MARS, ARES, Team Up in Interoperability Exercise
Two arms of MARS - the Military Auxiliary Radio System - and
the ARRL's Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) were involved in a nationwide
communications interoperability exercise held last October. The ARRL Letter
reports that Army and Air Force MARS merged their normally-separate long-distance
radio networks during the course of the 48-hour exercise, which simulated a
disruption to the nation's communications infrastructure. In addition, MARS
members were tasked with using amateur frequencies and their amateur call signs
to make contact with ARES leaders or members in as many U.S. counties as
possible. Army MARS Program Manager Paul English, WD8DBY, said preliminary
results showed that MARS-ARES linkups were successfully made in approximately
half of the nation's 3077 counties. The exercise was sponsored by the
Department of Defense.