Hundredth edition of the N&O column / Spooks newsletter

(Date: Sun, 06 Nov 2005 19:22:07 +0100)

Military stations

Geoff reports an interesting military exercise(?) net. Does anyone know who they are?

5438 kHz.

Callsigns: Base, 01, 02, 03, 04, C1. Base op had South African accent. Mentioned car bombs, tanks, QRF, civilian casualties.

Russian, CIS & Ukrainian SSB & CW stations

18.1	Russian Mil: RDL. Strategic Bcast from the Krasnodar transmitter //10535 & 12832 kHz.


2932	Russian 'RFF' Net. RFFN exchanges msgs with RFFh, RFFP, RFFR, RFFO and RFFM who are on 3933 kHz.

3287	Russian navy: RMO. RKZ de RMP QTC 321 26 18 2254 321 = fm RJD69 = 5FGs....+


3826	Ukrainian Mil: Comms check with L6SD, SKF1, DFHN, 1NH7, J77D, LZXX, CPHK, ALGO, NRS4, PWO3, VMAZ, 3MYZ, KV7N, BNWY.

3882	Ukrainian Mil. Broadcasts msg to collective FK9E: FK9E QTC AR FK9E QTC 839 59 3 2131 839 = 976 = AAAAA IIIWW OGGGZ BSAII AAAZF ... HEDVI KWKDV K. Only L4YL gives R 839 K.


3933	Russian 'RFF' net.

4079	Russina navy: RMP. Wx bulletins in Russian. "REO de RMP qtc 746 156 12 1957 746 - Prognoz pogody".

	QTC 161 171 23 1957 161 = SML = ... Weather fcast for the Baltic in Russian.

4471	Russian Mil: FEBE, QTVJ, KRN6

4479	CIS Mil: 7CTG de KZ2O K. QSA? K. OK R K.

6971.5	Russian navy: RAS82 wkg RJD99.
	RJD99 de RAS82 QSA? QTC K. RAS82 713 26 3 0000 713 = FOR RJD99 = 87150 15895 64187 ... 39454 03024 = RAS82 K. Probably naval air.

8807	CIS Mil: CBCU 455 40 3 ..17 455 = 349 = R? K. CBCU R 120 K.
	CBCU R 347 QTC K. 944 53 3 ....944 = 342 = R? K. R 247 K QRU? K.

8816	Russian naval aircraft.
	10358 QTO 1300 QRD XLMD XMKK QRE 1720 QBD 16000 k.
	10358 de RJC38
	10358 de RJF94
	10358 messages for RJF94/Central Sector Station Moscow (PRIBOJ) and RJC38/Northern Sector Station Murmansk (NOVATOR) "QQM XLWF 1332". (Arrived at control zone Kipelovo/Fedetovo at 1332 UTC).
	RJF94 and RJC38 read back message.
	71498 sends routine ops message to RJF94/Central Sector station
	Moscow (PRIBOJ) and RCB/West Sector station (KRAKET): 71498 QTO 1330 QRD XLLV (Levashovo) XLOS (Ostrov/Verete) QAL XLOS 1445 QAH 5100 QTD 0500 RPT AL K. 71498 unheard by RJF94. RCB relays message to RJF94.

9136	Russian navy: RIW. Clg RCC

9145	Russian navy: RIW. Weather forecast for Navarea 111 and Sea of Japan in Russian

10201	Russian navy: RCV. QTC (prognoz pagody) weather forecast and RIP90 DE RCV QTC

10315	Unid Russian mil: RNI3. Clg RIU4 and RIW5 for QSA check

10535	Russian Mil: RDL. Strategic Bcast // 18.1 kHz.

11000	Russian Navy: RIW. Wkg RCJG and RMAZ

11354	Russian mil aircraft.
	71522	:	a/c has comms probs.. passes following via a/c 43571 to
	PRIBOJ	:	Overflew point NOVRO at 1057. FL 5400. FUREM 3000 Kg.
	71523	:	wkg PRIBOJ. T/O Ostaf'evo. Proceeding Ostrov. F/R 5500 Kg.
			ETA Ostrov 1000.
			Wkg PRIBOJ. Passed Belyj at 0916. FL 5400. F/R 4100 Kg.
	42294	:	Told KROKET. Landed Gvardejskoe 0859. Msg ack'd by PRIBOJ.
	72914	:	Wkg PRIBOJ. T/O Anapa 1021. ETA Ostaf'evo 1317. FL 9100
	F/R 6700 Kg.

11499	Russian Mil: VVV RBW43 de RDD71 ZVV (then DIG mode). RDD71 unid, RBW43 once was Murmansk Meteo.


12832	Russian Mil: RDL. Strategic Bcast //18.1 & 10535 kHz.

13844	Russian Mil: Comms check: 1YIF de Z1GI K. R K.

The sudden appearance of cluster beacon "A" was for many people reason to believe that the move of the Russian Black Sea Fleet from the Ukraine to Russia is about to begin.

