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MILITARY TRAINING ESTABLISHMENT OF ZAMBIA
ZAMBIA MILITARY ACADEMY
VOICE PROCEDURE
INTRODUCTION
1. Voice procedure is the language that has been introduced in the Army for
communication purposes.
2. Reason of Voice Procedure:
a. Every word transmitted on the radio can be heard by enemy.
b. Even the best radio communication in case they speak at once thus one
person to speak while the other waits. Most radio system if two people send at
once (transmit at once) the result is chaos. Therefore, some sort of discipline
must be employed.
c. The radio communication is bound to interferences that can make
message distorted. Even the best radio communication may suffer from
interference which can result in misunderstanding of messages.
DEFINITION OF VOICE PROCEDURE
3. Voice procedure is a set of rules designed to provide:
a. Security (S).
b. Accuracy (A).
c. Discipline (D).
4. Security. There are only two types of information the user of the radio should
know (which the enemy may intercept):
a. Long Term Information. Long term information is the information which if
given away to the enemy either direct or indirect breaches security.
(1) Direct breach of security is the actual information being sent in
clear over the radio indicating orders and movement in battle. Direct
breach of security are elements that may be acquired by the enemy like
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order of battle, movement of formations and future intentions of
formations. To avoid (prevent) this information to reach the enemy, names
of units, names of formations should not be given any clue to the nature of
composition or deployment. Call signs, address groups, appointment titles
etc. are used to conceal clear names of formations and units.
(2) Indirect breach of security is a great deal of information, (e.g. six
may be pronounced as sex) about officers rabbling themselves into enemy
interception, i.e. officers and radio operators who persist in saying sex
instead of six. Indirect breach of security is normally given away by
officers or operators. This information can be intercepted by the enemy
due to their behaviour when using the sets. When the enemy intercepts,
he will impersonate himself so as to get information.
b. Short Term Information. Short term information is the information being
sent during the actual war and when the enemy captures it will never give it up as
he will have advantage. Therefore, Short Term Information is defined as the
information sent during the actual battle, the possession of which will give the
enemy advantage. As such, some security on one hand and considerable speed
is important. To prevent this, there are aids to security known as code words and
nick names being additional to the use of call signs as aids to security. Nick
names are convenience drills used to conceal geographical features, names of
town and any identified features etc. To avoid this information reaching the
enemy, the operators use the following, code names:
(1) Address group.
(2) Net Identification Signs (NIS).
(3) Jargon. Jargon is un-official and clumsy reference to military
personnel and their equipment, e.g. Paratroopers are addressed as
BIRDSMEN; Tanks as TINCANES.
(4) Nicknames.
(5) Veld Speech. Veld speech is an aid to security. It is an art of
referring to the future by reference to the past, e.g. “meet me at the same
time at the same place as yesterday.”
(6) Noduf. Noduf is another aid to security, e.g. in peace time and you
happen to go on operation, these are the messages that should not be
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send during the war. Noduf is used during the peace time. It is the true
message and these messages cannot be transmitted during war. Noduf is
used during exercises, e. g. if there is a requirement that a soldier has
been injured or a request for rations, etc., then Noduf can be used. Noduf
means it is true and actual message. If on the message you do not
indicate the word Noduf, then the message will be taken as a drill and may
not be acted upon.
NATO PHONETIC ALPHABET
5. a. A - Alpha
b. B - Bravo
c. C - Charlie
d. D - Delta
e. E - Echo
f. F - Foxtrot
g. G - Golf
h. H - Hotel
i. I - India
j. J - Julliet
k. K - Kilo
l. L - Lima
m. M - Mike
n. N - November
o. O - Oscar
p. P - Papa
q. Q - Quebec
r. R - Romeo
s. S - Sierra
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t. T - Tango
u. U - Uniform
v. V - Victor
w. W - Whisky
x. X - X-Ray
y. Y - Yankie
z. Z - Zulu
RADIO NET
6. A radio net is a group of radio stations, more than two radio stations working
together on the same frequency for the purpose of communicating to each other, while
a radio link is communication between two radio stations.
