ELINT / Signals Intelligence

[swaghauler]

Here's a good introduction to establishing a "listening post" using modern tech.

https://youtu.be/Nam87B2u6bo

Swag

[Homer]

Tactical COMINT is probably one of the few "technical" sources still available to commanders circa 2000. After all, in its simplest form it's just a radio receiver with directional antenna and signal strength meter tied to a tape recorder or linguist. Encryption and decryption is probably through manual means. Therse should be a reasonable number of platforms (PRD-12 or TRQ-32 class) still available to conduct low end COMINT.

ELINT and operational/strategic COMINT is likely limited by availability of collection and processing resources as well as a decline in emitters. Ground based collection and processing sites have either become casualties (Elmendorf AFB and Fort Meade, for example) or suffered from security/resource disruption (I always figured NSA would reconstitute at Belvoir then move on to Buckley). Air and space assets, according to canon suffered from either outright loss or disruption to supporting infrastructure.

There will still be tactical ground based ELINT capable systems like the MEWSS or (maybe) Prophet/GBCS, but they will have lost much of their supporting analytic and maintenance structure. Although, they're probably fully capable of classification and DF on surviving battlefield emitters like GSR, Counterfire Radar, or SHORAD emitters.

Assets such as the limited airborne platforms may be committed in support of major operations as a form of weighting. I could see Ancient Mariner getting support from remaining U-2/TR-1A, Rivet Joint, and Guardrail systems. Maritime assets will likely retain much of their onboard capability, with the cannon landings at Chah Bahar probably having some of the best EOB prep available.

SIGINT can be used to drive a plot, either indirectly as part of the info characters are given (Boomer) or directly (characters are assigned to escort an LLVI or SOT-A team, verify SIGINT derived data, or conduct a raid to recover or destroy sensitive equipment or personnel (SOI, cryptographer, etc).

[swaghauler]

Here comes another presentation on SIGINT...

https://youtu.be/iGdJCENreDY

Swag

[bobcat]

SIGINT is something i've put some thought into a lot recently. of course being the weirdo that actually deployed with a beigebox tucked away in my ruck i would say that wiretapping enemy field telephones can create some great adventure hooks. start with a mission to tap and tape enemy comms somewhere, and let the characters overhear something that they could act on immediately as a side quest or something.

[Homer]

I could see field phones getting a new lease on life in T2K for a few reasons. First, radios are going to be attrited by either wear and tear or action (more depending on how you use EMP effects). Second, specialized batteries and power packs are going to be scarce, with even the rechargeables becoming less effective over time- most field phones are either sound powered or work off commercially available batteries. Finally, no more KEYMAT is being generated, so wire offers a way to conduct secure, signature free comms without risk of intercept or DF unless the enemy has tapped your wire.

Anecdotally a friend of mine used to carry a lineman's phone on FTXs as a way to communicate outside the radio nets. Including ordering pizza and arranging for drops of coke and cigarettes.

[Bestbrian]

Full disclosure: I was the HUMINT guy.

[swaghauler]

Ham Radio Primers

This first video talks about PORTABLE HAM Radio setups in the digital age. This video will be useful for a modern-day MERC campaign.

https://youtu.be/DGOyvNLk6Bg

This video talks about the "old school" SINGLE SIDE BAND HAM Radio that was developed to extend AM Radio transmission. The SSB is the mainstay radio of cruising sailors and would be common in the world of Twilight2000. It would be a major player in long-range (ie regional) comms. This video is so old, I'm asking you to rewind the cassette tape when you are finished watching it.

https://youtu.be/ivWmxFoTGDk

Swag

[bash]

I was thinking up some interesting things PCs might find find at or do with a listening post:

• A tape deck with recordings of CW (Morse code) transmissions. There's boxes of tapes and they're dutifully labeled with dates. Most of the dates are months or years old but the most recent is from this week. Providing the PCs can understand Morse code the message lists times and dates followed by grid coordinates. Plotting on a map looks like starting positions. The current city is one of the targets and the target date is tomorrow.
• The listening post has an HF radio setup and a notepad with several frequencies written down. If they monitor those frequencies they'll pick up a numbers station. With some good skill checks and a little GM guidance the PCs should find a Russian translation of Das Kapital on the shelf. Using the numbers as page/line/word number triplets spells out a message in Russian (GMs choice).
• In Krakow (or some other free city) the post operator has tapped into phone lines that have been run across the city. The city's uses battery powered field phones to communicate with civil and military leaders in the city. Even the military commanders have been lax in their COMSEC and talk in the clear, obviously assuming no one in the city is able to tap the phone lines. A fun complication is a lightning strike burns out a switch box the listening post had tapped, the PCs notice their taps are dead and need to remove the taps before work crews discover them and trace them back to the post.

