Military spectrum management Every military force has a goal to ensure and have permanent access to radio frequencies to meet its vital military tasks . This is based on strategies , doctrines and different policies that military forces adhere to . The nature of high mobility of military operations and their logistics support requires wide use with high speed capacities of voice , data and image communications , etc . Control , surveillance , reconnaissance and reporting systems play a vital role in the command and control system . Many of these requirements can be only met with the use of radio systems . The equipment of military communications adds and multiplies the power of forces . That is why the use of radio frequencies ’ spectrum is evaluated as one of the preliminary conditions for successful military operations . Need for access . Despite the continuous reduction of forces , especially after the 1990s , it is seen that the military inquiries for access to radio spectrum have not decreased . This is because of the high mobility of the joint forces together with the quick reaction , increased number of missions , etc . , which need more exact and timely information in all the defined regions and those unpredicted as well . Also , the equipment of military forces ’ systems work in different bands and with several frequencies at the same time . As long as the electromagnetic spectrum is evaluated as an element of the asset list and the operational electronic architecture that today ’ s and future forces should have , the military forces make all the efforts to get all the necessary bands of the spectrum . However , the military forces , in their activities to manage the frequencies fight with different challenges . The technology is running fast and has brought an extended variety of user services . The success of certain applications ( mobile radio - telephony , equipment with low power , digital media , various military systems , etc . ) naturally has caused an increase in the needs for frequencies from the civilian and military sectors . This has often brought civil administration to have tendencies to decrease the amount of frequencies in the interest of military forces . Spectrum management . Spectrum management is complex and difficult . The terminology , legal and technical considerations , national , regional and international complex regulations and bilateral and multilateral agreements can confuse the ignorant . The forces in operations often do not see the incompatibilities and interferences between systems in their own communication services and to the other systems . All of these dictate the need for specialized personnel to ensure relevant recommendations for the commanders and staffs in all the levels and to manage the spectrum . The effective continuous training of frequency administrators is an important factor in the improvement of frequency management . Fulfillment . Based on the priority and the abilities of national security structures , comes the enforcement for the immediate and maximum fulfillment of their inquiries for electromagnetic spectrum . But , the civil administrations that manage the frequencies often do not understand and do not harmonize the spectrum requests in the benefit of national security . The developments in the national security structures do not get followed and do not get put into full consideration by them . So the military forces should be actively engaged for the definition of a clear and sole objective for the needs of spectrum in the internal and international context and also in the priority treatment in the discussions for spectrum definition . The fact of decreasing the military forces does not mean that their available spectrum should be decreased as well . The variety of operations ( combat , non - combat and peace support ) of military forces has increased and they usually use the frequencies based on the activities and not on the number of forces . The military equipment is designed to work using the entire traditional and harmonized military spectrum . Also , the support with frequencies is mandatory , to fulfill all the acquisition and procurement procedures . Standards . An essential aspect in the management of frequencies is the orientation towards policies , agreements , and NATO procedures and standards . All of these should have the necessary reflection in those of military forces of one country , member or partner . This is a necessity and need to achieve among others the interoperability between communication and information systems . The frequency management in military forces has a dynamic nature . It is related to adjustment and implementation of time concepts for the spectrum , taking into consideration planning , allocation and spectrum usage in accordance with systems characteristics currently available and those of the future . This implies the flexibility in the protection of frequencies that are approved in national plans of frequencies , available for military forces . Although , it looks for a time to time evaluation of the current and future needs for spectrum aiming at more exact redefinitions of spectrum resources and more effective ways of spectrum division with other non - governmental users . Levels of command and control . The authorities of different levels of command and control have the responsibility to ensure the full support of needs with spectrum for their structures . They always need and look for more continuous support with equipment which function with radio frequencies . But , often they do not conceive correctly and do not have the necessary knowledge for access in the necessary frequency spectrum for military tasks . That is why the specialized frequency management structures have the responsibility of developing the full necessary administrative , planning and technical activities for frequencies . Prevention of interference . To ensure a better and interference free usage by other users , military forces , through their corresponding structures , take care for the monitoring of the frequency bands defined for them , cooperating and exchanging data with other governmental institutions authorized for spectrum management and other non - governmental users , to identify and detect unauthorized transmissions and illegal interferences . Spectrum monitoring requires expensive equipment and qualified personnel . Combined and joint operations . Combined and joint operations are still a major challenge for frequency managers . The cooperation of two or more forces together , with different training and organization and without appropriate frequency planning , brings failure of command , control and communications . The realizations of combined and joint operations , in alliance or coalitions , are closely connected to communications and information systems . Frequency management is evaluated as one of the main points for communications planning . In a coalition force , where there are a huge number of countries and military forces , if there is not a correct management and coordination of spectrum bands what we call “ frequency fratricide ” will happen . To allocate frequencies in such an operation is very difficult . The spectrum usage in these operations has more than ever showed the need for coordination between forces of different countries and with the country where they operate , rationality , standardization and interoperability , in accordance with deployment sites , regions and national and international regulations . Computer software applications . Effective frequency management is closely tied with computer software applications . Through these applications the optimal administration and coordination of frequencies and fulfillment of inquiries is ensured in every situation . Such applications support centralized and decentralized management of frequencies . They provide the planning and coordination of frequencies throughout the defined bands and their effective usage . Of course , such applications have financial costs and require time for the preliminary preparation and the final implementation . Policies , guides , procedures . The normal frequency management in military forces is based on policies , guides , procedures , organizational and technical manuals . The preparation , their harmonization with international , regional and national regulations and adherence to technological developments is a continuous task that requires time to be realized from proper military structures . Technical capabilities . A fundamental problem in frequency allocation is the existence of technical , geographical and operational factors , which restrict frequency usage of military forces . Frequency managers have to take into consideration technical capabilities and the equipments limit for functioning of the systems in accordance with operational requirements . In case of overloaded frequency bands , the military forces are obliged to foresee some interference and to accept some damage in the normal operation of their communications systems .