RADIO NET
MILTEZ 2Bde HQ 3Bde HQ
1Bde HQ (Q3)
(Q2) (Q4)
(Q1)
T4 2
CONTROL
(NC)
RADIO LINK
CONTROL Q2
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7. Call Sign. A call sign consists of one or two figures or a combination of figures
and letters used to identify radio stations, e.g. Q2, T4, 2 etc. as above.
8. Address Group. Address group, e.g. 1Bde HQ has been given a call sign Q1.
Can be given an address group as CXL. Therefore, an address group is termed as a
secret daily changing group of three letters used in place of clear names, e.g. 1 Bde HQ
as CXL.
9. Net Identification Sign (NIS). NIS is a two letter group allotted to units and
formation nets. Its use is to identify the whole radio net, e.g. as stated above (NC at
army HQ). The formation net, e.g. 1Bde HQ, MILTEZ, 2Bde HQ, 3Bde HQ etc.
10. Arm Indicator. Arm indicator is a term as a single letter used as a prefix to a fix
call sign, e.g. T4, the T is termed as an arm indicator., (T – Tango). Armour Regiment =
T4 for example.
11. Unit Nets. Unit nets, e.g. 3ZR (Chindwin) is junior to MILTEZ. As such 3ZR is a
unit and MILTEZ is formation net. 3ZR can receive orders from MILTEZ (Kohima) and
not vice versa. A group of radio nets which get orders from Army HQ (NC) is termed as
formation nets.
UNIT NET 72
63 69
FORMATION NET
02 03 04
00
01 05
(AHQ)
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12. Call sign for the Coy (Company) = 0 and call sign for Pl (Platoon) = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; call
sign for Pl 1 = 01, for Pl 2 = 02, for Pl 3 = 03, for Pl 4 = 05 and for Pl 5 = 05. 0 stands for
Coy HQ and the digits on the right side of 0 stands for Pl.
CALLING AND ANSWERING
13. A call is an initial part of each transmission which identifies the code and the
calling station. And this same call has got four (4) parts:
a. Heading. Initial call which indicates the calling and the station being
called, e.g. “Hello 2, This is 4, Move now, Over. “Hullo 2, This is 4” is the
heading.
b. Text. This is the information which is to be passed, e.g. “Move now,” is the
text.
c. Ending. This denotes that transmission is ended, e.g. “Over.”
14. Hello, is an opening transmission signal used in the initial transmission. Station 2
will answer as “2 wilco out.”
15. Answering Prowards. Prowards are easily pronounceable words or phrases
which are used to convey an exactly meaning from one user to another and their usage
enables one word to be in a place of a complete sentence.
a. Over. Over means the end of my transmission, a reply is required go
ahead transmitting, e.g. “Hello 2, this is 4, move now, over.” Station 2 will
answer, “2 wilco out.’
b. Out. Out means the end of my transmission to you and no reply required.
c. Rodger. Rodger means, I have received your message satisfactory.
d. Wilco. Wilco means message received and will be complied with.
e. Wait Out. Wait out means your transmission is received and a further
transmission on the same subject to follow later, e.g. “Hullo 2, this is 4, move
now, over.” 2: Wait out. (Then, hullo 4 this is 2 send now).
f. Out to You, e.g. “Hullo 2, this is 4, move now, out to you; “Hullo 3, this is
4, your rat now ready, over.” 3: Rodger out. Out to you means the end of my
transmission to you, no reply is required and call to another station follows
immediately.
g. Wait. Pause for 5 seconds, no other transmission from other stations.
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TYPES OF CALL
16. There are four (4) types of calls in the communication system:
a. Single Call. Single call is the call made from control to sub-station or from
sub-station to another sub-station.