Jim has written a piece about the subject. Since he has written it, we learned that the location of cluster beacon "A" is near the Caspian Sea, in the Baku area in Azerbaidjan. We also know that the Ukrainian and Russian governments had a fruitful meeting about the subject and that the Ukraine assured Russia it would fulfill its commitment to lease a base in Sevastopol to Russia through 2017.

Nevertheless, I think that the info below is still interesting enough to publish in N&O. Thanks Jim!

Black Sea fleet relocation

The following is a précis of material on this subject which appeared in the Russian press during the last few months.

24 May 2005. The Black Sea fleet is about to be transferred from its Sevastopol base probably to a location in a region of salt lakes near Anapa, a seaside resort on the Russian Black Sea coast (44N 03730E) near Novorossiysk between Anapa and the Kertch strait. Admiral Eduard Baltin proposed that the relocation should commence immediately due to political difficulties with the Ukraine over the Sevastopol base.

The admiral emphasised that, at present, the use of Sevastopol has to be co-ordinated with the Ukranians, "and not one ship can leave or visit the base without the permission of the Ukranian authorities, who even insist on customs inspections and customs duties".

Novorossiysk and the Taupse region were also considered as possible new sites but Novorossiysk was not considered entirely suitable due to the poor weather conditions there.(How the weather can be significantly different from Anapa is not clear). Taupse was rejected as it was a "health resort zone" with no suitable territory and infrastructure for the fleet. The hydrographic vessel 'Cheleken' was tasked with a study of the salt lakes around Anapa to decide what work would be required to make the area into a suitable naval base. However, it is proposed that the whole region of the 'Krasnodar Edge' in the region of Novorossiysk will be surveyed as it was considered that the Black Sea Fleet would be based at two new locations, one of which is likely to be Novorossiysk. (This must be in spite of the "poor weather conditions" there!)

The lease of the Russian naval bases in the territory of the Ukraine does not run out until 2017, leaving enough time for the relocation, particularly as the Ukranian authorities thus far do not appear to be insisting on the early removal of the Russian fleet. It is hoped that during this time the somewhat bellicose attitude of the Ukranian authorities will improve.

Notes:

* Something may have been lost in translation, but the latter paragraph

above conflicts with an earlier report in the Eurasia Daily Monitor,

Volume 2, Issue 77 of April 20, 2005:

"UKRAINE ASKS RUSSIA TO BEGIN PREPARATIONS FOR WITHDRAWING BLACK SEA FLEET":

"... Tarasyuk gave advance notice that Ukraine will not be extending the 20-year agreement that expires in 2017. Ukraine wants Russia gone as soon as possible to facilitate its joining NATO, and Moscow seems to be anticipating relocation."

"Tarasyuk quoted Russian officials who stated their intention to build an alternative base in Novorossiysk where they would transfer the Fleet within three years (Ukrayinska Pravda, April 15)".

http://eng.maidanua.org/node/260

* My interest in this relocation came about following the recent discovery of a new beacon "A" which seemed to be arriving at my location from a 090 degree direction. This suggested, possibly Anapa. However, I cannot find anything to suggest that the proposed base at Anapa is as yet a going concern. It seems unlikely as the decision to relocate appears to be a fairly recent one, and in the press report above, officials are quoted as saying "... would transfer the Fleet within three years".

It has been suggested that a more likely location for "A" would be around the Caspian Sea area, perhaps Astrakhan, the headquarters of the Caspian Sea Flotilla, a small, mainly border-guard and anti-smuggling operation.

---------------------

WUN, 14 October 2005.

Footnote:

Since writing the above, the Ukraine has reiterated its intention to honour the agreements reached in 1997 over the stationing of the Black Sea Fleet at Sevastopol. This does not necessarily mean that Russia will not relocate regardless of the Ukraine's willingness for them to remain:

http://en.rian.ru/world/20051010/41659797.html

MOSCOW, 10 October (RIA Novosti) - Ukraine assured Russia it would fulfill its commitment to lease a base in Sevastopol to Russia through 2017, a Ukrainian defence official said Monday. Secretary of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Anatoliy Kinakh told journalists after a meeting with a Russian parliamentary speaker that Ukraine did not contend the agreement's period of validity (up to 2017). The agreement on the status and conditions of the Russian Black See Fleet's stay in Ukraine was signed in May 1997...

and:

http://english.pravda.ru/cis/2002/07/02/31630.html

Only time will tell!

Jim Dunnett (RGA), WUN, 14 October 2005.

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