From Lee Barrett
ANNUAL ARMED FORCES DAY CROSSBAND TEST (9 May 2026)
The Department of Defense will host this year’s Armed Forces Day (AFD) Crossband Test,
scheduled for May 9, 2026. This annual event is open to all licensed amateur radio operators
and will not impact any public or private communications. For more than 50 years, military and
amateur stations have taken part in this event, which is an interoperability exercise between
hobbyist and government radio stations.
The AFD Crossband Test is a unique opportunity to test two-way communication between
military communicators and radio stations in the Amateur Radio Service (ARS), as authorized
in 47 CFR 97.111. These tests provide opportunities and challenges for radio operators to
demonstrate individual technical skills in a tightly controlled exercise scenario that does not
impact any public or private communications.
Military stations will transmit on selected military frequencies and will announce the specific
ARS frequencies monitored. All times are ZULU (Z), and all frequencies are Upper Side Band
(USB) unless otherwise noted. The frequencies used for the test will not impact any public or
private communications and will not stray outside the confines of the exercise.
The following stations will be making two-way radiotelephone contacts with stations in the ARS
between the time periods listed on the frequencies listed in Kilohertz below.
AAC / BARROW ARMY RESERVE CENTER, KY (USB + RTTY)
09May 1100Z – 10May1100Z 4,011.0 kHz USB 5,346.5 kHz USB 6,968.5 kHz USB
13,963.5 kHz USB 17,457.5 kHz USB
AAM3D / DISA CYBERSPACE OPERATIONS DIRECTORATE, FT MEADE, MD
0800Z – 2000Z 5,112.0 kHz USB 7,431.5 kHz USB 14,484.0 kHz USB
18,639.0 kHz USB 20,920.0 kHz USB
AAM3D1 / DISA HEADQUARTERS, FT MEADE, MD
0800Z – 2000Z 5,760.0 kHz USB 7,718.5 kHz USB 14,512.5 kHz USB
18,211.0 kHz USB
AAM3D4 / DISA FIELD COMMAND CENTCOM, MACDILL AFB, FL
0800Z – 2000Z 5,763.0 kHz USB 7,498.5 kHz USB 14,463.5 kHz USB
18,254.0 kHz USB
AAZ / FT HUACHUCA, AZ
1500Z - 2359Z 7,645.0 kHz USB 14,438.5 kHz USB
ADB / CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA
1500Z - 22590Z 14,487.0 kHz USB 20,994.0 kHz USB
AGA0WJ/ NAS WHIDBEY ISLAND OAK HARBOR, WA
1600Z - 2200Z 5,112.0 kHz USB 7,431.5 kHz USB
18,272.5 kHz USB
13,528.5 kHz USB
AGA5SC / SCOTT AFB, IL
1500Z - 2300Z 5,186.0 kHz USB 7,938.0 kHz USB 14,832.0 kHz USB
27,736.0 kHz USB
AGA9TR / TRAVIS AFB, CA (USB + CW)
1600Z - 2359Z 7,915.0 kHz USB 14,760.0 kHz USB 20,763.0 kHz USB
27,877.0 kHz USB
NBGC/ USS HORNET ALAMEDA, CA (USB + CW)
1400Z - 2359Z 6,912.5 kHz USB 14,375.0 kHz USB 21,886.0 kHz USB
27,860.0 kHz USB
NEMW / BATTLESHIP ALABAMA BB-60 MUSEUM SHIP, AL (USB + CW)
0000Z – 2359Z 4,043.5 kHz USB 7,882.5 kHz USB 14,441.5 kHz USB
18,211.0 kHz USB 20,997.0 kHz USB
NEPM / USS IOWA BB 61 SAN PEDRO, CA
1400Z - 2400Z 6,989.0 kHz USB 14,375.0 kHz USB 18,060.0 kHz USB
21,856.0 kHz USB 26,850.0 kHz USB
NIIW / USS MIDWAY CV-41 SAN DIEGO, CA (USB + CW + RTTY)
09May 0000Z - 10May 0400Z 4,010.0 kHz USB 5,078.5 kHz USB 7,390.5 kHz USB
14,476.0 kHz USB 18,060.0 kHz USB 20,973.5 kHz USB
NITG / SUBMARINE DRUM SS-228 MUSEUM SHIP, AL (USB + CW)
0000Z – 2359Z 4,445.0 kHz USB 7,772.5 kHz USB 13,905.5 kHz USB
18,254.0 kHz USB 20,973.5 kHz USB
NSS / US NAVAL ACADEMY ANNAPOLIS, MD (USB + CW)
09May 1300Z – 10May 0200Z 4,038.5 kHz USB 5,214.0 kHz USB 7,533.5 kHz USB
13,993.0 kHz USB
WAR / PENTAGON WASHINGTON, DC (USB + CW + RTTY)
1200Z - 2400Z 4,018.0 kHz USB 5,357.0 kHz USB 7,305.0 kHz USB
14,383.5 kHz USB 20,997.0 kHz USB
An AFD message will be transmitted utilizing the Military Standard (MIL-STD) Serial PSK
waveform (M110) followed by MIL-STD Wide Shift FSK (850 Hz RTTY) as described in MIL-
STD 188-110A/B. Technical information regarding these waveforms is provided at:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1pYDj7kQbm-QAyY4RPtx0dOXKohjaEjq9?usp=sharing
The AFD Defense Message will also be sent at 1400Z and 2000Z on the frequencies
designated below.
AAC: MIL-STD-110/RTTY 13,963.5 kHz USB
AAZ: MIL-STD-110 14,438.5 kHz USB
AAM3D MIL-STD-110 14,484.0 kHz USB
AAM3D1 MIL-STD-110 14,512.5 kHz USB
AA33D4 MIL-STD-110 14,463.5 kHz USB
ADB: MIL-STD-110 20,994.0 kHz USB
NEPM: CW 14,375.0 kHz USB
NIIW: MIL-STD-110/RTTY/CW 14,476.0 kHz USB
WAR: MIL-STD-110/RTTY/CW 14,383.5 kHz USB
For those who wish to document their contacts with a QSL card, go to
https://www.usarmymars.org/events and complete the request form.
Thanks Lee
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