Section 1. General Instructions

  1. The U.S. Navy Radio Call Sign Book contains a listing of U.S. Navy radio call signs assigned by the Chief of Naval Operations. These call signs are established to assist in the transmission and delivery of dispatches transmitted by radio, landline or teletypewriter systems. Radio call sign assignments are made for existing commands and for anticipated expansion. The vessels, and command both ashore and afloat listed herein are therefore not necessarily indicative of the existing organization of the U.S. Navy.

  2. Call signs of the following types are listed:

    1. Four-letter pronounceable. Assigned to commands based ashore and to commands and activities of the shore organization.

    2. "Letter Numeral Letter" and "Letter Letter Numeral Letter." Assigned to commands of the sea-going organization of the U.S. Fleet.

    3. Three-letter calls signs the first letter being N assigned to radio stations (shore, DF, and aviation.

    4. Four-letter call signs the first letter being N assigned to individual ships of the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard. they are also known as the ship's International Radio Call Signs and may serve as signal letters.

    5. Five letter call signs the first letter being N assigned to Airships.

  3. The following groups of call signs are allocated to the Coast Guard for further assignment:

    NLAA-ZZ, NMA-Z, NMAA-ZZ, NNAA-ZZ, NOA-Z, NOAA-ZZ, NRA-Z,
    NRAA-ZZ, NSAA-ZZ, NBMRA-Z, NVMSA-Z, NVMYA-Z, NVMZA-A,
    QAAA-ZZZ, Q1A-Q9Z, 541A-Z to 555A-Z, inclusive.

  4. This book is divided into two portions, the Decode and the Encode. The entire book is divided into consecutively numbered sections. The second portion of the Radio Call Sign Book contains a listing of all call signs to which permanent assignments are made by CNO and is arranged alphabetically by types of call signs with their assigned meanings.

  5. The Encode portion of the book is arranged in accordance with the table of contents. Special instruction pertinent to certain sections are as follows:

    1. Section 8 contains the block of call signs Z1A to Z9Z. These call signs are for assignment by responsible commanders to temporary organizations, task forces, groups or units and the commanders under their command. These call signs are for local use only by the commands, ships, and stations to which assignments are published. The assignments of such call signs will be published to all ships and stations which are required to use them by the officer who assigns them. Assignments made within naval districts shall be prefixed with the numeral denoting the naval district.

    2. Section 9 contains blocks of call signs for assignment to individual aircraft and are allocated to all regularly organized units of Naval, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard aircraft. The block assigned to any such unit is listed in the proper section of the encode with the commander thereof. Call signs for individual aircraft, hangar, or ground stations, and collective call sign for squadrons are assigned form the blocks of call signs in the following manner:

      1. The first call sign in a block is assigned to plane No. 1 of that unit, the second call sign to plane No. 2, etc.; the next to last call sign in a block will be assigned as the collective call for all aircraft of the unit; the last call sign in a block may be used as

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        the call sign for the unit's hangar or ground station. When a unit contains more planes than call signs provided in the block assigned, additional call signs required may be formed in the same numerical block by using double letters, e.g., plane 1J25-16AA; 1J26-16BB, etc. In call sign blocks consisting of three or four numerals, the first, or the first and second numeral may be omitted in communications where probability of misinterpretation of call signs due to this omission does not exist.

        Examples:

          Call sign block 111A-Z is assigned to VB-11.
          111A--No. 1 plane of BOMBRON 11.
          111B--No. 2 plane of BOMBRON 11.
          111E--No. 5 plane of BOMBRON 11.
          111H--No. 8 plane of BOMBRON 11.
          111Y--BOMBRON 11 (collective).
          111Z--Hangar or ground station for BOMBRON 11.
          111AA--No. 25 plane of BOMBRON 11.

      1. In order to provide for temporary aircraft organizations, certain blocks of call signs are allocated to fleet, force, and type commanders, and commanding officers of Naval nad Marine Corps air stations for temporary assignment. Officers assigning call signs from these blocks are responsible for publishing the assignments to those who need to know.