[Raellus]

Those are some cool ideas, Bash.

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[Homer]

Pretty cool ideas!

Great ways to introduce some adventure hooks. Or a one off mission in support of or to counter a listening post.

Does anyone have a mechanic for COMSEC and radio security Like a roll against Electronics or INT to use an SOI or put up a directional antenna Or breaking simple substitution cipher

[bash]

Does anyone have a mechanic for COMSEC and radio security Like a roll against Electronics or INT to use an SOI or put up a directional antenna Or breaking simple substitution cipher

For radio COMSEC I would probably go for the Electronics skill roll. A lot of military encryption devices are black boxes that connect to an otherwise unencrypted radio. Attaching them and loading keymat strikes me as more Electronics than Computers. The same holds for basic radio operations like setting up an antenna and such.

Breaking a cipher I would use the Computer skill rolled as an opposed check against the person doing the encryption.

While there's no specific rules for them, Merc2k has some radio electronics on the equipment list. They sort of just work so long as you have them and they're intact and do what they say on the tin.

[pmulcahy11b]

A lot of military encryption devices are black boxes that connect to an otherwise unencrypted radio. Attaching them and loading keymat strikes me as more Electronics than Computers. The same holds for basic radio operations like setting up an antenna and such.

As an RTO/other stuff in a DTAC, I could do all that, but I didn't have any Electronics skill. I would call doing the above an INT roll. You need to be smart, but otherwise anyone could be taught to do that.

Actually fixing those boxes That's Electronics skill.

[bash]

As an RTO/other stuff in a DTAC, I could do all that, but I didn't have any Electronics skill. I would call doing the above an INT roll. You need to be smart, but otherwise anyone could be taught to do that.

Actually fixing those boxes That's Electronics skill.

Awesome, thanks for that. My experience is with civilian radios so I've never been quite sure how to roll up the task. Most of the time I've just said a radio works or doesn't in a game and no task roll was needed.

I was actually a bit surprised looking at both Merc 2k and Dark Conspiracy and finding neither really have communications related skills enumerated either.

[Desert Mariner]

As an RTO/other stuff in a DTAC, I could do all that, but I didn't have any Electronics skill. I would call doing the above an INT roll. You need to be smart, but otherwise anyone could be taught to do that.

Actually fixing those boxes That's Electronics skill.

Keep in mind that my experience is Air Force (Wing/Base level) based. For keying equipment, I agree that an INT roll would be the most appropriate. All you had to do was connect the cannon plug and press a couple of buttons. Generating the keys is a different story and would best be covered by a Computer (LINUX) skill.

[swaghauler]

Pretty cool ideas!

Great ways to introduce some adventure hooks. Or a one off mission in support of or to counter a listening post.

Does anyone have a mechanic for COMSEC and radio security Like a roll against Electronics or INT to use an SOI or put up a directional antenna Or breaking simple substitution cipher

I do add a cascade of technical skills referred to as "Operator Skills." This cascade includes EW/ECM Operator, Radar Operator, Radio/Comms Operator, Sonar Operator, Millwright, Powerplant Operator, and Industrial Operator (including sewer plant, water plant, injection molding machines, extruding machines, and industrial ovens/food processors). I include Wire Tapping as a Qualification of my Radio/Comms Operator Skill (for those who are confused, I have posted my house rules in ANTENA's thread on Homebrew in this forum).
I give 1 exp in Radio/Comms Operator to all Military Basic Training Skill lists so every soldier has at least Familiarization (Skill 0 + Attributes) and all of the above Operator Skills use the average of [INT+EDU] for their Characteristic bonus. This Skill includes the use/setup of Field Telephones as well as Radios (hence the Comms part).

