Amateur radio operators will participate in the Department of Defense’s Armed Forces Day (AFD) Crossband Test on May 9, 2026. The annual event will not impact any public or private communications.

For more than 50 years, military and amateur stations have participated in this interoperability exercise between the amateur and government radio services. The AFD Crossband Test provides a unique opportunity to conduct two-way communication between military communicators and stations in the Amateur Radio Service (ARS), as authorized in 47 CFR 97.111. These tests present both opportunities and challenges for radio operators to demonstrate individual technical skills in a tightly controlled exercise scenario.

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® hails the Armed Forces Day Crossband Test as an example of the core principles of the US Amateur Radio Service, with its volunteers contributing technical proficiency and readiness in support of public service and national needs.

Military stations will transmit on selected military frequencies and will announce the specific ARS frequencies they are monitoring. All times are ZULU (Z), and all frequencies are upper sideband (USB) unless otherwise noted. An AFD message will be transmitted using the Military Standard (MIL-STD) Serial PSK waveform (M110), followed by MIL-STD Wide Shift FSK (850 Hz RTTY), as described in MIL-STD 188-110A/B. Technical information regarding these waveforms is available at drive.google.com/drive/folders/1pYDj7kQbm-QAyY4RPtx0dOXKohjaEjq9?usp=sharing. 

To document your contacts with a QSL, visit: www.usarmymars.org/events-and-announcements and complete the request form.

The US Naval Academy Amateur Radio Club, W3ADO, will activate the historic NSS call sign during the Crossband Test. Several Naval Academy midshipmen and members of the Potomac Valley Radio Club (PVRC), including team leader Frank Donovan, W3LPL, will be operating on the grounds of the former US Navy radio transmitting facility in Annapolis, Maryland. PVRC is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

In June, radio amateurs in the US and Canada will participate in ARRL Field Day, the largest annual demonstration of the Amateur Radio Service. Amateur stations will be set up in public places such as a town parks to practice emergency preparedness and acquaint the general public with the capabilities of amateur radio. ARRL Field Day will be held June 27 –28, 2026, and this year’s theme is Amateur Radio: A National Resource. For more information, visit www.arrl.org/field-day.