SUB-STATIONS 04 07 12
42
02
CONTORL
b. Multiple Call. It is a call to two (2) or more stations but not the whole net,
e.g. Control can call 02, 04 and 07: “Hullo 02, 04 and 07, this is zero (0), Over.’ It
can also be sub-station to other two (20 or three (3) sub-stations.
c. All Stations Call. All station call is a call from one station (Stn) to all the
stations on the net or from sub-station to all stations, e.g. “Hullo all stations, this
is 0 (zero), over.” The called stations will answer as: “Stn 02 send over, Stn 07
send over, Stn 42 send over etc.”
d. Collective call. It’s a call which is a pre-arranged call.
17. If you make a call to control and there is no answer, you can call any sub-station,
e.g. “Hullo 0 (zero), this is 02, over.” If there is no answer after three attempts then calls
any sub-station as follows:
“Hullo 42, this is 02, over.”
“42, send message, over.”
“02, confirm with 0, over.”
“42, wait.” Or “Send message, over.” Or “Send over,” (which means what
is your message, send over).
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18. After 42 has confirmed that 0 is on the air, then he will inform 02, and 02 can ask
42 to relay his message to 0.
ESTABLISHING COMMUNICATION
Q1 Q3 13 15 20
LP
19. LP (Lima Papa) is the net identification sign (NIS) for control. To establish
communication it will require three (3) distinct phases:
a. Preliminary Instruction. All the stations on the net needs the following
instructions (If some of these instructions are missed there will be a problem to
operate the set):
(1) Organisation of the net in the form of diagram as above, showing
sub-stations and to include call signs and type of sets in use. When going
into the field, you have to ask for these instructions.
(2) Frequencies and channels assigned to the nets. Documents
containing frequencies and channels.
(3) Collective calls.
(4) Radiation, the type of radiation to use (space waves).
(5) Address groups and net identification signs (NIS).
(6) Nicknames and code words.
(7) Timings. Time the net is to open, e.g. within 15 minutes.
(8) Security (codes, Slidex, Griddle and authentication charts).
b. Tuning of Sets. The tuning procedure varies with each type of set. There
are three (3) types of sets currently used in Zambia Army, and these are:
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(1) Pre-tuned Sets (Modern in common use).
(2) Self Tuned Sets (one needs to tune it).
(3) Sets requiring tuning and netting call (out dated).
c. Report of Signals.
20. Establishing Communication:
a. Control – “Hullo all stations, this is 0 (or LP), radio check, over.”
- “Q1 Okay over.” (Pause 5 seconds)
- “Q3 Okay, over.” (Pause 5 seconds)
- “13 Okay, over.” (Pause 5 seconds)
- “15 Okay, over.” (Pause 5 seconds)
(This means that all stations are hearing properly)
b. Control – “0 (zero) Okay, Signal strength, over.” (It means control is
hearing well, now how do you hear each other).
- “Q1 Okay, out.” (It means is able to hear others).
- “Q3, Okay, out.”
- “13, Okay, out.”
- “15, Okay, out.”
(This means that when other sets were answering they were able to hear
each other).
21. After this, it means you have established your communication. The above
establishment of communications was done by use of Pre-tuned radio sets. The above
therefore, is a satisfactory net because they are able to hear each other, but if they are
not to hear each other, then it becomes unsatisfactory net.
22. Now after establishing communication, it means the sets are opened now. If one
of the sub-station e.g. Q3, is not heard after 5 seconds pause, 13 and 15 will answer,
“Okay over.” Then in the second part other sub-stations will communicate as follows:
- “Q1, Call Sign Q3, nothing heard.”
- “13, Call Sign Q3, nothing heard.”
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- “15, Call Sign Q3, nothing heard.”
23. Radio Silence. Radio units are opened and operators are just listening for a
particular period. The Commanding Officer (CO) can impose radio silence for any
reason that he could have conceived and can explain to his unit.
AIDS TO ECONOMY
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