Luke AFB Encryption

[KB7MIB]

It sounds like Luke AFB Security Forces 1 (TG 5058) and Fire Dispatch 1 (TG 5032) both now have at least partial encryption in use.

I have not heard Security Forces 2 (TG 5059), Security Forces Gila Bend Auxilliary Airfield (TG 5085), Fire 2-5 (TG's 5033-5036) or Fire Gila Bend AAF (TG 5084), so I don't know if they have encryption or not.

All of the non-emergency/first responder TG's seem to be in the clear still.

https://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?sid=7769

John
Peoria

 

[caphab1]

Before I got out just recently I heard rumblings about military systems going 100% enc on the mentioned type of channels Nationwide.

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[FLANO]

Enjoy it while you can. DMAFB is using encryption more and more, beyond the FD and SF.

 

[bravo14]

The AFB by me the Security Forces Units are open Dispatch is ENC.

 

[KB7MIB]

Luke AFB FD just kicked out a structural fire alarm. I am currently listening to both their dispatch and E365 on Luke channel 3 in the clear.

John
Peoria

 

[KB7MIB]

When I've listened to the security forces over the past couple of days, it seems that dispatch has been in the clear, and most portables/mobiles were encrypted.

BTW, E365 stated that cooking was the cause of the alarm activation. It was in a dormitory room.
That poor airman lol

John
Peoria

 

[caphab1]

When I've listened to the security forces over the past couple of days, it seems that dispatch has been in the clear, and most portables/mobiles were encrypted.

John
Peoria

Yep. Dispatch will be clear for a while then will go enc. Did the same thing at Sheppard in Texas.

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[nd5y]

At Sheppard it appears that all talkgroups have user selectable encryption. Most of the time everybody on the SF talkgroups are encrypted but not always. It appears that on everything else there is occasional accidental encryption settings. A few times I have even heard the fire dispatcher say "You're unreadble. Your radio is on secure. FIX IT!!"

 

[FLANO]

DM went thru this. Tried Dispatcher in the clear and mobiles encrypted. Tried the opposite for a very short time. All are encrypted, but every so often, the dispatcher is in the clear for a very brief time. Probably an oops moment. It does seem that the radios are not strapped to encryption, but selectable.

In either case, more and more encryption is making its way on the TRS here.

It seems to be a pattern to encrypt the Public Safety first, then others.

Ft Huachuca is another example of encryption in full use by Police and Fire. Only a few TG's in the clear. Most are encrypted.

 

[pinballwiz86]

Over in Fort Leonard Wood, MO. All the Military Police is encrypted. Fire and EMS is also encrypted. If you'll believe that!

All the ranges are encrypted. The only thing in the clear is the hotel workers and some random TGID's.

 

[KB7MIB]

I didn't listen to the security forces that often, due to their frequent drills that would tie up my scanner. You almost need a dedicated scanner just for Luke AFB if you're going to listen to the security forces. But I always had fire in my scanning sequence, especially with their mutual aid agreements with the Phoenix FD RDC.
I'm really hoping that fire isn't going encrypted full time, and will only select it if necessary.

John
Peoria, AZ

 

[srich10]

This is what I don’t friggn get. Over here in Brevard County, we have Patrick Air Force Base on the eastern part of the county adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean. Brevard County Sheriff got a mutual aid request on their EDACS TRS from Cocoa Beach for a vehicle that fled from their units beachside. BCSO picked them up heading southbound, almost got ran into by the suspect vehicle and then the vehicle crashed out with the driver fleeing over the 5 foot high perimeter wall of PAFB, onto their property.

BCSO had to play telephone through their dispatch because they couldn’t patch with PAFB’s P25 TRS to directly communicate with them. Mind you, PAFB is ~4 miles long N->S and surround by the Atlantic on the east and Indian River Lagoon on the west.

BCSO STAR HELO got up with FLIR trying to locate the subject but even the pilots were extremely cautious because they had NO way of alerting Patrick that they were in their active Air Space.

After 15 minutes they had to pull 1 of the PAFB security guards to stand by the gate and allow our K-9 and 1 deputy to enter the base while 1 deputy played telephone with 1 of their guards because no one could talk to one another.

After more than an hour searching they called it off and headed back out of the base. By sheer luck, a security guard spotted the subject and apprehended him near a parking garage on base.

All this money for all these islands of TRS and NOONE can talk to anybody else on another TRS because of either A) stubbornness to not setup ISSI/Patching architecture or B) crypto on everything not allowing surrounding LE jurisdictions interoperate with them.

It’s going to take someone getting killed because channels were crypto’d and nobody could communicate to make them take a step back and think of the ramifications of locking this stuff down

 

[KB7MIB]

I'd be very surprised if the PAFB tower doesn't have a VHF airband frequency for civil aircraft to contact them when near their airspace, or at least so public safety agency aircraft like the Sheriff's helicopter can talk to them. Luke AFB does, but there's also 2 civil airports in close proximity to the airbase. Glendale municipal, just a couple of miles due east, and the much larger Phoenix Goodyear-Litchfield airport to the south-southwest.

I know Luke FD units carry radios capable of operating on Phoenix FD RDC analog VHF channels as well as the RDC's talkgroups on the regional P25 trunked system. They may also have Rural-Metro FD Inc.'s VHF channels. I don't know what kind of interoperability communications capabilities the security forces have with any of the surrounding law enforcement agencies, however.

John
Peoria, AZ

 

[LEH]

As others have pointed out, encryption is spreading. I live in southeastern VA with several DOD installations within 25 air miles. Langley AFB is encrypting security (partially right now) and 100% for aircraft maintenance. Fort Eustis has some encryption, as does Naval Weapons Station Yorktown.

Installations south of the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel such as Norfolk Naval Base, Little Creek, Fort Story, and Portsmouth have some but so far not a great deal of encryption.

Really sad to see this happening.

 

[srich10]

I'd be very surprised if the PAFB tower doesn't have a VHF airband frequency for civil aircraft to contact them when near their airspace, or at least so public safety agency aircraft like the Sheriff's helicopter can talk to them. Luke AFB does, but there's also 2 civil airports in close proximity to the airbase. Glendale municipal, just a couple of miles due east, and the much larger Phoenix Goodyear-Litchfield airport to the south-southwest.

I know Luke FD units carry radios capable of operating on Phoenix FD RDC analog VHF channels as well as the RDC's talkgroups on the regional P25 trunked system. They may also have Rural-Metro FD Inc.'s VHF channels. I don't know what kind of interoperability communications capabilities the security forces have with any of the surrounding law enforcement agencies, however.

John
Peoria, AZ

Nope. They tried. No response. PAFB strictly runs air ops off their P25 TRS talkgroups. And no ability to roam between systems. 380Mhz PAFB system next to 800mhz Harris EDACS. It’s a damn shame because they constantly have calls requiring interop because PAFB continuously shoots off flares off the coast during nighttime