Field manual interim 6-02.70, Army Electromagnetic Spectrum Management Operations

Army Communicator, Fall, 2006 by Shawn P. Sweeney

Spectrum management is an area that has become increasingly important as modularity unfolds yet is not well understood by most Soldiers. For the dismounted Soldier on an urban patrol or the convoy providing much needed fuel or supplies the radio link is, many times, the only way to contact support when needed. Radio frequency spectrum also provides the conduit for commanders to maintain situational awareness through Army Battle Command Systems such as Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below better known as FBCB2.

In order to address the doctrinal concerns of the rapid changes brought forth by modularity the Signal Center has been busy updating its doctrine. One of the latest publications from the Signal Center is FMI 6-02.70, Army Electromagnetic Spectrum Management Operations.

Within the next two years this FMI will evolve to a FM. There are still a few areas such as tactics, techniques, and procedures for the use of spectrum analyzers currently being fielded to deployed units and the relationship between spectrum management and electronic warfare that need to be sorted out before the FM can be published.

FMI 6-02.70, Army Electromagnetic Spectrum Management Operations, replaces The Army Spectrum Management field manual (FM 24-2) which was last published in 1992 and had not significantly changed since 1987. Since that time there has been an exponential growth of emitters used in operations. No longer is the spectrum manager concerned with only communications systems but also unmanned aerial systems, munitions, robots, and a variety of sensors to name a few. Besides the enormous increase of friendly emitters the Army finds itself combating a foe that prefers asymmetrical operations using electromagnetic devices to trigger explosives. This has led to the development of a variety of portable radio frequency jammers, which challenge the availability of usable spectrum.

FMI 6-02.70 provides direction and guidance for managing spectrum throughout the strategic, operational, and tactical levels of war. The FMI provides overviews of the international, national, DOD, and joint levels of spectrum management. The FMI discusses the role of the tactical spectrum manager from brigade combat team to corps to include determining requirements, the request process, EW, and interference resolution.

This manual is a totally fresh re-write and uses very little from the previous manual. Many of the manual processes described in the old manual such as multi-channel radio link assignments have been deleted because software programs have replaced them. Also many of the agencies and organizations referred to in the superseded manual either no longer exist or have been reorganized and renamed.

Another significant change in the new manual is a chapter on installation frequency coordination. This chapter was developed to address the installation commander's responsibilities concerning frequency coordination on the installation. Tactical spectrum managers engaged in establishing garrison type services in a sustaining base environment will also find this chapter useful. In the context of homeland defense issues this chapter provides information concerning approaches to interoperability between military and civilian users.

Due to the complexity of the subject matter the primary audience for this FMI is the spectrum manager. The FMI does, however, provide enough of a general overview to acquaint all readers to spectrum management organization, processes, and functions.

In order to make doctrine user friendly and less redundant the Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate at Fort Leavenworth has given guidance that doctrine should be concise and avoid duplicating material found in other publications. Based on this guidance FMI 6-02.70 provides more references to other publications than FM 24-2 did and contains fewer appendices, which keep the total length of the manual to fewer than 70 pages.

This new FMI, along with advances in other doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership development, personnel, and facilities areas will help spectrum managers in day to day operations as well as all phases of deployment.

Mr. Sweeney is a retired Army first sergeant and served in a variety of assignments including division spectrum manager, first sergeant, and non-commissioned officer-in-charge of the Battlefield Spectrum Management Course. He is a Department of the Army civilian working in the Concepts and Doctrine Division of the Signal Center's Directorate of Combat Developments and holds a Master of Science degree in business from Troy University.

Editor's Note:

We encourage you to contact us and provide feedback on the doctrine products we are developing. We must ensure that our doctrine remains relevant during the transformation process.

You can contact us via E-mail at doctrine@gordon.army.mil, or signal.doctrine@us.army.mil, or by phone at DSN 780-6506 or commercial at (706) 791-6506. You can access these documents on AKO through this URL https://www.us.army.mil/suite/folder/508671 or at http://www.gordon.army.mil/doctrine.>