship Individual Callsign
Voice (U/LSB):
=========
Rezim-A: In Red/Clear Voice
Rezim-B: In Green/Encrypted Using Yakta
Vpiriom: Over to you
Priyom: Reception (do you copy)
As to Q Codes oft mentioned in RN cw comms:
========
QBE Closing
QCM Broken/Interrupted
QCM QYT6 MS5 Link is Broken
QDW I listen on XXX freq
QRD Q: Where are you going to?
QRD XXXX A: I am going to freq XXX
QRO (?) Increase power (shall I?)
QRP (?) Decrease Power (shall I?)
QRR CW Encrypted Groups Simplex
QRX Q: When will you call me?
QRX 2222Z A: I will call you at 2222Z
QSA? Q; Whats your Strength of (my) Signal?
QSA2 A: Strength Of Signal is 2
QSU1 USB voice
QTC? Q; How many messages do you have for me?
QTC3 A: you have 3 messages
QWH XXXX? Q; will you send on freq XXX?
QWH XXXX A: I will send on freq XXX
QYR 81Bd FSK
QYS SSB Voice Duplex
QYT4 OFDM 12 Channel psk data/encrypted voice, vessels
QYT6 QBE Close MS5 Link
QYT6 MS5 Link
QYT9 75 Bd 200 Hz, fixed stations
CIS Forces often use Z and Q codes with much the same meaning as NATO Z and Q codes with a few of their own device.
Q and Z codes used by NATO and CIS forces;
http://www.radiotelegraphy.net/qsignals.htmhttp://www.radiotelegraphy.net/zsignals.htm- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Common Daily Traffic Nets
Day
11165
12464 (Primary)
11000
10543
Night
08345 Northern Fleet (Primary)
08348 Pacific Fleet (Primary)
HQ/Naval Radio Reception Center Stations
RAA St. Petersburg National Defence Control Center
RDL All Strategic Nuclear Commands
RIT Severomorsk
RIW Moscow
RCV Sevastopol
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Headquarters/Naval Base Radio Reception Centers;
Frq: Calls :
RAA : 14587(Sx) 12692 (Sx) 10795
RCV : 19201 13971 (Sx) 10309 (Sx) 08139 08014 07763
(Sx) 05916 05776 05736 05224 05094 (Sx) 03797
RDL : 22864 16912 14664 10452 08136
RIW : 14556(Sx) 12056 (Sx) 10540 (Sx) 07665 07664
RMP : 21438 12692 (Sx) 06832 05881 05775 04079 007
RJS : 16112
RIT : 12753 11155 06877 05443
RCB : 08816 05808 06877 05443
(Sx) = Simplex
xxxxx = Frequency not known
Afloat/Airborne Units;
Frq: Calls :
08020 RJE65 RJP24 RIR99
07861 RAL2 RFH2 RDU2 RHW2 RBL71
07815 RMW32 RMW36 RMW46
07786 RAL65 RHY73 RBDE RMGB
06989 RAL2 RHQJ RGH2 RMW2 RBL66
06957 RMW46 RGR97 RGR98 RGR88 RGR82 RGR85 RGR92
06836 RGR89 RGR90 RGR91 RGR94 RMW46
05823 RAL2 RKA2 RLO2 RBL70
05770 RWI2 RGY2 RHK6
05018 RJE65 RJP24
03353 RJP54 RJP54 RMJA RMUW REL5 REL5
03337 RMGZ RJP54
===============================
Russian MX CW Beacon Clusters:
==============================
3334.9 L-Marker St.Petersburg
3593.9 S-Marker Arkhangelsk
3594.0 C-Marker Moscow
3658.0 V-Marker Khiva-Abad Turkmenistan
4042.0 P-Marker Kaliningrad
4325.8 R-Marker Izhevsk/Ustinov
5153.8 P-Marker Kaliningrad
5153.9 S-Marker Arkhangelsk
5154.0 C-Marker Moscow
7038.8 P-Marker Kaliningrad
7038.9 S-Marker Arkhangelsk
7039.0 C-Marker Moscow
8494.8 P-Marker Kaliningrad
8495.0 C-Marker Moscow
10307.2
10528.0
10871.8 P-Marker Kaliningrad
10871.9 S-Marker Arkhangelsk
10872.0 C-Marker Moscow
13527.8 P-Marker Kaliningrad
13527.9 S-Marker Arkhangelsk
13528.0 C-Marker Moscow
13528.2 F-Marker Vladivostok
16331.8 P-Marker Kaliningrad
16331.9 S-Marker Arkhangelsk
16332.0 C-Marker Moscow
20047.9 S-Marker Arkhangelsk
20048.0 C-Marker Moscow
Location:
============
C Moscow
F Vladivostok
L St.Petersburg
P Kaliningrad
R Ustinov
S Arkhangelsk
V Tashkent
CIS AF/Navy HF Comms
--------------------------------------
Voice Freqs: all USB
"Long Range Aviation" generally means Tu95 and Tu22 bombers of the respective service
03555.0
04040.0 Russian Pacific Fleet
04150.0
04625.0 ?
