483
1 INTRODUCTION
TheaccessionoftheRepublicofBulgariatotheNorth
AtlanticTreatyOrganisationmadetheNavyfacethe
necessitytoadaptitscommandandcontrolsystemto
thenewrealitiesinthesphereofsecurityanddefence.
The communications andinformationsystem can be
pointedout asoneof theprioritiesin thi
saspect,in
particular its construction and development in the
contextofthepresent‐dayrequirements.Accordingto
the definition in the regulating documents, it is a
unified, integrated organizational and technical
complexofequipment,methods,procedures,services
andpersonnel,organisedinsupportofcommandand
control (Доктри
на за комуникационно‐
информационната система на Въоръжените сили
наРепубликаБългария,2012;AlliedJointDoctrine
for Communication andInformation Systems, 2005).
Itiswellknownthatproceduresplayakeyroleinthe
successfulfunctioningofthesystem,andparticularly
theradiotelephoneprocedures–forthecompletionof
tasks by tactical units. This paper discusses a
methodology which facilitates the training of
operators in the use of voice procedures and rules
adop
tedintheAlliance.
2 METHODOLOGYFORTRAININGINTHEUSE
OFRADIOTELEPHONEPROCEDURESINTHE
NAVY
It is well known that in its most general sense the
term methodology refers to an algorithm or
procedurefortheperforma
nce of a certain action in
order to achieve a particular result.Methodology in
thecontextofeducationalworkcanbeviewedasaset
of techniques, forms and means for training, the
application of which enables a higher degree of
acquisition of the learning material (Коджаспирова
&Коджаспиров,2005).
The methodology of training in a certain ma
tter
must include a learning objective and a practical
objective,aswellasmeansandmethodsofachieving
them.
Methodology for Training in the Use of Radiotelephone
Procedures in the Navy
Zh.K.Nikolov
NikolaVaptsarovNavalAcademy,Varna,Bulgaria
ABSTRACT: Learning the radiotelephone procedures and rules for naval operations in allied and coalition
format is a challenge for the training of communications specialists. This paper proposes a training
methodologydevelopedon the basis of anadaptationof the approach describedinAllied Communications
Publication–ACP125Communica
tionInstructionsRadiotelephoneProcedures.Anexperienceacquiredafter
manyyearsofstudyingthe documentwithcadetsfromtheBulgarianNavalAcademyisshared.Thepaper
identifiesthemainparagraphssubjecttoadaptation,liststheaddedexamplesandexplanations,andpointsout
somespecificfeaturesduringthepracticalplaythroughofscenariosinsimulationenvironment.
http://www.transnav.eu
the International Journal
on Marine Navigation
and Safety of Sea Transportation
Volume 11
Number 3
September 2017
DOI:10.12716/1001.11.03.14
484
Themethodologyproposedinthispaperhasbeen
designed in accordance with the curricula at the
Bulgarian Naval Academy and is intended for the
trainingofmilitarycadets.Ithasbeendevelopedon
the basis of an adaptation of the approach used for
presenting the radiotelephone procedures and rules
in
the Allied Communications Publication ACP 125.
The aim of the methodology is to enable the
acquisitionoflearningthebasicproceduresandrules
andtofacilitatetheirapplicationintheradionetsof
theNavy,bothduringcombinedoperationsinallied
or coalition format and in national exercises. The
facilities
required to achieve this goal include a
student textbook, classrooms and specialised
simulators used within theoretical and practical
lessons.
The aim of ACP‐125 is to prescribe the voice
procedure for use by the armed forces of Allied
nations on tactical voice nets (Communication
Instructions Radiotelephone procedures, 2001). It is
beyond any doubt that, in view of the detailed
instructionsandthedescriptionoftheoperatingrules
in the publication,this aim is successfully achieved.
