MORSE CODE REQUIREMENTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79-01578A000200080030-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 24, 2003
• Sequence Number: 30
• Publication Date: December 9, 1976
• Content Type: MF

!0
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SOD/M76-079
9 December 1976
MEMORANDUM FOR: Chief, Operations, OC
Chief, Staff Operations Division, OC-0
SUBJECT Morse Code Requirements
REFERENCE OC-O/M76-212
1. A survey has been conducted in response to the
reference memorandum concerning an alternative to our manual
Morse network and to determine what impact such a change
would have upon our Panel T hiring practices. During the
investigation it became apparent that an alternative system
should allow for a gradual transition from manual Morse,
should allow for some degree of inter-operability with other
governmental services, should allow for the eventual auto-
mation of the base station NCS function to facilitate overseas
personnel reductions and should allow for field to field
contact in order to avoid reliance on large base stations.
The system must provide for two-way alternate communications
from both on and off station sites. The writer is relatively
confident that these goals can be achieved with a cost
effective system by utilizing microprocessor technology now
being employed for similar communications requirements. An
automatic Morse code system would appear to be the best:
alternative to meet the requirement as stated. It is
recommended that a_joint operations and engineering project
be initiated to develop prototype automated system. TTie
prototype system should be based upon automated Morse code
but could include other codes, e.g., FSK/baudot, for comparison
purposes. Two engineering test models of the prototype system
should be built and tested betweeni and a distant 25X1
field station. The test shou compare manual Morse
against the prototype system with ability to alert the distant
station as the major criteria for evaluation. The ability
to pass circuit information would rank second in importance
25X1
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SUBJECT: Morse Code Requirements
with message transmission as the third basic requirement. It
is also recommended that the Panel T code speed requirements
be immediately lowered. The information passed on our present
manual Morse net could be efficiently handled at 10 words per
minute or less.
2. The manual Morse code capability has served OC well.
The staff Morse network has provided a reliable, last resort
method of passing traffic, an order wire capability and a
simple mode of communications from off-site locations. With
the obvious advantages offered by the manual Morse network,
why should we consider a change? First, we have changed the
way we use the Morse network considerably during the past
decade. Morse is almost never used to exchange traffic by
necessity at present. Emergency uses from off-station sites
are extremely rare. A search of the Headquarters Signal.
Center records disclosed no instances of Morse/OTP messages
sent from off-station sites during a crisis. The on-site
order wire transmissions are short and repetitive information
is exchanged (See Attachment A). You could almost describe
this use as a signaling system since alerting the distant
station, normally field to base, is the most important
feature of the system. Second, the manual Morse system is
operator intensive. Base station operators must attend the
NCS position for effective operations. The system's effective-
ness is directly related to the operator attention allocated
to monitor tasks and to the quality of the operators. The
present Morse system requires regional base stations to be
effective. Network changes, such as a mini-relay arrangement,
will not be well served by manual Morse since field station
operators cannot closely monitor for Morse calls while
performing their other duties. An automated system would
allow for the eventual conversion of base stations to a semi-
sleeper status and for field station to field station HF
alerting and signal exchanges. Finally, personnel must be
hired for Panel T for their Morse code skills and/or trained
for these skills. The retention of Morse skills as a basic
hiring criteria limits our ability to adapt our operator
cadre for changing requirements, to meet EEO responsibilities
and to open Panel T positions
Panel ACerinne~SeeoAtdo not
tachment
possess Morse skills, e.g., personnel. B for present hiring statistics).
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SUBJECT: Morse Code Requirements
3. An evaluation of the Morse code network cannot be
completed without making some assumptions about the nature
of the OC network of the future and the skills required for
Panel T personnel to perform effectively in this new environ-
ment. First, OC field stations will be technically more
complex. The typical field station will be equipped with
a SKYLINK terminal and some quantity of backup HF equipment.
The station may have an automated field terminal or, at a
minimum, machines which will eliminate or reduce the poking
work load, e.g., an OCR. It is likely that the field station
operator will be called upon to support one or more NOC
circuits and perhaps to service remote entry terminals used
for data or interactive exchanges. The operator will have
to be more familiar with computer usage and terminology.
The network will probably utilize a protocol which provides
error correction and block mode transmissions. The operator
at the overseas base station will probably be primarily
concerned with facilities control functions and covert
communications duties. The operator in the Headquarters area
will be required to operate a complex message switch, an
expanded CDS system, to work in DATACOM, to master extremely
complicated facilities control complexes and to live in a
data rather than a narrative message world. (See Attachment Q.
Imposed on top of this system will be an expanded secure voice
and facsimile network. Our recruitment efforts could be
redirected as follows if the Morse code requirement were
eliminated:
a. Operators could be hired with good technical
skills. Individuals with experience as technicians
in the military and people with associate degrees in
technical fields offer a possible recruitment pool.
b. The military is now assigning some of their
best people to technical control positions., This
reservoir could be drawn upon for Panel T.
c. The Army now selects their better communicators
to work in the AUTODIN network. This type background
would be suitable for Panel T operators of the future.
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SUBJECT: Morse Code Requirements
d. Individuals with education or experience
related to computer operations will be required at
and Headquarters in the future.
e. Amateur radio operators have traditionally
provided candidates for Panel T. The elimination
of the Morse requirement would allow recruiters to
concentrate upon amateurs with exceptional technical
skills rather than those who have developed Morse
code proficiency.
4. A replacement for the present Morse system must
be economically comparable with our present operations.
Since the I/O devices for Morse are extremely low cost, a
hand key and a pair of headphones, the cost trade off must
take the form of people savings. A maximum estimate of
people savings would entail reduction of four NCS operators
at each of the four major overseas base stations for a
sixteen operator reduction or an approximate $512,000 per
year savings in cover reimbursement costs. This estimate
does not include efficiency and perhaps cost savings at
It could be reasonably estimated that a minimum
of eight operators could be reduced justifies
four operators for NCS guard) for a minimum saving of $256,000
per year. It would appear that a system with the features
listed below would be cost effective:
a. The system design must allow for phased
implementation. For instance, a conversion to two-
way automatic Morse code would allow for some stations
to operate in a manual mode while others are equipped
with automated equipment. The present cadre of Morse
operators would allow for a gradual conversion.
b. The system should allow for interoperability
with other government agencies and services. We
should retain the ability to work with Navy units
during evacuation exercises, etc.
c. The system should be simple to operate.
However, we can assume that field operators will be
skilled in equipment operations and. will be able to
tune receivers for optimum reception.
25X1
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SUBJECT: Morse Code Requirements
d. The system must be plug to plug compatible
with existing HF equipment, e.g., HFL-1000, R-390,
KWM-2, etc. The system designer may decide to pick
off the receiver signal at the IF plug.
e. The system must be capable of sending and
receiving a low volume of message traffic and operating
signals or equivalents. There is no requirement for
paper copy at field terminals. A ten character LED
readout requiring pencil transcription would be
sufficient. A keyboard similar to that used on
electronic calculators would be adequate for field
use due to the low transmission volume but a larger
keyboard would be acceptable.
f. The system should be small in size and
portable for off-station use and storage. Basically,
the system should be no larger than a portable type-
writer. Optimally the system should transmit and
receive the 36 alphanumeric functions.
g. The system should operate from a 110/220 AC,
50/60 cycle source. Battery operation would be a
desirable optional feature. A-