04642.0
04672.0 Vologda Control
05420.0
05568.0
05596.0 Vorkuta, Amderma, Il'men, Arkhangelsk, Pechora, Syvkar (Syktyvkar) & NaryanMar
05617.0 Long Range Aviation
05628.0 Long Range Aviation
05635.0 Long Range Aviation
05700.0 Military Transport Aviation (VTA) (Apr 2018)
05803.0
05827.0
05830.0
05833.0 Long Range Aviation
05851.0 Russian Naval Air
05932.0
06296.5 ?
06490.0
06685.0 Military Transport Aviation (VTA)(secondary)
06689.0 Long Range Aviation (Pacific area)
06749.0 Military Transport Aviation (VTA)
06757.0 Ukrainian Air Force
07741.0
08033.0 Long Range Aviation (Sep-Oct) Bears, Tu22, etc
08090.0 Long Range Aviation (Oct-Apr)
08131.0 Long Range Aviation (Nov-Feb)
08136.0
08160.0 Baltic Fleet?
08192.0 Russian Pacific Fleet
08237.0 Russian Mediterranean Flotilla
08252.0 poss Russian AF
08294.0 Russian Pacific Fleet
08297.0 Russian Pacific Fleet
08439.0 Russian Pacific Fleet
08441.0
08847.0 Military Transport Aviation (Dec 2013)
08459.0 Baltic Fleet?
08884.0 Long Range Aviation (Pacific area)
08909.0 Long Range Aviation (May-Sep)
08950.0 Murmansk Control#
08974.0
10984.0 Russian Black Sea Fleet
11190.0 Ukrainian Air Force
11193.0 Moscow Radio#
11198.0 Khabarovsk Radio#
11200.0 Long Range Aviation-winter freq #170
11223.0 Long Range Aviation reserve
11226.0
11354.0 Russian Naval Aviation
11350.0
11360.0 Military Transport Aviation -primary
11362.0 Military Transport Aviation
11370.0 Long Range Aviation TU-95s
11380.0
11390.0 Murmansk Control#
15024.0 Moscow Radio#
18030.0 Military Transport Aviation
# Russian military aircraft will occasionally use Moscow Radio & Murmansk Radio
? Not positively identified
-------------------------------
Russian Naval Air Transport Net
-------------------------------
Stations:
RJF94......Central Sector Station, Moscow (PRIBOJ)
RJC38......Northern Sector Station, Murmansk (NOVATOR)
RJC48......Southern Sector Station, Sevastopol (NORKA)
RCH84......Eastern Sector Station, Vladivostok (MONOLOG)
RCB........Western Sector Station, Kaliningrad (KRAKET)
Aircraft...Four figures assigned each aircraft (2319)
Ground stations maintain communication with each other on separate frequencies; communication between Moscow and Vladivostok is often heard (RJF94-RCH84)
Station C / S Codename QTH Description
MOSCOW RJF94 'PRIBOY' ATC Central District
VLADIVOSTOK RCH84 'MONOLOGUE' ATC Eastern District
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy Base
Sovetskaya Gavan ' Base
KALININGRAD RCB 'KRAKET' ATC West Region
Chkalovsk Base
Nivenskoye Base
Bykhov Belarus Base
MURMANSK RJC38 'NOVATOR' ATC North Division
Olenia Base
Arkhangelsk Base
Severomorsk Base
Kipelovo Base
SEVASTOPOL RJC48 'MINK' Kacha ATC Southern District
Gvardeyskoye Base
Veseloye Base
Oktyabrskoye Base
Kulbakino Base
Coast Radio Stations:
=====================
04357 Ryga Radio
08293 Radio
08294 Ryga Radio
08297 Klaipeda Radio
08770 Radio
08773 Kaliningrad Radio
13086 Ryga Radio
13197 Odessa Radio
Meteo Stations:
===============
03690.0 Tashkent Meteo FAX
04318.0 Moscow Meteo FAX
