Communication protocols and standards in the military

Air Force Unit Groupings

• Flight. The smallest organizational grouping of personnel, usually commanded by a captain. It is equivalent to an Army company, though Air Force flights often consist of far fewer people.  A the organizational flight is sometimes confused with a «flight» of aircraft, which is a tactical formation of two aircraft.
• Squadron. Literally a «square,» in Latin, a squadron is the basic fighting organization of the Air Force.  Usually commanded by a lieutenant colonel, squadrons range in size from 30 to 500 personnel depending upon the mission.  Fighter squadrons typically are assigned 18-24 aircraft.
• Group. Three or more squadrons typically form a group. Groups are identified by one of four functional missions—operations group, maintenance group, mission support group and medical group—and are commanded by a colonel. In British usage, however, an Air Group is a much larger formation, roughly the equivalent of a U.S.tactical air force, such as U.S. Air Force Europe (USAFE) or Pacific Air Force (PACAF).
• Wing. An Air Force wing typically consists of four groups—one from each funcational specialty above. Typically commanded by a senior colonel or brigadier general, the wing commander is often the senior officer on a military installation.  Wings are named based upon a wide variety of missions—fighter wing, bomb wing, airlift wing, space wing, special operations wing, etc.
• “Numbered” Air Forces. Numbered Air Forces, or NAFs (prounounced naffs) consist of at least two, but often ten or more wings.  NAFs are Air Force equivalents to Army divisions, and are commanded by major generals.  Made famous in World War II (as in the mighty 8th Air Force bomber force in England), NAFs were virtually eliminated from the Air Force structure in the 70s and 80s, but were reinstituted in the 90s. (Wikipedia includes a full listing of numbered air forces, plus the larger «major commands» they are subordinate to).
• Major Commands . The U.S. Air Force divides its forces into eight functional and overseas major commands (called «majcoms»), commanded by a four-star general and consisting of one or more NAFs and a large headquarters. The current Air Force active duty majcoms are: Air Combat Command (ACC), Air Education and Training Command (AETC), Air Force Material Command (AFMC), Air Force Space Command (AFSPC), Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), Air Mobility Command (AMC), Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), and US Air Forces in Europe (USAFE)  regional and specialized commands—Strategic Air Command or SAC, based inNebraska , being perhaps the most famous. Others include Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), Military Airlift Command (MAC), and a series of regional commands based around the world. A fuller list can be found on GlobalSecurity.org.

Communication Channels

Communication channels are the means by which people in a company communicate and interact with one another. Without the proper communication channel, it is exceedingly difficult for employees to align with the business objectives and goals, as well as drive innovation and progress in the workplace.

Along with Formal and Informal Communication Channels, we also have a few different types of channels used in business organizations. They are as follows:

Digital communication channels –

To reach and engage their staff, most firms use digital communication platforms. They include a variety of online tools that employees utilize to stay in touch with one another and stay up to date on corporate news and developments. This form of communication channel is thought to be the most effective of all.

A few examples are social media, intranets, employee collaboration software, project management tools, feedback software, etc.

Face-to-face communication channels –

Face-to-face communication is still vitally crucial in the workplace, despite the fact that electronic forms of communication are gaining over. It is still crucial since many situations require nonverbal communication (body language, gestures, signs, facial expressions, etc.).

Written communication channels –

Within corporations, this sort of communication is nearly extinct. However, textual communication is still required when communicating critical policies, letters, memos, manuals, notices, and announcements to employees. But, for external communications with the customers, retailers, distributors and other individuals, written communication is still the most effective.

Взаимодействие угнетающего рельефа с другими факторами

Угнетающий рельеф команды оказывает влияние на работу и взаимодействие ее участников со многими другими факторами. Взаимодействие с такими факторами, как мотивация, коммуникация, руководство и конфликты, может быть непосредственным или косвенным.