      2. Commanders of divisions and sections of aircraft will use the call signs of the plane in which embarked. When in the air, squadron commanders and commanders of larger units may use their regularly assigned call sign or the call sign of the aircraft in which embarked.

      3. Flag planes are assigned block 11A to 11Z for further assignment as indicated in Section 6.

    1. Sections 14 and 15 contain call signs assigned to specific geographical locations and areas. These call signs are never used alone but in combination with one or more call signs denoting a command or organization.

      Examples:

      1. "Naval Auxiliary Air Facility at 'Del Mar, Calif.'"
      2. "All Port directors of 'Eleventh Naval District.'"
      3. "All U.S. Navy Ships in 'Gulf Sea Frontier.'"

    2. Section 16 contains the listing of radio stations. In parentheses following each station appears the type of service performed by that station.

        (RAD) indicates a shore radio facility.
        (DF) indicates a shore radio facility providing direction finder services.
        (Aero) indicates a shore radio facility providing radio services for aircraft communications.

    3. Section 17 contains a listing of U.S. Navy ships arranged alphabetically by names. Where ship's names consisting of personal names or name and initials, and/or title, the surname is listed first (e.g., Benson, Admiral W.S.; Jackson, President). In certain cases names such as ANNE ARUNDEL are listed twice. Whenever such a name appears out of alphabetical sequence it is shown in italics.

    4. Section 19 contains a listing of Joint Army-Navy Communications Centers and their assigned radio call signs. These call signs are the Joint Army and Navy call signs for those centers. Section 19 also contains a listing of major Army fixed radio stations and Navy shore

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      radio stations having common joint cryptographic aids or directly serving command holding common joint cryptographic aids.

    1. The call signs assigned in Section 20 are U.S. Navy radio call signs and do not have a combined application. They are promulgated only to holders of the U.S. Navy Radio Call Sign book.

    2. Section 22 contains call signs assigned to the U.S. Coast Guard. This section does not contain a complete listing of the Coast Guard assignments. Only such commands and ships are listed as are of general interest.

  1. U.S. Navy radio call signs are promulgated, after assignment by Chief of Naval Operations, by dispatch (ALCOM), or by issuing printed memorandum (NRPM), or by issuing serially numbered changes. Reprint pages will be issued when appropriate. Such reprints will not be considered as serially numbered changes. Each page reprinted will bear a notation "This page corrected through NRPM_____."

  2. Call Signs for portable satellite radio stations.

    Call Signs for portable and satellite shore radio stations are constructed by adding a numeral to the call sign of the radio station under which the portable or satellite station is operating. These assignments are made locally and receive local promulgation only. Maximum use of subnumeral assignments is to be made where that type of call sign will suffice.

    Examples:

      NAM    Radio Norfolk.
      NAM 1 Portable Station No. 1.
      NAM 2 Portable Station No. 2.
      NQL       Sitka Alaska (Aero).
      NQL 1    Sitka Alaska (Auxiliary Air Station).

  3. Encryption of Radio Call Signs.

    1. Radio call signs contained in sections 3, 4, and 6 U.S. Navy radio Call Sign book and Task Organizations call signs from section 4 U.S. Navy Visual Call Sign Book, when transmitted by radio, shall normally be encrypted except under the following conditions:

      1. In actual or imminent combat when utmost speed at expense of all security is imperative they may be transmitted unencrypted.

      2. When transmitted on limited range radio which utilizes frequencies above 50 megacycles.

      3. Call sings of minor vessels attached to Local Naval defense Forces are exempted from encryption.

      4. Indefinite Call signs in Section 6 assigned to "Any or all U.S. Naval Ships" such as "NERK" and call signs for "Any United Nation Merships", "Any or all Russian Naval Ships" and "Any or all Naval Ships of French Committee of National Liberation" are not to be encrypted.

    2. Radio call signs contained in Sections 2, 5, 7, 8, and 9 shall normally be transmitted unencrypted unless in special circumstances it is desired to disguise a certain activity.

    3. Radio call signs which are normally encrypted when transmitted by radio need not be encrypted when transmitted landline provided the originator is assured that complete delivery to all addressees can be effected entirely over landline.

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