04560.0 Irkutsk Meteo Baudot RKR74
05108.0 Moscow Meteo FAX
09348.0 Tashkent Meteo FAX RCH72
14983.0 Tashkent Meteo FAX RBV76
Commonly Heard Callsigns:
===============
ADJEK-06 Unknown
ARBAD Moscow CIV Aero
ARBAD-63 Unknown
AVRORA Unknown CIV Aero
BOREJ-96
C Moscow Navy Marker
CENTRE Unknown
COSMO Unknown
D Unknown/Obsolete
DAIHATJ-59 Unknown
F Vladivostok Navy Marker
GOY-2 Unknown
K Unknown/Obsolete
KRAKJET Unknown Airforce Operator
KRASJETJ-79 Unknown
L St.Petersburg Navy Marker
NAVATER Unknown Airforce Operator
O Unknown/Obsolete
P Kaliningrad Navy Marker
PAROS-XX Unknown
PIWON-24 Unknown
PLAVETS-41 Unknown Navy Operator
POBED-01 Unknown
PRAWA-82 Unknown Right ?
PRIBOY Unknown Airforce Operator
R Izhevsk/Ustinov Navy Marker
RADAN St.Petersburg CIV Aero
RAW-2
RBV-76 Tashkent Meteo
RCH-72 Tashkent Meteo
RCV Navy HQ Sevastopol
REA-4 Airforce HQ Moscow
REO Unknown
RHP-27
RIT Navy North Fleet HQ Severomorsk
RIW Navy HQ Moscow
RKR-74 Irkutsk Meteo
RMHW Warship Unknown
RMMA Warship Unknown
RMP Navy HQ Kaliningrad
ROMAN-XX Unknown
ROTOR-35 Unknown Navy Operator
S Arkhangelsk Navy Marker
SKORA Unknown CIV Aero
T Unknown/Obsolete
TRUAS Unknown CIV Aero
UDZ-27
URO Diplostation Tripolis?
UXW Diplostation London?
UVB-76
V Khiva-Abad Navy Marker
VORMET Unknown Airforce Operator
WQL Diplostation Unknown
Y Unknown/Obsolete
YAROK Kiev CIV Aero
ZAPAT-_9 Unknown
ZAVOD-24
CIS Naval callsign convention and generally follow ITU convention.
Most calls; ship, shore, or air, prefix with R.
Stations are assigned signs from the RAA-RMZ range and RJC ## - RJH ##
There are exceptions to callsigns, for example Magadan, RTS
Aircraft seem to have a random 3/4/5F call after the R regardless of their home base.
Afloat units do not have calls related to their fleet; for example, Northern Fleet units from Murmansk do not prefix their calls with RJD.
RDL is generally believed to be a collective address to "all nuclear strategic forces", in essence RDL = EAM
WLHN is generally believed to be a collective address to all units of the Armed Forces
Submarine units don't have known given calls ota on hf, as subs mostly use laser/satcomm buoys with, presumably, Akula as backup. That being said, Akula is also used for recon/int work by afloat units (AGI) so not every Akula sig's going to be a sub.
http://i56578-swl.blogspot.com/2015/07/cis-navy-shark-akula.htmlhttp://jproc.ca/rrp/rrp2/boresight.html Much traffic generated on CIS naval nets is comprised of position and local weather reporting, they seem to follow the reporting guidelines in this publication;
https://www.jcs.mil/Portals/36/Documents/Doctrine/pubs/jp3_59.pdf CIS NAVY Meteo Callsigns
RJE73 = BLACK SEA FLOT METEO
RJH45 = MOSCOW NAVAL METEO
RJH74 = NORTHERN FLEET METEO
RJD38 = BALTIC FLOT METEO
RJE65 = BLACK SEA FLOT HQ, NOVOROSSIYSK
Hydrographic messages are normally sent every six hours – 0600z, 1200z, 1800z and 0000z.
With the above in mind, radio hobbyists can track certain CIS Naval assets from port to patrol area, AGI and subs excluded.
