MRF-SEA and MRF-D communicators validate long-range high-frequency communications across the Indo-Pacific

Communications Marines with Marine Rotational Force–Southeast Asia and Marine Rotational Force–Darwin, both under I Marine Expeditionary Force, linked Manila, Philippines, and Darwin, Australia, by high-frequency radio on July 23, establishing a roughly 2,000-mile connection that showcased long-range command-and-control across the Indo-Pacific.

The teams used a TRC-209 amplifier paired with an AN/PRC-160 to pass two-way voice traffic, demonstrating expeditionary communications over theater-spanning distances.

“Being able to communicate across 2,000 miles gives us another way to relay information throughout the Pacific Command area of responsibility,” said U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Ulises Garcia-Saucedo, a transmissions system operator with MRF-SEA, I MEF. “It demonstrates our ability to maintain communications from austere locations anywhere in the Philippine archipelago.”

Marines involved in the effort said similar reach is achievable with man-portable AN/PRC-160 radios and field-expedient antennas, while the TRC-209 provides added power for fixed command posts and combat operations centers. “A sloping V antenna would allow us to direct our signal toward Darwin using only a man-portable radio,” said Cpl. Spencer Hozman, a transmissions system operator with MRF-SEA, I MEF. “We’re not dependent on larger equipment like the TRC-209. Communication is an art. Every environment requires a different antenna solution. A sloping V may work in one location, while somewhere else a horizontal dipole is the better choice.”

Leaders underscored the significance of maintaining connectivity across vast distances and varied conditions. “The ability to communicate across extended distances using different waveforms is fundamental to how we operate in the Indo-Pacific,” said Col. Robert S. Bunn, commanding officer of MRF-SEA, I MEF. “Capabilities like this allow commanders to maintain command and control under varying conditions while enabling Marines to operate from distributed locations. That flexibility is essential to expeditionary operations.”

Sustaining that level of performance relies on both equipment and the Marines’ technical proficiency, honed through routine training and antenna experimentation. “High frequency is one of the most resilient long-haul communication pathways available because it is difficult to detect, locate, and jam,” said Master Sgt. Coty Roberts, communications chief for MRF-SEA, I MEF. “Communicators have relied on HF for decades, and we continue to refine the skills required to employ high frequency communications.”

As operations continue across the region, long-range HF remains an expeditionary option for maintaining connectivity over great distances and in austere environments, with ongoing training focused on keeping Marines connected, adaptable, and ready.