Угнетающий рельеф команды может оказывать негативное влияние на мотивацию участников. Недостаток возможности самовыражения и свободы действия может привести к потере интереса и мотивации к выполнению задач. Участники могут испытывать стресс из-за ощущения беспомощности и недостатка контроля над ситуацией, что ухудшает их работоспособность.

Коммуникация также страдает от угнетающего рельефа команды. Отсутствие открытого и доверительного общения может привести к снижению информационного обмена между участниками. Скрытая коммуникация и недостаток обратной связи преграждают путь к развитию эффективного взаимодействия и сотрудничества.

Угнетающий рельеф команды также может негативно повлиять на руководство и лидерство. Лидеры могут испытывать сложности в управлении командой, так как участники не ощущают себя достаточно автономными и могут предпочесть игнорировать или сопротивляться указаниям руководителя. Это может создать ситуацию, когда руководитель не может полностью реализовать свой потенциал и эффективно управлять командой.

Конфликты в команде также часто связаны с угнетающим рельефом. Отсутствие возможности высказать свое мнение и выразить недовольство может привести к накоплению негативных эмоций и конфликтов. Участники команды могут чувствовать себя несправедливо обращенными и не участвуют в процессе принятия решений, что может увеличить вероятность возникновения конфликтов.

В целом, угнетающий рельеф команды существенно влияет на работу и взаимодействие ее участников с другими факторами в командной деятельности. Понимание этого взаимодействия и принятие мер по устранению угнетающего рельефа могут способствовать развитию эффективных коммуникационных процессов, лидерства и конструктивного взаимодействия в команде.

The Role of Communication Protocols in Military Operations

Communication in military operations is akin to a well-orchestrated symphony with each instrument playing a crucial role in achieving the desired outcome. The use of communication protocols is essential in ensuring that the information transmitted during operations is secure reliable and timely.

Protocols outline the rules and procedures for data exchange ensuring that messages are sent and received in a consistent and standardized manner. This helps to prevent misinterpretation or loss of critical information which could compromise the success of the mission.

Communication protocols also help to improve the efficiency of military operations. By providing a framework for the exchange of information protocols reduce the time and effort required to transmit and receive messages. This frees up personnel to focus on other tasks such as planning and executing the mission.

Additionally the use of standardized protocols across different branches of the military and with allied forces facilitates interoperability and joint operations.

Overall communication protocols are a critical component of military operations helping to ensure that information is exchanged efficiently and securely contributing to the overall success of the mission.

Maintaining Communication Channels in Challenging Environments

Military communication is crucial for the success of any operation or mission. To ensure secure communication encryption is employed in military communication systems. However there are times when encryption alone is not enough to maintain communication channels. This is where the importance of maintaining communication channels in challenging environments comes into play.

In challenging environments communication channels can be disrupted due to various factors such as physical barriers extreme weather conditions and electronic jamming. To overcome these challenges the military employs various communication protocols and standards. These are designed to ensure that communication channels remain open and secure even in the most hostile environments.

These protocols and standards include:

1. Frequency hopping – this technique involves constantly changing the frequency of the transmitted signal to avoid detection and jamming.

2. Spread spectrum – this technique spreads the signal over a wide range of frequencies making it difficult to jam.

3. Directional antennas – these antennas focus the signal in a specific direction reducing interference from other sources.

4. Redundancy – this involves having multiple communication channels and backup systems to ensure that communication can still be maintained in case of failure or disruption.

By employing these protocols and standards the military can ensure that communication channels remain open and secure even in the most challenging environments. This is crucial for the success of any operation or mission.

Verbal Communication

Vocal communication is accompanied by auditory signals produced by a vibrating organ, such as the larynx in mammals’ throats. The vocal communication is the process through which speakers’ express emotions by changing the nonverbal components of their speech, and listeners use nonverbal aspects of speech to infer the speaker’s emotional experience. This comprises aspects of the voice such as intonation, stress, volume, speed, and accent interference. We use vocal communication to frame our message more effectively. This form of communication, as well as voice features such as pauses and focus stress, are used to build a structure that allows the listener to follow your message.