Commonly active CIS Naval Base freqs
08460 RMP Baltic Fleet HQ at Kaliningrad
03395.5 Sevastopol RCV (simplex)
04079 Kaliningrad RMP (duplex)
04376.5 White Sea area ships calling Severodvinsk (duplex)
04635 White Sea area ships calling Severodvinsk (duplex)
05411 Vladivostok RJS (duplex)
08120 Navy HQ St. Petersburg RAA (simplex)
08345 Ship night primary (duplex)
08348 Pacific Fleet ship primary (duplex)
09145 Moscow RIW (duplex)
11000 Moscow RIW (duplex)
11155 Severomorsk RIT (duplex)
12464 Ship day primary (duplex)
14556 Moscow RIW (duplex)
19201 Sevastopol RCV (weather/nav warnings)
White Sea:
4376.5
4095.5
Caspian Sea
3877.5 Simplex
Ship of electronic reconnaissance project (example 864/B Baltiysk 72DRK)
Russian AGI class of ships (remember the USS Pueblo?) do not send hf cw weather/position reports unlike other afloat units, I presume they have laser/satcoms as well as Akula just like the subs. As most USN task forces grow their own RN AGI tail and there seem to be continuous RN AGI haunting NATO and USN naval bases, their position is known to USN regardless if they send on hf, the NATO/USN radio traffic they intercept is likely sent by laser/satcom to RAA and Moscow. There may be more than one AGI tailing USN forces, or near Cape Kennedy when rocket launches are to take place as missile telemetry is a high priority target for AGI ships of any nation.
Also while RN forces use Cyrillic morse, they use a lot of Q and Z codes with the same meaning Q and Z codes have in the west.
Afloat units can bypass their respective HQ and contact Moscow directly. This may be due to propagation not favoring HQ or by command. Likewise, afloat and airborne units have freqs they guard that are a hotline from Moscow for flash messages, as well as their HQ freq. It's not uncommon for various HQ or even afloat/airborne units to relay comms from units that aren't organic to that command.
CIS Naval forces have some 600 known HF freqs in use, you can find a list at udxf or elsewhere but units are presumed to be frequency agile and can pop up anywhere.
CIS Naval messaging has a hierarchy like most other military message systems;
MNL “Monolith” Flash (XXX in RN cw)
VZD “Air” Immediate
RKT “Rocket” Priority
SML “Aircraft” Routine
CIS Naval cw is often part of RN digital bcasts for setup and takedown of links, typically BFSK T600 modems, with the cw being created by employing a single tone of the BFSK pair as the cw carrier. I presume the modem traffic from land units is along the lines of the NATO/USN BRASS S4285 and 50/75Bd FSK bcasts.
https://www.isode.com/whitepapers/brass-to-br1eta.html Main Russian Naval radio centers / callsigns in Rossii and English
Globus (Global Network)
RIW / RJE56 / PROGRESS / KOMPASS
Moscow
This station gets input from all other HQ, while lower commands get input from their respective afloat units.
This is the seat of political command.
RAA / RJC66
St. Petersburg National Defence Control Center
Russian Naval C3 center, base component is RJC66
This is Russian Navy HQ. All lower HQ and afloat/airborne units send to this station as SOP but those stations can and do bypass HQ and send direct to Moscow when tasked or when unable to raise HQ or get a relay to HQ. Certain priority traffic (Akula reception, typically meaning a sub or AGI) is simultaneously sent on to RIW via all means available, cw, fsk, land line, etc. Submarine related traffic has highest priority in RN comms.
Okean (Ocean Network)
HQ Calls and locations
Severomorsk RIT
Kaliningrad RMP
Sevastopol RCV
Astrakhan RJD52
Vladivostok RJS
Northern Fleet (Siewiernyj Flot)
(Arctic regions, North Atlantic Ocean, North sea, Norwegian Sea, white Sea, Northern inland waterways)
Severomorsk RIT (+ RJH57) / Wolfram
Severodvinsk RJD99 Swetok, "Flower"
Iokanga RJD80 Jagernaja / Ostrovnoj / Gremikha / Murmansk / Svetlana
Polyarny RIR2 Priroda, "Nature"
Murmansk RJD56 FlĂger, "Vane"
The Northern Fleet has also been tasked with Arctic Joint Strategic Command. This arctic activity is going to increase greatly in the next decades as Russia is spending billions on revitalising/modernising old bases as well as building new ones. Increases in personnel are likewise taking place as Moscow stakes claim to vast natural resources and the military advantages of an arctic position. We might expect to see more NATO and US activity in this region to counter the perceived threat.