However,oursystematicallyconductedobservations,
in the course of almost 10 years, of the process of
studying the document at the Bulgarian Naval
Academy,hasled
totheconclusionthatcertainparts
need to be explained in the native language of the
trainees, in combination with easy‐to‐understand
examples. The methodology discussed here includes
theadaptationofthefollowingmainparagraphsfrom
АСР‐125:
1 Pronunciationofletters;
2 Pronunciationoffigures;
3 Rulesforspelling;
4 Rulesforfigures;
5 Messages;
6 Messageformat;
7 Procedurewords;
8 Establishingcommunications;
9 Radiocheck,signalstrengthandreadability;
10 Transmittingamessage;
11 Relay;
12 Repetitions;
13 Corrections;
14 Cancellingmessages;
15 Readback;
16 Verifications;
17 Delayedexecutivemethod;
18 Immediateexecutivemethod.
It can
be seen that the selected sequencing the
study of the essential part, namely the voice
proceduresandrules,isprecededbyacquaintingthe
traineeswiththerulesforpronunciationandspelling
oflettersandnumbers, as well as with the different
typesofmessagesandtheirmaincomponents.Special
attention is
paid to procedurewords,particularlyto
understandingand applying themcorrectly. Asnew
elements in the proposed methodology, apart from
theexplanationsinthenativelanguageofthetrainees
and the easy‐to‐understand examples mentioned
above,therearespecificallydesignedmaterials.Their
purpose is to support the practical work
in a
simulated environment. A significant part of these
materialsisaimedatfacilitatingtheacquisitionofthe
delayed executive method. The reason for this
emphasis is the relatively frequent use of the
executive method for information exchange between
shipsonatacticallevel,whichisthelevelforwhich
the
cadetsoftheBulgarianNavalAcademyarebeing
trained.Thedesignofthesupplementarymaterialsto
go with the presented methodology is based on the
lessons learned from the annual exercise of the
Bulgarian Navy with international participation,
Breeze. Thus, as part of the training process, before
reachingthepractical
classes,thecadetsareinformed
about the contents of some basic documents for the
exercise.Forexample,fromtheexerciseplan(Explan)
theylearnabouttheparticipatingunitsandserialized
schedule of events, and from the communications
plan–theschemeoftheradiocommunication,main
tacticalnets,voiceauthenticationprocedures,
distress
andsafetyfrequencyplan,andmicrophonecallsigns.
Inviewofthefactthatonthisstageoftheirtrainingat
the Bulgarian Naval Academy some of the cadets
have already participated in the Breeze exercise, the
additional information provided to them evokes a
reallyrichsituationalpicture.This
enablesthemtobe
confidenttoworkwithinnavaltacticalgroupsinthe
simulation systems. In these conditions they play
through tactical maneuvering, merchant traffic
monitoring exercise, screen exercise, search and
rescue,navalcommunicationexercises,floatingtarget
firingpractice,etc. In this waythecadetsreceivean
opportunity to apply the
radiotelephone procedures
and rules in an environment which facilitates the
consolidation of practical habits. Furthermore, as
mentioned above, a significant part of the voice
procedures is directed at the practice of delayed
executivemethod.Tothisendthe trainees exchange
tactical signals related by time and intent with the
conducted
operation, which additionally reinforces
thesenseofrealismandenhancestheeffectivenessof
thediscussedmethodology.
3 CONCLUSIONS
Thispaperpresentsamethodologyintraininginthe
use of radiotelephone procedures designed on the
basisofanadaptationoftheAlliedCommunications
PublicationАСР‐125 Communication Instructions
Radiotelephoneprocedures.Itsdevelopment
hasutilised
the conclusions made in result of many years of
observingtheprocessoftrainingincommunications
and information support to the benefit of the
enhancement of the accessibility of the learning
material. The proposed explanations and the
integrated supplementation facilitate the training
effectivenessandareanimportantsteppingstone
for
the development of practical work habits. The
developedmethodologyiscloselyrelatedtopractice
and is currently being used at the Bulgarian Naval
Academywithsuccess.Thisfactisanevidenceforits
adequacyandexpediency.
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