During play, I only require that a Skill roll be made if EW (electronic warfare for the uninitiated) is in play. Otherwise, no roll is needed AFTER Comms have been established!

Establishing Comms:

This involves running wire and plugging in phones to a switchboard or setting up an antenna and tying it into a radio. It is a ROUTINE Task and on an OUTSTANDING Success, your Radio's range will be increased by 5% to 30% (1D6 X 5) because of good antenna emplacement. A failed roll will see a Radio's range DECREASED by 5% to 30% (1D6 X5) due to poor antenna placement or a bad connection. A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE means the radio won't transmit or receive after being set up. Alternately, on an OUTSTANDING Success, the PCs may designate that the antenna is instead, placed so as to make detection more difficult. Large antennas normally use the Vehicle Spotting Chart in my Observation & Spotting Rules as they are tall and straight and need an unobstructed line of sight to the horizon. However, on an OUTSTANDING Success, the PCs can use the Spotting Chart for a Man-Sized target instead. The reduced Detection Range alone (1,000m) makes this a good choice for an Outstanding Success.
Once the radio or phones are running, no more rolls need to be made for basic Radio transmissions.

Advanced Commo Tasks: Direction Finding Of A Transmission.

If you have a DIRECTIONAL ANTENNA, you may be able to determine the direction that a broadcast is coming from. This is an AVERAGE Task and requires that your directional antenna be able to be rotated in order to determine the direction of any transmissions. On an OUTSTANDING Success, the operator is also able to determine a rough RANGE in addition to a BEARING (direction) based on the received transmission's signal strength. It should be noted that this bearing is "cone-shaped" and can vary from as wide as 20% (10km on a 50km transmission) to as little as 5% (2.5km wide on the same 50km transmission) based on the quality of your Directional Antenna.

Advanced Commo Tasks: Triangulation.

If you have two or more radio operators with directional antennas in different physical locations, You may be able to TRIANGULATE a transmission. This is done by having each operator make a roll to Direction Find the transmission. This is an AVERAGE Task for two operators. Three Operators using Direction Finding from three differing points makes the Task ROUTINE and four Operators make the Task EASY. The transmission will be isolated to a "box" a number of kilometers square equal to 20% of its Range for two operators (ie a transmission at 50km will be located in a 10km box). The box size will be 10% of the Range for three Triangulators, and just 5% for four or more Triangulators. On an OUTSTANDING Success, Altitude will also be established for the transmitter (please note this will be the altitude of the ANTENNA, not the radio).

Decryption OF Transmissions:

This will require specialized computer gear and the difficulty will depend on the quality of your equipment and the type of encryption.

Scrambled Encryption: This simply involves rearranging the letters in words. It is the easiest method to break because you only need a key/guide.
It is a DIFFICULT test to decrypt.

Scrambled & Frequency Hopping: This system "skips" from frequency to frequency and can be very hard to decrypt because you must also determine the sequence of the frequency hopping before you can begin. Frequency Hopping alone is not completely useful (AVERAGE Task to decrypt) because a lot of modern radios can listen in on multiple transmissions (frequencies) at once. Thus recognizing the pattern is pretty straightforward. HOWEVER, with this method, not only do you have to record the pattern of frequencies, but the words are also scrambled and will have to be put back in order. Thus, this Encryption is a FORMIDABLE Task to break.

Digital Encryption: The holy grail of Encryption when it became common in NATOS "LINK" data-sharing systems (LINK 12 was the most common in the 90s). It uses "bits" or characters to represent EACH WORD or even LETTER in a communication. The initial systems used 4-bit, 6-bit, and 8-bit (the most common in the Cold War era) representations for each LETTER in the LINK system. This meant that a 100-letter phrase would need 800 characters to be decrypted and placed in a proper order to read that phrase. Modern systems now use 128-bit encryption PER LETTER! Thus you will need a computer and special software that can do MILLIONS of operations per second to decrypt Digital Encryption. Therefore this is an IMPOSSIBLE Task to perform.

That is just an overview of my Radio Ops/Comms rules. I hope that helps.

Swag.