• Intonation – Intonation defines how the pitch of your voice increases and falls during a speech. A shift or variation in pitch can have an impact on the meaning of what we say.
• Stress – Stressing is the process of emphasizing a word or statement in order to bring attention to it. Stress syllables and words are said louder, for a longer period of time, and with a higher pitch. When the speaker is monotone, these crucial cues are missing, and the message becomes puzzling.
• Pauses – The pause allows the speaker to gather his or her thoughts before making the final argument. This allows the audience to stay up with you while also giving them time to process what you just stated.
• Focus Stress – The listener’s attention is drawn to a certain word or phrase when there is focus tension. The employment of focus stress is used to clarify, emphasize, or demonstrate the difference.
• Pace – Pace is the rate at which you speak. The pace might be rapid, slow, or moderate, and it can fluctuate throughout. It is claimed to vary the tempo, quickening up at times and then slowing down depending on the scenario and the significance of the context, in order to keep the audience’s attention.

Training for Effective Communication in Combat Situations

The intensity of combat situations requires soldiers to undergo rigorous training to ensure seamless communication and coordination among team members ultimately increasing their chances of survival.

This training is designed to prepare soldiers for the unique challenges of communicating in a combat environment which can include limited visibility high noise levels and the need for rapid decision-making.

Soldiers must be able to communicate effectively with others in their unit as well as with other units and headquarters to ensure that everyone is working towards the same goals and objectives.

Effective communication skills are particularly important in combat situations where even small misunderstandings can have serious consequences.

Soldiers must be able to quickly and accurately convey information about enemy positions terrain and other critical factors to their fellow soldiers and they must also be able to receive and interpret information from others.

This requires not only technical skills such as the ability to operate communication equipment but also soft skills such as active listening and clear speaking.

By providing soldiers with the necessary training and resources military organizations can ensure that they are able to communicate effectively in even the most challenging combat situations ultimately increasing their chances of success and survival.

Mass and Public Communications

The process of developing, sending, receiving, and analyzing messages for large audiences via vocal and written media is known as Mass communication. Print media, outdoor media, digital media and the Internet, social media, films, radio, and television are all examples of these mediums. The method through which media companies develop and disseminate messages to large audiences, as well as the process by which those messages are sought, used, interpreted, and influenced by the audience, is known as mass communication.

When a person or a group of individuals meet and begin sharing information with an audience or give a presentation on specific themes to deliver a message, this is referred to as public communication. Public communication can be defined as the act of sharing information with the general public. Public speaking events, conferences, seminars, and press conferences are all instances of public communication.

Control of mass communications

In serving the people, public communicators are not totally free to follow their own whims. In several nations, national authorities have complete control over all broadcasting, and in some areas, print and cinema media are strictly regulated by the government. Written and visual communications may be subject to censorship and limits under local law.

Effects of mass communications

Mass communications are capable of creating learning and changing attitudes and opinions in their listeners, with the depth of the learning and changes restricted by the situation’s connected elements. Some people believe that the overall impacts of mass communication are safe for both children and adults. Many sociologists believe that mass communication influences attitudes and behaviour. In the voting behaviour of so-called undecided voters, the influence of newspapers, journals, and television in shaping political opinions are fairly well recognized. Advertising firms well-versed in television tactics have been introduced into the political arena to organize campaigns and promote their customers’ images.

Nuclear weapons

Main article: Russia and weapons of mass destruction

According to some sources, Russia possesses the largest stockpile of nuclear weapons in the world, although the United States has superiority in the number of deployed nuclear weapons. Other sources claim that the stockpile of the USA is larger. Russia’s Strategic Rocket Forces controls its land-based nuclear warheads, while the Navy controls the submarine based missiles and the Air Force the air-launched warheads. Russia’s nuclear warheads are deployed in four areas:

An RT-2PM Topol (SS-25) at a Victory Day Anniversary Parade Rehearsal in Moscow, 2008.

