Technical Signature Management

by Capt Pat Schalk

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in July 2021 and has since been edited/updated.

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So, your Battalion Commander wants to implement signature management (SIGMAN) and emissions control (EMCON). That is fantastic! However, what in the world does it mean and how do you do it? Both are great questions that everyone is asking, to include communicators, like myself, these days. My intent is to help breakdown where to start, a few considerations, and a couple of practical things you can do during that next trip to the field.

1. Planning. Signature Management (SIGMAN) is an umbrella concept, which includes subtopics such as Technical SIGMAN. Within Technical SIGMAN is EMCON itself. Covering all of this is Operational Security (OPSEC), which is where leaders must begin top-down planning. Any exercise or operation needs to start with OPSEC and work down to EMCON.

2. Doctrine. There are multiple publications that help with planning. JP 3-85 Joint Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations, and JP 3-13.3 Operational Security provide a high-level view of the subject.

3. Technical Manuals. At a more technical and tactical level, CUI and classified EMCON and SIGMAN publications produced by various Marine Corps entities such as MCIOC, provide advice and practical procedures on the subject. Ask your S2/S6 for copies of them or visit MCIOC’s NIPR/SIPR Intelink pages. Marine Corps Gazette articles such as Spectrum Contested Environments by LtCol Tsirlis and Technical and Signature Management by Capt Luke Klena also provide insight. MCRP 8-10B.11 Antenna Handbook also provides Marines details on radio employment and antenna construction.

4. Tools. On a practical everyday level, S2/S6s possess programs such as SPEED and NRL Builder that allow them model emissions by radio, emission type, antenna, and power setting. These tools can help you select the appropriate power setting for your radios and correct antenna configurations to avoid unnecessary bleed over.

5. Red Cell. Peer adversaries are not omniscient. The Worldwide Equipment Guide (WEG) is a CAC enabled unclassified website with equipment descriptions and capabilities that will help inform your OPSEC and SIGMAN planning. There are numerous classified sources of information that provide detailed planning considerations, especially for space. Ask your S2/S6 about them.

6. Supporting Efforts. Most MEFs and some Divisions have created teams to analyze friendly technical signatures. Submit a request for support. The Air Force and Army also have capabilities to leverage.

Employment Considerations

Here are a few quick and down and dirty practical consideration for your next trip to the field:

1. VHF/UHF/HF radios can generally be turned on and passively “listening” without causing a signature.

2. Regular comm checks create technical signatures and a pattern of life for the enemy to detect. Stagger comm windows and use different types of comm when possible.

3. SATCOM can be highly directional and difficult to detect. You can even mound up dirt or use a hole to further absorb any bleed over.

4. Generally, in order to be jammed, the jammer must have line-of-sight to your antenna.

5. ANW2 and BFTs are always transmitting.

6. VHF can also be made directional, ask your S6 or comm Marine how to do this - or make them learn how to do this.

7. Putting your DAGR in a coffee can will block GPS jamming aimed at the

   handheld device. You can also use a DAGR to locate an approximate

   source of GPS jamming.

8. You can buy a spectrum analyzer for relatively cheap and do your own

   experiments.

These are just a few useful publications and considerations to put in your toolbox. As a philosophy, do not EMCON yourself or unit into uselessness. Lethality should not be sacrificed for survivability. OPSEC, SIGMAN, and EMCON are all concepts the Marine Corps and Joint Force are re-learning after a prolonged absence from planning and operational considerations. Do not be afraid to experiment and learn from those experiments. Capture your lessons in articles and submit your After-Action Reviews to The Marine Corps Center for Lessons Learned (or to the CxFile if it is non-CUI). As a force, the Marine Corps is terrible at collecting, sharing and reading AARs and that needs to change.

Capt Schalk is a communications officer at Marine Security Forces Regiment. He can be reached at schalkpa@gmail.com.

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