04/25/2026
Amateur radio operators will participate in the Department of Defense's Armed
Forces Day (AFD) Crossband Test[1] on May 9, 2026. The annual event will not
impact any public or private communications.
For more than 50 years, military and amateur stations have participated in this
interoperability exercise between the amateur and government radio services. The
AFD Crossband Test provides a unique opportunity to conduct two-way
communication between military communicators and stations in the Amateur Radio
Service (ARS), as authorized in 47 CFR 97.111. These tests present both
opportunities and challenges for radio operators to demonstrate individual
technical skills in a tightly controlled exercise scenario.
ARRL[2] The National Association for Amateur Radio¿ hails the Armed Forces Day
Crossband Test as an example of the core principles of the US Amateur Radio
Service, with its volunteers contributing technical proficiency and readiness in
support of public service and national needs.
Military stations will transmit on selected military frequencies and will
announce the specific ARS frequencies they are monitoring. All times are ZULU
(Z), and all frequencies are upper sideband (USB) unless otherwise noted. An AFD
message will be transmitted using 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
available at drive.google.com/drive/folders/1pYDj7kQbm-QAyY4RPtx0d
OXKohjaEjq9?usp=sharing[3].
To document your contacts with a QSL, visit:
www.usarmymars.org/events-and-announcements[4] and complete the request form.
The US Naval Academy Amateur Radio Club[5], W3ADO, will activate the historic
NSS call sign during the Crossband Test. Several Naval Academy midshipmen and
members of the Potomac Valley Radio Club[6] (PVRC), including team leader Frank
Donovan, W3LPL, will be operating on the grounds of the former US Navy radio
transmitting facility in Annapolis, Maryland. PVRC is an ARRL Affiliated Club.
In June, radio amateurs in the US and Canada will participate in ARRL Field
Day[7], the largest annual demonstration of the Amateur Radio Service. Amateur
stations will be set up in public places such as a town parks to practice
emergency preparedness and acquaint the general public with the capabilities of
amateur radio. ARRL Field Day will be held June 27 -28, 2026, and this year's
theme is Amateur Radio: A National Resource. For more information, visit
www.arrl.org/field-day[8].
[1] https://www.usarmymars.org/events-and-announcements
[2] https://www.arrl.org/
[3] https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1pYDj7kQbm-QAyY4RPtx0dOXKohjaEjq9?usp
=sharing
[4] http://www.usarmymars.org/events-and-announcements
[5] https://usna.edu/AmateurRadio/index.php
[6] https://www.pvrc.org/
[7] https://www.arrl.org/field-day
[8] http://www.arrl.org/field-day
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