CFARS

1. CFARS

2. CFARS CAPABILITY BRIEFING CANCOM 07 March 2011

3. Outline • Background – Hal CIW660 • What is CFARS? • Reason for Being • History • Governance – Hal CIW660 • Responsible Agencies • CFARS Executive • CFARS Network – Dan CIW603 • Data Network – Les CIW650 • Affiliations & MOUs – Ken CIW652 • Demonstration – Les CIW650 • Update on current Ops in Manitoba – John CIW444 • Discussion on Way Ahead – All

4. What is CFARS? • Canadian Forces Affiliate Radio System

5. REASON FOR BEING • Add flexibility to the present military communication systems • Maintain morale by providing a viable voice/message traffic system • Provide a pool of trained civilian communicators • Provide an emergency communications and public service capability

6. History • WWII – Close association between Amateur Radio Fraternity and the military in Canada “Call to Arms” saw HAM operators filling many positions in all three services (Army, Navy and Air Force) • Air Force Amateur Radio System (AFARS) • 8 Aug 1946-31 August 1952 – 500 licensed HAMs in roles suchs as provision of comms to Search and Rescue, National Emergencies and operated weekly nets • Mid-1950 On. Phone Patch Traffic (25 + years) • Problem Areas spawned the need for a formal Radio System • CFARS

7. CFARSRESPONSIBLE AGENCIES • Industry Canada • Final approval authority for designated radio amateurs to operate on CFARS frequencies • NDHQ • IM Gp J6 Coord - Operations • Col A. Brossard • DIMTPS – Frequency Management – LCol A. Hauteclocque • DIMTPS 5-3 – Mr. Jean Claude Gagnon

8. CFARS Executive • CFARS National Manager - Capt Hal Buller [CIW660] • As of 1 April, Maj Dan Bergeron (CIW603) • CFARS LO - Ken Halcrow [CIW652] • Training Officer - John Bradley [CIW444] • Network Manager - Bill Hicks [CIW320] • Digital Systems Manager - Les Lindstrom [CIW650] • Reserve Unit LO – Capt Hal Buller (CIW660) • As of 1 Apr 11 • CFARS WEB SITE - http://www.cfars.ca

9. Dan - CIW603

10. CFARS CALLSIGN ALLOCATIONS • Industry Canada authorized 100 callsigns • 88 callsigns are currently allocated • 65 Affiliate members (civilian amateur radio operators) • 12 PSC or Provincial Emergency Measures Offices • 3 Radio Club Stations with CFARS member sponsors • 6 Military Reserve Units with CFARS members as sponsor – using own unit callsigns • REGINA, WINNIPEG, OTTAWA, BORDEN, TORONTO, KINGSTON • 1 RCMP (NOC) and 1 Transport Canada Base Station

11. GOVERNMENT CALLSIGN DISTRIBUTION • Military Club Stations (6) • CFB Victoria • 735 Comm Regt (Winnipeg) • Communications & Electronics (C&E) Museum - Kingston • 21 EW Regt - Kingston • 709 Comm Regt - Toronto • 763 Comm Regt - Ottawa • Federal/Provincial Government(12) • Transport Canada- Ottawa (1) • Public Safety Canada (8) (Victoria, Edmonton, Ottawa, Quebec) • RCMP NOC - Ottawa (1) • EMO Fredericton, NB (2)

12. AFFILIATE MEMBER CALLSIGN DISTRIBUTION • 9 BC • 11 Alberta • 1 NWT • 1 Nunavut • 1 Saskatchewan • 6 Manitoba • 25 Ontario • 6 Quebec • 11 Maritimes

13. TYPE OF STATIONS • Military Station - (Regular & Reserve) – Equipment owned and operated by DND • Military Amateur Radio Stations – Located on CF bases – mixture of DND and Public Funding • Affiliate Amateur Radio Stations – Volunteer civilian privately owned stations

14. TYPES OF OPERATORS • Military Stations – Licensed Amateur Radio Operator or Trained Military Radio Operator in charge • Military Club Station- Industry Canada licensed Amateur Radio Operator in charge • Affiliate Member – Industry Canada licensed civilian (incl ex-military) Amateur Radio Operators