Baltic Fleet (Baltijskij Flot)
(Baltic Sea, North sea, English Channel, Inland waterways)
Kaliningrad RMP (+RJD71) / Westnik, "Herald", "Messenger"
St. Petersburg RJD85 / Skakun, "Race horse", "Jumper"
Baltiysk RJD69 / Iskatelx, "Seeker"
Black Sea Fleet
(Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Caspian Sea, Red Sea, inland waterways)
Sevastopol RCV / Gwozdika, "Cloves"
Novorossiysk RJE65 / Topolx, "White Poplar"
Caspian Flotilla (Caspianski Flot)
(Caspian Sea, inland waterways)
Astrakhan RJD52 / Zazor, "Clearance" or poss "Gap"
Pacific Fleet (Tihookeanskij Flot)
(North Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Oceans, Bering Sea, inland waterways)
Vladivostok RJS / Grejder "Grader"
Vladivostok RJC60 / Ăśrist "Lawyer (Jurist)"
Strelok aka Pavlovsk Bay RJD97 / Ă–jnara "Sycamore"
Petropavlomsk Kamchatskiy RCC / Dekanat "Deanery (Deans office)"
Sowgwanx/Sovjetskaya Gavan RJD93 / Flejta "Flute"
Indian Ocean
(Indian Ocean, South Atlantic Ocean, inland waterways)
Bishkek RJH25 / Sibirak "Siberian"
Other RN bases such as training, hydrographic, testing;
Khabarovsk (Vladimirovka)
RAB99 / Gerkules (h is pronounced g in Rossii)
Moscow (MANIKINO)
RJE56 / SOKOL-2
Kyrgyzstan
RJH25 / KAKTUS
TX/RX site
Krasnodar (MARTANSKAYA)
RJH63 / GERAKL
Comms center/time signal authority
Chaldovar, KZ (Karabalta)
RJH66 / Marevo
Comms center/time signal authority
Vileyka, BLR
RJH69 / ANTEY
Comms center/time signal authority
Arkhangelsk (VOZHDORMA)
RJH77 / ATLANT
Comms center/time signal authority
Nizhniy Novgorod
RJH90
Comms center/time signal authority
Druzhniy
RJH99
Comms center/time signal authority
RIQ88 is an unid land station in control of a transport aircraft network.
8816 seems to be their primary ops channel with 7932 as backup/emergency, monitored traffic is often in contact with Moscow RJF94 and/or Vladivostok RCH84
Don't expect to hear littoral operations, tugs, repair ships, etc on hf as they will likely be using v/uhf.
RN Submarine Squadrons
Base/Call Unit QTH/LAT/LON Function
GADZHIEVO 12th Submarine Squadron 6915N/3320 Maritime Base
OSTROVNOY/RJD80 'SVETLANA' Sea Base
GREMIKHA, MURMANSK-140 4419th Marine Base Maritime Base
LOKANGA Sea Base
URA GUBA 35 km from Murmansk Sea Base
ARA Sea Base
VIDAYEVO 7th Division of Submarines Maritime Base
NERPICH'YA 18th Division of Submarines ZAPADNAYA LITSA Sea Base
BOLSHAYA LOPATKA ZAPADNAYA LITSA Sea Base
MALAYA LOPATKA ZAPADNAYA LITSA Sea Base
YAGEL'NAYA 24.31 Division of Submarines SAIDA bay Maritime Base,
ANDREEV Sea Base
TERIBERKA Sea Base
PECHENGA conventional submarines and escorts Maritime Base
OLEN'YA Sea Base
GUBA OKOL'NAYA/RIQ88 Sea Base
VLADIMIR PORT Sea Base
BELOMORSK Kola Flotilla, surface ships and underwater Sea Base
Tiksi/RLU8 Sea Base
Monitoring Russians afloat was perhaps more interesting and easy back in the days when there was an insane amount of Russian Merchant Marine traffic on hf.