1. Land-based immobile (silos), like R-36.
2. Land-based mobile, like RT-2UTTKh Topol-M.
3. Submarine based, like RSM-56 Bulava.
4. Air-launched warheads of the Russian Air Forces’ Long Range Aviation Command

Russian military doctrine sees NATO expansion as one of the threats for the Russian Federation and reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in response to a conventional aggression that can endanger the existence of the state. In keeping with this, the country’s nuclear forces received adequate funding throughout the late 1990s. Russia, with approximately 16,000 warheads, possesses the largest stockpile of nuclear warheads. The number of intercontinental ballistic missiles and warheads on active duty has declined over the years, in part in keeping with arms limitation agreements with the U.S. and in part due to insufficient spending on maintenance, but this is balanced by the deployment of new missiles as proof against missile defences. Russia has developed the new RT-2UTTKh Topol-M (SS-27) missiles that are stated to be able to penetrate any missile defence, including the planned U.S. National Missile Defence. The missile can change course in both air and space to avoid countermeasures. It is designed to be launched from land-based, mobile TEL units and submarines. Russian nuclear forces are confident that they can carry out a successful retaliation strike if attacked.[]

Because of international awareness of the danger that Russian nuclear technology might fall into the hands of terrorists or rogue officers who it was feared might want to use nuclear weapons to threaten or attack other countries, the Federal government of the United States and many other countries provided considerable financial assistance to the Russian nuclear forces in early 1990s. Many friendly countries gave huge amounts of money in lieu for Russian Arms purchase deals which kept Russian Agencies functioning just like they used to earlier with high efficiency. This money went in part to finance decommissioning of warheads under international agreements, such the Cooperative Threat Reduction programme, but also to improve security and personnel training in Russian nuclear facilities.

In the late evening of September 11, 2007 the fuel-air explosive AVBPM or «Father of all bombs» was successfully field-tested. According to the Russian military, the new weapon will replace several smaller types of nuclear bombs in its arsenal.

According to 2011 data from New START Treaty Aggregate Numbers of Strategic Offensive Arms facts sheet, the United States now has nuclear superiority over Russia, with 300 more deployed weapons.

Concerns about the Law, Ethics, and Morals

While information warfare has advanced the types of attacks that any country can launch, it has also raised questions about the moral and legal uncertainties surrounding this relatively new form of warfare. Traditionally, honest scientists have examined wars using the just war theory. On the other hand, Just War Theory fails when it comes to Information Warfare because it is based on a traditional view of war. When opposed to traditional combat, information warfare has three significant issues:

• The risk to the party or country that launches the cyberattack is significantly smaller than the risk to a party or country that launches a traditional attack. This makes it easier for governments, as well as prospective terrorists or criminal organizations, to carry out attacks on a larger scale than they could with traditional warfare.
• Information and communication technologies (ICT) are so pervasive in today’s society that they put many devices at risk of being hacked. Civilian technologies, in particular, can be targeted for cyberattacks, and assaults could even be launched from civilian computers or websites. As a result, civilian infrastructures are more difficult to manage than physical space. Moreover, attempting to do so would raise numerous ethical problems about the right to privacy, making it even more challenging to defend against such attacks.
• The widespread integration of ICT into our military system makes determining blame for situations that may develop when using robotic and cyber strikes much more difficult. As a result, determining who is to blame for any event is becoming increasingly demanding regarding automatic weaponry and automated systems. This problem is worsened in the event of cyberattacks, as it can be challenging to determine who started the attack in the first place.

Recently, there have been legal concerns raised about these issues, particularly the right to privacy in the United States of America. When writing to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Lt. General Keith B. Alexander, the former commander of Cyber Command under President Barack Obama, stated that there was a “mismatch between the technical capability to execute operations and the governing laws and rules.” The targeting of civilian institutions for cyberattacks was a significant source of concern. The general promised to maintain a mindset similar to traditional combat, in which they will endeavor to minimize the impact on people.

