Communications systems are essential for gathering and disseminating data. Personnel need them to plan and execute operations. Commanders use them to perform C2 functions and to supervise performance. Effective management of support battalion functions depends on adequate communications to keep abreast of changing situations and requirements.

The support battalion relies on both its organic communications assets and the support of the corps signal battalion. Communications equipment and systems in the corps are changing. The MSE system is replacing the old area communications system described below. SINCGARS and IHFR are replacing the current FM-VHF (AN/VRC-12) series radios and AM-SSB (AN/GRC-106) radios.

These changes affect how the support battalion units connect to the area system. Under the old area system, the brigade extension platoon in the area signal company provides signal facilities to the brigade. Services include--

• Automatic telephone central office and switching facilities for trunk and local telephone circuits. The area telephone system is common-user. It is automatically switched and designed as transparent to the users. Dial-up services include not only voice service but also data transfer and facsimile. The services also include other forms of electronically formatted information. Cable/wire installation teams install the internal cables and local telephone circuits. They lay cable/wire to tagged junction boxes. Subscribers install local telephone circuits to the junction boxes. If time permits, the cable/wire teams help install wire in the brigade LOC/TOC.

• Secure multichannel LOS communications terminals for access to the automatic switched network. The LOS multichannel is the most common and most frequently used system in the brigade. The BSA is normally in the brigade multichannel system in the initial deployment of the multichannel system. However, this depends on the timing of the BSA moves through the operational area. It also depends on the BSA locations relative to the threat force.

• Net-radio interface facility for secure single-channel FM radio access into the brigade automatic switched network. The basic single-channel radio net which passes CSS information is the administrative and logistics net.

• Secure single-channel HF RATT terminals for entry into the GP RATT net. The GP RATT net provides hardcopy communications traffic and extended distance communications for the BSA.

• Secure multichannel TACSAT terminal at the brigade for access to the automatic switched network over extended distances. TACSAT assets supplement existing LOS multichannel systems. When tactical situations disperse the brigade beyond any service by LOS, the TACSAT communications network is essential. It is the primary means of connection between the forward elements of the brigade and the various support bases.

MSE is the new area common user voice communications system within the corps. It is the backbone of the corps system and deploys from the corps rear boundary forward to the maneuver battalion main CP. The MSE system is comprised of four functional areas:

• Area coverage.

• Wire subscriber access.

• Subscriber terminals.

• Mobile subscriber access.

Area coverage means MSE provides common user support to a geographic area as opposed to dedicated support to a specific unit or customer. Under MSE, signal elements deploy node centers across the corps. They are under the control of the corps signal officer.

At corps level, the area signal battalion operates four of these nodes. Connected to these nodes, via LOS radios, are small extension node switchboards and large extension node switchboards. The following switchboards are organic to the corps signal battalion:

• 40 SEN switchboards capable of supporting 41 subscribers each.

• 1 LEN switchboard capable of supporting 176 subscribers.

The corps signal officer/signal brigade commander determines the location of switchboards based on the commander's intent, customer requirement and other factors of MEIT-T. A habitual relationship is established and maintained between extension nodes including LOS teams and the CPs of corps combat units, that is ACRs or artillery brigades. This is not the case if those units revert to a reserve mission. In that case, the supporting extension switch team is assigned another support mission until their habitually associated CP becomes active again.

Wire subscriber access points provide the entry point (interface) between fixed subscriber terminal equipment owned and operated by users and the MSE area system operated by signal units. The interface points are --

• The signal distribution panel (junction box) J-1077. Each panel provides up to 13 subscriber access points.

• The remote multiplexer combines which provide up to eight subscriber access points.

The support battalion uses subscriber terminals that are digital nonsecure voice telephones. These provide full duplex digital, 4-wire voice and a data port for interfacing the AN/UNC-7 facsimile for informal record traffic, the TACCS computers for CSS STAMISs, the AN/UGC-144 (the single subscriber terminal) for formal record traffic and the unit-level computers for the unit-level logistics STAMISs.

The MSE terminal is the AN/VRC-97 mobile subscriber radiotelephone terminal. This MSRT, which consists of a very high frequency radio and a digital secure voice terminal, is a vehicle-mounted assembly. It interfaces with the MSE system through a radio access unit. The MSRT provides mobile subscribers access to the MSE area network. MSRTs also operate in CPs to allow access to staff and functional personnel. The MSRT user has a KY68 telephone connected to the radio mounted in his vehicle. As long as the radio unit has LOS contact with the RAU, and the operator has properly affiliated, it connects to the area system. The operational planning range is 15 kilometers from any RAU.

Three separate radio systems determine the design of the combat net radio structure; each has different capabilities and transmission characteristics. The three systems are--

• Single-channel objective tactical terminal.

• Improved high frequency radio.

• Single-channel ground and airborne radio.