No matter what time of day, you could find some poor faktori/akademik/ryba ship sending messages back home for crew or admin even when the bands were dead. They used cw, but much traffic was in the form of radiogramma, radiograms, sent via BFSK SITOR. If you had a PK232 with the SIAM rom you could copy in 3rd shift Cyrillic if you wanted, I did sometimes but much more often simply used ITA2. In ITA2 mode, Russian words would in many cases almost be translated into something an English speaker could understand, and could follow the message gist. If it was a kryptogrammy being sent, it was 5F groups so don't waste your time.
One always kept in mind that being a totalitarian state, every soviet merchant ship was a military vessel, kinda like how most soviet airliners had jumpseats for paratroopers. "Trawlers" were often festooned with myriad m/h/v/uhf antennae, sure they had to fish, but the kgb/gru crew members ran the elint gear below decks trolling for signals while the rest of the crew cast nets.
This every trawler = a RN AGI mentality pissed off a lot of the five eyes units tasked with monitoring every Russian ship afloat, no matter how small and/or boring its activity.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_EyesBut NSA had to have the data, knowing that if it rated a trawler it was obviously something the soviets were interested in, thus something NSA was interested in.
Hard to imagine the fortune and lives spent on this crap.
I must admit SITOR worked pretty good for the most part and seemingly links much faster and more reliably than many ARQ modes used even today, but it's not as hardy a mode or as fast as the newer stuff. The Russians liked SITOR so much they devised their own modifications to it beyond 3rd shift Cyrillic and used it when everyone else had gone to other means. Now I suppose a lot of Russian MM traffic is via satphone text and voice.
Who knows, you might someday monitor "The Kuz" (Kiev Class Aircraft Carrier Admiral Kuznetsov), or the "Yuri D" (Borei-class submarine Yury Dolgorukiy)
“Tremble, bourgeoisie! You’re done with!”
----------------------------
RN Naval Digital Modes
----------------------------
T600
https://www.sigidwiki.com/wiki/CIS-36-50http://www.wavecom.ch/content/ext/DecoderOnlineHelp/default.htm#!worddocuments/cis3650.htmT600 (and derivatives, of wich there are several, some in use by other RN forces) is the actual name for the modem, it's also called BEE and 36/50 by hobbyists
While a Baudot decoder will print on T600 sigs, it's not Baudot code so one needs a decoder crafted for T600.
Apparently T600 employs 3:4 encoding for error check, similar to SITOR in that respect. I suppose T600 is the most common RN digital (non cw) mode on hf.
Some of these T600 freqs are up continuously as a kind of channel marker, idling (looks like reversals to a Baudot decoder) until a message arrives, others only send when there is traffic, at H+10, 20, 30, 40 & 50:
Simulcast T600:
1. 10712, 11088, 15778, 16808, 20536, 22413
2. 5890, 9224, 11524, 14581, 16207, 19688, 19936
3. 14192, 16234
RDL cw and T600:
(simulkeyed with 21.1) 8130, 10164 6. 3196, 5846 7. 5178, 8436
(simulkeyed with 18.1) 3363, 3861, 4043, 4446, 4582, 4602, 5268, 5438, 6342, 6962, 7657, 7816, 8488, 8508, 9346, 10452, 10535, 11468, 12098, 12631, 12741, 13032, 14411, 14664, 15768, 15871, 16912, 17460, 18764, 19210, 20096, 22864
The cw traffic is comprised of opchat between the ends of the link using mark or space as the cw carrier, normally taking place before, between, and/or after T600 traffic. This opchat may have interesting tidbits and is sole reason some monitors watch T600 channels.
Commonly heard in US;
14411, 14664, 16206, 16808, 17460
For an up to date list of T600 channels you will want to get the latest logs from udxf.io or similar hobbyist websites.
That being said, one of my goto T600 channels to watch as a prop indicator is 11039.
Rivet is a free to use decoder often used by hobbyists to decode RN Navy digital traffic, and supports these modes;
Baudot (various speeds) : Used by amateurs , weather stations and other users.
CCIR493-4 : A HF selective calling mode
CIS36-50 (50 baud only currently) : Used by the Russian Navy.
CROWD36 : Used for Russian diplomatic and intelligence messages
FSK200/500 : Used for Russian diplomatic and intelligence messages
FSK200/1000 : Used for Russian diplomatic and intelligence messages
FSK (raw) : For advanced users to investigate unknown FSK modes
GW FSK (100 baud) : A commercial ship to shore data system.
