HF radio in Southwest Asia

The use of an HF propagation mode, called rear-vertical incidence skywave (NVIS), by the US Marine Corps is discussed. In an NVIS system, HF signals are radiated nearly vertically. The signal returned from the ionosphere covers the skip zone with an omnidirectional pattern providing a communications range from the transmitter site out to a radial distance of 0 to 300 miles. The development of HF communication systems by the Marine Corps in the 1980s is outlined. The application of several HF communication systems during Operation Desert Storm is described.<
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