Operations Billet Specialty

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Surface Warfare Officers School Commnd

Department Head Combat Systems

Newport, Rhode Island

02841-5012

INFORMATION SHEET

REV: 03/98

TITLE: COMMUNICATIONS PLANNING

Quite often a ship is judged on its ability to communicate, therefore, a Communications Plan (Comm Plan) is a must. A Comm Plan is a good and necessary tool for Radio, CIC, and Bridge personnel. A Comm Plan should be written to cover each and every underway period. A good Comm Plan will give a true picture of what communication circuits are required and indicate where and when they are needed throughout a specific underway period. Flexibility, of course, is necessary when writing a Comm PLAN.

1. Each time a ship gets underway there should be a Comm Plan. A good Comm Plan will list all the communication requirements, in detail, for a specific underway period. The end result should be a detailed and effective communications Plan that can be understood and utilized by all concerned. As department heads, you should not have to write the Comm Plan, but should have a good knowledge of how they are written and what they include.

1. Important considerations for Comm Plans:

1. Fleet Commander’s OPORD
2. Numbered Fleet Commander’s OPORD
3. NAVCAMS LANG/MEL Fleet Telecomm Procedures
4. Various Fleet Instructions
5. Messages (OPTASK/OPGENS)
6. SOPA Regs
7. LOIs

1. Personnel manning
2. Equipment
3. Unit capability

1. Assign watch responsibilities for the following locations:

1. Communications Center.
2. CIC
3. Bridge
4. Helo Control

1. Disseminate the information contained in the Communications Plan. Ensure that Communications are provided from the beginning to end of the evolution.
6. Test the circuits from the user position (remote locations). Some typical circuits for in port/underway may include:

1. Inport:

1. Fleet Broadcast
2. Ship-to-Shore
3. Harbor Ops/Admin
4. Drill Circuits

1. Underway:

1. Fleet Broadcast
2. Ship-to-Shore
3. Harbor Ops/Admin
4. Tug Control
5. Task Force (Group) TTY Circuits
6. Degaussing

3. When drafting the Comm Plan, screen the OPTASK Comm and other OPTASK/OPGENS and look for the following:

a. Basic battle group Circuits such as:

1. TF/TG Command
2. AW C&R
3. SU/USW C&R
4. C2W C&R
5. TF/TG Tactical
6. TG Teletype
7. Link/Link Coord
8. Sextant-Outboard
9. OTCIXS
10. TACINTEL

1. Special requirements, i.e. warfare commander or alternates
2. U/W requirements, i.e. harbor common, Tug control, degaussing run, etc.
3. Transit requirements, i.e. FACSFAC, OPAREA, etc.
4. Distress requirements
5. Ship/Shore requirements, i.e. CUDIXS, relay via CV, etc.
6. Broadcast requirements.
7. Plan for running overload channels as first run. Plan for HF.
8. Circuit restoration priorities
9. Equipment availability
10. Remote locations
11. Special CMS requirements
12. Special visual signal requirements
13. Required reports, i.e. PRE-EX, POST-EX, etc.
14. Established frequency Plans, i.e. USW Air Channelization, TACAIR Channelization
15. Pick out circuits you will need for your particular ship, i.e. your ship’s mission

1. The Comm Plan should include:

1. Proper classification
2. Line numbers
3. All required circuits
4. Frequencies
5. Emission Designators
6. Equipment allocations
7. Terminal equipment
8. Key mat/Cryptographic equipment
9. Remote locations
10. Restoration Priorities
11. Remarks column can include:

1. Special notes

1. Channelization Plans

5. Additional data needed can include:

1. Task organization List
2. Call sign list (including visual)
3. Visual requirements
4. Complete channelization Plan

1. The Communications Plan must be approved by the Department Head, and should be chopped through the CICO, EMO and if applicable, the SSO prior to routing.
2. Distribute copies to Radio, CIC, Bridge, Flag spaces, CO, XO, etc.

2. Distress frequencies.

1. 500 KHZ - International Calling and Distress frequency.

1. Authorized emission - CW
2. Used to establish communications between merchant ships and shore stations. Must shift to normal working frequency upon establishing communications.
3. Merchant ships and naval ships, if no other circuits are available, will transmit their distress messages on 500 KHZ.
4. No transmissions, except distress messages, are authorized on this frequency during the required silent periods which include:

1. 15-18 minutes after each hour
2. 45-48 minutes after each hour

1. USN ships are not required to guard this circuit.

2. 8364 KHZ - International Lifeboat, life raft and survival craft frequency.

1. Survival craft to establish communications relating to SARA with ships or coastal stations
2. Aircraft to establish communications with ships or coastal stations.
3. Primarily for long-distance alerting and direction purposes.
4. No shore transmission authorized except with survival craft in support of SAR and/or direction finding operations.
5. USN ships are not required to guard this circuit except when operating with maritime patrol aircraft and during SAR operations.
6. CW emission

1. 2182 KHZ - International Distress and Calling Frequency for Maritime Mobile Service.

1. Authorized emission voice (AM Telephony).
2. Used by naval ships, merchant ships, and stations rendering assistance to ships or crafts in distress. May be used to call the Coast Guard when unable to establish communications on normal authorized Coast Guard frequencies.
3. Silent periods are 00-03 minutes and 10-33 minutes after each

hour.

4. USN ships maintain a listening watch on this circuit.

4. 121.5 MHZ - International Aeronautical Emergency Frequency (VHF).

6. 156.8 MHZ - International Calling and Safety frequency (VHF-FM).

b. Inter-ship and ship-to-coast communications.