XPA (10 and 20 baud) : Believed used for Russian intelligence messages.
XPA2 : Believed used for Russian intelligence messages.
https://github.com/IanWraith/Rivet AKULA
- a signal of national communications "SHARK", used in the Navy. Suffice it to the old system, the transmission is encrypted, of the characteristics, the preamble begins with twice the "plus" in terms of duration, spacing is exactly equal to twice the speed of manipulation, and manipulation without breaking phase.
(Band Width) ~1800 Hz
(Low Range) ~500-600 Hz, SBB
(Baud Rate) 500 Hz
(Carriers) 2
(Shift) 1000 Hz
(RX mode) SSB
AKULA-II
Band Width) ~900 Hz
(Low Range) ~250-300 Hz, SBB
(Baud Rate) 500 Hz
(PSK Carriers) 2
(Shift) 500 Hz
(RX mode) SSB
The above Akula info translated from the RUScanner webpage
Akula = shark in Rossii
The Akula modem is a phase coherent BFSK burst modem used by submarine and surveillance forces of the Russian Navy. I suppose the subs can either deploy a vertical from conning tower, towed buoy, or water jet antenna to send via, but 15kw on hf to a trailing wire antenna a meter or so below surface might do too.
The Akula-II modem is a complex, dual-channel Differential BPSK burst modem.
http://staff.ustc.edu.cn/~jingxi/Lecture%209_10.pdf"Dolphin" is a minor variation of the Akula radio mode(s)
"Ishmael" and "Dnieper" was similar
Parse ASCII transparent charset and synchronous framing or raw bits to view transport and payload.
Akula ACF; 1356 2594 2713
Traffic has/may consist of 10 five-digit groups, time in the air - 0.72 seconds (in closed mode).
RN Submarines have employed up to 15 kW output power in Akula mode.
Akula messages received by shore stations are instantly relayed to the CIC of the RN on all available communication channels. Akula has also been noted in use by surface "recon" ie surveillance units and might be a method used for transmitting emergency traffic of flash precedence by Akula equipped RN units.
Akula messages are copied via 135 radio reception centers of the Russian navy, keeping in mind submarine-related comms have highest priority in Russian Navy
A short BPSK burst is seen before BFSK Akula traffic commences, I presume this is indication Akula-II hardware is in use. I also presume Akula is based on WW2 German efforts to do the same thing, covertly send messages from submarines to HQ on hf;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurier_systemHowever the kurier system was more or less just very fast morse, its main benefit in reducing the amount of time a signal was ota, thereby reducing chances of discovery and direction finding. The main problem with short duration hf comms, other than propagation, is a noise burst can take out a portion of or entire short communications burst, not to mention bit smearing from multipath that will likewise also be present to one degree or another.
Buy you an Akula modem!
https://www.speechpro.ru/product/voennaya-produkciya/ustrojstvo-peredachi-informacii-r-758is/specification------------------------------------------------------------
Akula product info;
"Information Transmission Device R-758IS (Akula)
General information
Group of operation 2.3.1, 2.1.1, 2.2.1 GOST RV 20.39.304-98 (GOST RV 20.39.304-98 is somewhat akin to ACP and/or STANAG but for Rossii)
Entering and correction of reports using the keyboard with control on the built-in display
Creating and storing a list of standard reports
Archiving of the transferred reports in non-volatile memory
Built-in automatic self test system
By connecting compatible with existing equipment
Specifications
Power supply 220v with a frequency of 50/400 Hz
40W maximum power consumption
Weight 3.6 kg
Dimensions (width X depth, height), mm 220x285x75 (without shock absorbers)
Full appointed service life of 25 years
Warranty period of 5 years"
---------------------------------------------------------------
Speech Technology Center, LLC (Akula Manufacturers)
Year of foundation 1990
For contact
196084, St. Petersburg, Krasutsky street, 4
Tel .: (812) 325-8848, Fax: (812) 327-9297
Website:
www.speechpro.ruE-mail: info@speechpro.com
Administration Khitrov Mikhail Vasilyevich - General Director
Main activities
development, production; sale; research activities
Own production
multichannel digital black boxes P-424M and P-425M, installed on submarines, ships of the Navy and on airplanes;
Information Transmission Device R-758IS - preparation of data for the transmission of digital messages in the modes: "Shark", "Splav-Info", "Integral", "Splav P-608"; Morse Code Sensor (KM) - a mock-up sample that has been tested on ships of the Navy
Supplied Products
multichannel digital black boxes P-424M and P-425M, installed on submarines, ships of the Navy and on airplanes;
Information Transmission Device R-758IS - preparation of data for the transmission of digital messages in the modes:
"Shark", "Splav-Info", "Integral", "Splav P-608"
Services
performing particularly complex phonoscopic examinations and studies
------------------------------------------------------------------
Speech Technology Center product "Integral" is the corresponding receiver/sensor for Akula modems.
