1. Introduction
Bora Class Guided Missiles Corvette "Samun"
Intercepting the Naval Air Transport Units starts with a surprise, as one wouldn't expect to be listening to Ground-Air Morse communications. The most rewarding frequency is 8816 kHz, but there are others as well. All transmissions, so far heard, are simplex networks.
CIS Naval Air Transports use many "X---" Four-Letter-Location-Indicators, which are not ICAO listed. In many cases the leading "U" has been replaced by "X".
Here are some airports often mentioned in Morse traffic:
| Location Indicator | Airfield | Country |
| EETT | Tallinn | EST |
| UKFA | Kacha, Crimea | UKR |
| UKFG | Gvardevskoe | UKR |
| XKFX | Chkalovsky | RUS |
| XLAA | Arkhangelsk | RUS |
| XLLP | Pushkin | RUS |
| XLLS | Smychkovo | RUS |
| XLLV | Levashovo | RUS |
| XLMD | Severomorsk-1 | RUS |
| XLMF | Kipelovo/Fedetovo | RUS |
| XLMM | Murmansk | RUS |
| XLMN | Severomorsk-2 | RUS |
| XLMO | Olenegorsk | RUS |
| XLMV | Severomorsk-3 | RUS |
| XLOS | Ostrow/Verete | RUS |
| XLPB | Petrozavodsk | RUS |
| XLWF | Kipelovo | RUS |
| XMKK | Svetlogorsk | RUS |
| XMWB | Chkalovsk | RUS |
| XNKL | Yemelyanovo | RUS |
| XRKA | Andreevskaya | RUS |
| XRRI | Milerovo | RUS |
| XSCG | Chelyabinsk | RUS |
| XUBS | Smolensk N | RUS |
| XUMN | Klin | RUS |
| XUMO | Ostafyevo | RUS |
| XUOI | Buturlinovka | RUS |
| XUOW | Voronezh | RUS |
2. ATC Centers
Five Air Traffic Control Centers are responsible for all operations of Naval Air Transport. RCH84 sometimes is audible in Europe with reasonable signal strength, maybe it is relayed somewhere.
| Callsign | Callsign Voice Traffic | ATC Air Traffic Control | Possible region or location |
| RJF94 | PRIBOJ | Air Transports Central Sector | Moscow |
| RJC38 | NOVATOR | Air Transports Northern Sector | Murmansk Region. Airfields of Olenogorsk, Severomorsk or Kipelovo-Fedotovo. |
| RCB | KRAKET | Air Transports Western Sector | Kaliningrad Region. Airfields may be Chkalovsk, Chernyakhovsk, Donskoe and Khrabrovo. |
| RCH84 | MONOLOG | Air Transports Eastern Sector | Vladivostok Region. Airfield of Knevichi. |
| RJC48 | NORKA | Air Transports Southern Sector | Sevastopol Region. Airfield of Kacha. |
3. Sample Messages
This is a typical example of traffic between aircraft and ATCs.
The 5-figure aircraft call sign corresponds to the Aircraft Registration Number which can be found in internet publications.
| Frequency kHz and time UTC | Traffic | Comments |
| 8816 1535 | RJF94 RCB de 26855 QSA? QTC k | Aircraft with Reg. Nr. 26855 calls RFJ94 and RCB with a message. |
| 8816 | 26855 de RJF94 QSA2 QRV k 26855 de RCB QSA3 QRV k | Both addressees are ready to copy message. |
| 8816 | 26855 QTO QTR 1525 QRD XLLS XMKK QRE UMWS 1625 QAH 5700 k | 26855 is airborne, the time being 1525z. I am bound for XLLS from XMKK. Estimated time of arrival in UMWS is 1625z. Flight level is 5700 m k |
| 8816 | RJF94 QTO QTR 1525 QRD XLLS XMKK QRE UMWS 1625 QAH 5700 k RCB QTO QTR 1525 QRD XLLS XMKK QRE UMWS 1625 QAH 5700 k | RJF94 and RCB acknowledge message |
| 8816 1624 | 26855 QQL UMWS 1622 QRE ULOL 1720 QAH 5700 QBD 0330 k | 26855 has passed UMWS at 1622z. Estimated time of arrival at ULOL is 1720. Flight level is 5700 m. Fuel endurance is 3h 30 min. |
| 8816 1715 | 26855 QQL ULOL 1710 QAL XLLS 1805 QAH 5400 QBD 0300 k | 26855 has passed ULOL at 1710. I estimate to land in XLLS at 1805. Flight level is 5400 m. Fuel endurance is 3 h. |
| 8816 1800 | 26855 QQM XLLS 1806 k | 26855 will land in XLLS at 1806z. |
| 8816 2005 | 26855 QTO 1950 QRD XMKK XLLS QRE ULOL 2100 QAH 5400 k | 26855 is airborne since 1950z on his way back to XMKK. |
4. AC Position Reports
Sometimes the aircafts report their position:
QTH 59112140 which means: 59N11 21E40
QTH 56441954 which means: 56N44 19E54
(both samples from a log of MPJ at UDXF group)
5. Air Transport Units
| Fleet | Naval Air Transport Unit: | HQ in: |
| Baltic Fleet | 398th Indep. Air Transport Sq. | Khrabrovo |
| Northern Fleet | 403rd Separate Mixed Aviation Rgt. | Severomorsk-1 |
| Black Sea Fleet. | 917th Indep. Composite Air Rgt. | Kacha |
| Pacific Fleet | 71st Indep. Mil. Transport Sq. | Nikolayevka, Primorskaya. |
6. Aircrafts
Two aircrafts, widely used in Naval Air Transport are the An-24 COKE (left) and the Be-12 (right).
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