Russian Military Message Types

Soviet Army Expert Radio Operator Badge (Click to Enlarge

The message information is divided into following categories, by importance and urgency:

– Signals of combat control and warnings;– Message divided into categories of urgency: “Monolith” (Монолит) , “Air”(Воздух), “Rocket” (Ракета), “Plane”(Самолет), “Regular” (Обычный).

Messages in the category “Air” are transmitted without queuing, once all messages of “Monolith” category have finished transmitting.

Radio messages in various categories of urgency are transmitted in such order:

1. “Monolith” – reception and transmission of messages in other categories of urgency are interrupted;

2. “Air” – after “Monolith” category messages, reception and transmission of messages in categories “Rocket”, “Plane”, and “Regular” are interrupted;

3. “Rocket” – after “Monolith” and “Air” category messages, reception and transmission of messages in categories “Plane” and “Regular” are interrupted;

4. “Plane” – after “Monolith”, “Air”, and “Rocket” category messages, reception and transmission of “Regular” messages are interrupted;

5. “Regular” messager are transmitted after “Plane” category messages, in order of their arrival.When operating an open radio channel, the category of message’s urgency is coded via cipher table of radio operator on duty, or using a different method.

When using international call signs, the category of message’s urgency is transmitted openly in abbreviated form; e. g. in Russian «Монолит» (мнл), «Воздух» (взд), «Ракета» (ркт), «Самолет» (смл) etc.

Received and printed messages are color-coded by their urgency: “Monolith” and “Air” – red hatching, “Rocket” – green, “Plane” – blue.

Emergency signals are given higher priority than “Monolith” category messages.

This is a translation from the Наставление по радиосвязи в вооруженных силах СССР. (The Radio Manual for the armed forces of the USSR) Translation from Russian by Yuri Giderashko.

Monolith Training and Combat Signals

PRILEZhNYJ SEJaTEL-Prilezhnyj Seyatel / Прилежный Сеятель (“Diligent Sower”) – It’s a low level terrorist threat training signal. Signals of terrorist danger in the Russian army and internal troops are divided into levels B/C(Low), Б/B(High), A/A (Full):

Training Signals

Low – Прилежный Сеятель / Prilezhnyj Seyatel (Diligent Sower)High – Неважный Эпилог / Nevazhnyj Epilog (Unimportant Epilogue)Full – Угнетающий рельеф / Ugnetayushchij Rel’ef (Depressing Terrain)

Signal the cancel of orders – Осторожный Победитель / Ostorozhnyj Pobeditel (Careful Winner)

Combat Signals

Low – Чепкий Ястреб / Cepkij Yastreb (Tenacious Hawk)High – Стихийный Пыль / Stihijnyj Pyl (Spontaneous Fervor)Full – Стандарт Жестокий / Zhestokij Standart (Cruel Standard)Signal the cancel of orders – Бескровный шлейф / Beskrovnyj Shlejf (Bloodless Trail)

This information is freely available, but only among a narrow circle of informed people.

This comment was made by and ex-Russian serviceman on meanings of the buzzer monoliths made on a video about a message caught in December of 2013. The video is lost, however we luckily recovered this message.

Military Radio Communication Protocols

Communication over two-way radios follows a universal set of rules. The military also uses certain, more restrictive protocols due to the nature of its work and the need to protect national interests.

Military Radio Protocol Best Practices:

• Identify with whom you want to communicate by using their call sign.
• Pause a moment after pressing the “push-to-talk” (PTT) button.
• Be direct and short when communicating.
• Speak slowly and clearly.
• Spell out letters and numbers, using the Military Alphabet (NATO Phonetic Alphabet.
• Use correct lingo and prowords to reduce confusion and shorten transmitted messages.