15. CFARS HF FREQUENCIES • Assigned 19 X DND DIMTPS 5-3 managed HF frequencies • Located above or below Amateur Radio Bands 10/15/20/40/80 Meters (28/21/14/7/3 mhz) • Restricted to either “All of Canada”, B.C., ships at sea (Military/Coast Guard) and international

16. COMMUNICATION MODES • SSB Voice (USB) • PACTOR I, II, III Data Primary – HF to Internet Email (error correction) • WINMOR – HF to Internet Email (error correction) • MT 63 – Multi-tone System (error correction) • Continuous Wave (CW – ie Morse Code) and Radio Teletype (RTTY)

17. COMSEC/OPSEC • CFARS Message Traffic is Unencrypted • PACTOR Digital Modes I, II, & III Provide a Measure of Communications Security by using B2F WINLINK 2000 Message Structure and B2 forwarding Protocol • CFARS/MARS Essential Elements of Information (EEI) Message Format Used

18. HF TO INTERNET E-MAIL TERMINAL Quick, mobile and inexpensive

19. CANCOM – CFARS RMS Gateways CFARS SITES

20. Les - CIW650

21. Data network Winlink 2000 Winlink 2000 (WL2K) is a worldwide system of volunteer resources supporting e-mail by radio, with non-commercial links to internet e-mail. These resources come from Amateur Radio, the Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS), and other volunteer organizations. The system provides valuable service to emergency communicators, and to licensed radio operators without access to the internet.

22. CMBO Backup CMBO Main The Internet HF HF Telpac node HF RMS 1 RMS 3 HF VHF/UHF (standby) RMS 2 WINLINK 2000 (WL2K) SYSTEM CONFIGURATION DETROIT SERVER PERTH AUSTRALIA SERVER SAN DIEGO SERVER 81 RMS SITES

23. WINLINK 2000 (WL2K) TELPAC

24. CFARS POINT TO POINT HF TO INTERNETE-MAIL MESSAGE SYSTEM FIXED/PORTABLE/MOBILE HF TERMINALS VHF/UHF LAST MILE HF SPECTRUM WL2K GATEWAYS INTERNATIONAL (RADIO MESSAGE SERVERS) CFARS VICTORIA, EDMONTON, REGINA, KINGSTON, OTTAWA, MONCTON INTERNET CLOUD DIAL UP MODEM OR FIXED HIGH SPEED LINK TO ISP

26. Ken – CIW652

27. CFARS AFFILIATIONS – Ken Halcrow • DND - DIMTPS, DGIMO, J6 Ops/Plans • RCMP National Operations Center (NOC) • Transport Canada - Security and Emergency Preparedness– Situation Center • Public Safety Canada - Government Operations Center - MOU signed • USAF /US Army MARS contacts established and exercises conducted for cross-border emergency comms network – Currently active

28. CROSS BORDER COMMUNICATIONS 2010 • 1. Authority has been received from DND authorizing a 1 year operational window for CFARS/MARS cross border communications on all CFARS designated frequencies. This authority includes the use of SSB and Digital modes on CFARS frequencies. • 2. Initial trials with Army MARS were very successful and this authority provides an opportunity to expand our joint efforts to provide communications support to both countries in the event of emergencies. • 3. Effective immediately, all US MARS (Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines) are authorized to communicate with members of the CFARS network. Frequencies with their designators and modes of operation will be provided to the MARS directors who will provide operational direction to US MARS stations.

29. ACTS AND AGREEMENTS • Federal Emergency Response Plan – December 2009 • Canada/US Agreement on Emergency Planning (Mar02) • International Radio Regulations - World Radio Communication Conference (WRC-03) • Provides that Amateur Radio Stations may be used for transmitting International communications during Emergencies on Behalf of 3rd Parties Even without a specific agreement unless one of the countries objects

30. PUBLIC SAFETY CANADA MOU • Signed 27 August 2003 – Renewed 2005 • Provide Expert Advice for PSC Radio Program • Provide PS C with CFARS Callsigns • Provide Amateur Radio Operator Training • Participate in Joint CFARS/PSC Exercises • Provide PSC Regional Director Liaison

31. Demonstration – Les – CIW650

32. CFARS – Way Ahead - Discussion

33. CFARS Q&A