A tactical HF decision aid for inexperienced operators and automated HF systems

High frequency (HF) signals transmitted beyond line of sight (BLOS) propagate through the time and spatially varying ionosphere. To achieve high `quality´ and high `reliability´ communications links system parameters such as radiated power, operating frequency, antenna, modulation and data rate should all be matched to prevailing ionospheric conditions. A tactical HF decision aid is being developed which is designed for both HF experts and inexperienced operators to predict, those system parameters such as frequency, receiver station, and power, which optimise HF system configurations. This paper describes the aid and how it may be incorporated within automated systems. Potential enhancements to the aid are also discussed