An Analysis of Alternatives to Verbal FM Radio Tactical Command and Control Communications

Three threats to the current tactical command and control communications system are identified and examined. These threats are overcrowding the frequency spectrum, electronic warfare, and the electromagnetic pulse effect. When these threats are considered in the light of the number of FM radios employed in the armor division for command and control communications, questions arise concerning the adequacy of the command and control system used in the division. Alternatives to verbal FM radio command and control communications do exist. The purpose of this research was to identify and evaluate those alternatives. This was accomplished by using a scenario for an armor battalion in the offense in a European conflict. The doctrinal alternatives--wire, messenger, sound, and visual--were wargamed against the required communications needlines. The number of messages required for battalion operations over a 24-hour period were derived from several current studies.