b. A comprehensive frequency management program is exercised to ensure that the many radio
nets being used will operate with minimum interference. The primary areas of frequency management
are frequency allocation, TSK management, time management, frequency manager responsibilities, and
brigade/battalion signal officer (BSO) responsibilities.
c. Frequency allocation.
(1) The table of frequency allocations, an international agreement under the control of the
International Telecommunications Union, provides frequency allocation by type of service. Each nation
can modify the table or reallocate bands, as needed, inside its international boundary. The frequency
manager, with the signal planning element, uses the BECS computer to assign frequencies to hopsets for
HF and VHF radio nets. The computer mathematically manipulates the frequencies, based on the
restrictions the manager enters into the database. It then develops hopsets by correlating the restrictions
with available frequencies.
(2) Many subscriber duties and unit missions require travel through several different areas on
the battlefield. Affected individuals and units need constant communications as they move across the
battlefield. The frequency manager assigns a theater level hopset and TSK, which provides mobile users
effective communications and maintains legal frequency use.
(a) The common hopsets are determined from the frequencies available for use
throughout the entire area of operation for the senior command. For example, the corps commander
requires communications in the corps area and each of the division areas. The corps frequency manager
receives lists of frequencies to be used in each area, compares the lists, and pulls out frequencies that are
common to all areas under corps control. Those frequencies are used to generate corps common
hopsets.
(b) The hopsets for division make maximum use of the available frequency resources.
The division resource includes the corps common hopset and any special purpose hopset, which are
rarely required. The division frequency manager determines the division hopsets and any special
purpose hopset. Brigades do not have frequency managers; however, BSOs are obligated to manage
their network composition.
(c) The frequency manager assigns the maximum number of frequencies available in the
area of operation, and spreads the frequencies in the hopsets across the widest possible band to optimize
ECCM capabilities. Spreading the number of frequencies across the spectrum is more important than
increasing the total number of frequencies available. Fifty frequencies spread from 30 MHz to 88 MHz
are more effective than 200 frequencies from 30 MHz to 35 MHz. Chances are slight that a jammer can
cover a 59 MHz range, or even a small portion of it, with sufficient power to disrupt communications;
however, a jammer could barrage jam the entire 6 MHz range of the second example.
(3) HF networks require special consideration in frequency assignments, because HF antenna
tuning limits the range of frequencies allowed. A frequency manager
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