Speaking of Russian Radio Hardware....
This was noted in Fritz Nusser's excellent piece on RN/CIS Navy;
"R-608N / R-608P Emergency Radio Set
HF transmitter/receiver for use onboard surface ships and submarine on the emergency frequncies of the Navy.
Frequency range;
3.6 ... 3.8
4.5 ... 4.7
6.1 ... 6.3
8.2 ... 8.4
10 ... 10.3
12.4 ... 12.7
16.5 ... 16.8
20.0 ... 22.4
MHz with 10 fixed frequencies.
Output power 20 W (70 W short time)
Modes A1A, R3E, H3E, F1B.
Manufacturer is Russian Inst. for High Power Radio Engineering OJSC (St. Petersburg)"
If they sell these things on the open market without changing their freq ranges they just told us where to look for their emergency frequencies.
AT-3004D
This aging PSK/MFSK/OFDM modem is in use by RN forces and is likely or has been replaced with newer and more capable equipment AT-3104. That being said, it's all over the spectrum in use by Russian Navy for the most part I presume the 3104 is backward compatible with 3004.
Traffic consists of text/data and encrypted voice.
http://priyom.org/military-stations/russia/at-3004dhttps://www.sigidwiki.com/wiki/CIS-12Something to consider is that while elite RN forces, submariners to flyboys, often get the newest and most advanced weaponry and electronics, elements farther back from the point of the spear have to make do with perhaps obsolescent and certainly older equipment, eventually as more advanced gear comes into the TOE (table of equipment) more units will be so equipped.
They've developed some neat gear, they just can't afford to make a lot of it right now.
This technology trickle down theory has always been the case apparently. For example, in the late 50s and early 60s as Akula was being developed and tested in the field, only certain subs got the equipment, no surface units had it until much later, like into the 90s. This likely coincided with the desire for RN forces to fight war in a nuclear environment, meaning to be able to fight in a contaminated battlefield, and have the equipment to enable one to do so.
This is one reason why the changeover from tube type electronics to solid state is slow in the going, as tube gear has a much greater tolerance to emp. Today I presume most electronics in RN Navy use to be solid state, and to have emp protection devices and protocols in place to protect said solid state devices.
Today you can actually buy an Akula modem from the maker in Russia, so why not equip every unit with the best and newest at least for compatibility's sake? Perhaps Russia is counting on commercial orders to ramp up production of gear and hide the cost in the volume sold, kinda like having your enemy buy your weapons for you. Wonder what the world market for a hf burst modem is. Also from the pics they're not very small and are likely heavy, I suppose the waveform could be written into a pc app for tx/rx.
Testing and development of new systems, communications and weapons both, is taking place in actual combat in places like Syria, and I wouldn't be surprised to find it in use in the Yemeni/Saudi war. Slcms launched from RN subs have overflown Iran to get to targets in Syria - a test and a message sent to the west at the same time. New tanks and antitank missile defense systems are being tested in Syria too. RN has port facilities at Tartus and Lataika Syria, ringed with S400 air defense artillery systems.
Wouldn't come as a surprise to find the recent incidents where US warships went off course and ran into other shipping was due to RN electronic warfare units testing new toys. Eastern Ukraine is also a testbed of Russian EW gear. Iran dropped a US drone and reverse engineered it because Russia gave them the means to capture the drone.
Resources on the topic;
Tony's excellent piece on Monitoring the Russian Navy
https://planesandstuff.wordpress.com/2015/07/02/monitoring-the-russian-navy-part-one/RN Navy calls;
https://planesandstuff.wordpress.com/russian-navy-callsigns/Fritz Nusser's excellent piece on RN/CIS Navy
http://www.udxf.nl/Russian%20navy.pdfcredit due all who have shared and taught what they have discovered to
aging itching ears
