Why do we need special forces callsigns? Who invented them? We will answer these and many other questions in the article. The call sign (PSO, call sign recognition) in radio communication is the identifier that identifies the radio transmitter. As a rule, this is a set of numbers, letters, a musical phrase or a meaningful word sent at the beginning of a communication session and necessary to identify the radio station with the receiving object.
PSO is attributed to the transmitter by the communications leadership of the state to which it belongs. Callsigns are nicknames (nicknames) for radio stations, and for radio amateurs - specific negotiators.
Call signs of the military
Have you ever seen the Call Table of Officials? This is a reference document containing a list of communication centers, interaction stations of ships and aircraft, units, commanders and other employees, as well as the callsigns assigned to them (conditional combinations, numbers, letters) in order to hide from the enemy their true names when transmitting information by technical means of communication.
Our military has long studied voice communication through communication channels. They were able to find those words that are most convenient to use on the air, taking into account the interference and phonetics of the Russian language.
For many of the guys, the call sign was not provided for. Therefore, either they have to invent them on their own, or the commanders give them middle names. Some fighters who received callsigns from the table say that they would have composed them with pleasure.
Radiocommunication services
What are special forces callsigns? They are created on the basis of the PSO radio. Radio transmitters related to the broadcasting service use the names of the media in the form of PSO. If necessary, they sometimes indicate the nominal values of the radio frequencies.
In the amateur radio service, the JI is more informative. It is a combination of numbers and letters of the Latin alphabet, which includes from three to six characters. The amateurish call sign is always exceptional. There are directories and databases containing additional information about the PCP host. The amateur radio operator is obliged to inform his PSO at the beginning of the session and to repeat it systematically during prolonged radio communications. At the same time, many seek to increase intelligibility with the help of the phonetic alphabet. What it is?
This is a standardized way of reading out the letters of the alphabet. It is used in radio communications when transmitting words, callsigns, abbreviations, email addresses, and the like, which are difficult to perceive by ear, in order to reduce the number of errors.
Service Specifics
What is common between the call sign of a special forces soldier and the nickname of an agent? Both the first and second are an alias. Interestingly, it is under an assumed name that very often the hero of the special forces achieves fame. These are the principles of service.
In general, very often any nickname or nickname depends on the person’s surname. The middle name may also correspond to the actions or occupation of the fighter. Special Forces callsigns in radio communication can be either nicknames or names pre-invented by the command. Many say that choosing a middle name does not always depend on professions and surnames. The battalion may have a single call sign, and its units and their commanders - serial numbers. For example, the call sign "Agat" can be modified as "Agat-1" (company commander), "Agat-2" (lock-lock), "Agat-8" (battalion medical officer). Such a system, in principle, works great on a stationary facility.
And what do the special forces call signs look like when the battle is going on? Here everyone is called either by nicknames or by name (if there are no nicknames). Because of the habit, many people get confused in the callsigns: it is not known who "Amethyst-1" and who is "Amethyst-2". Many call each other by specific nicknames. For example, “Mole”, “Crucian”, “Khmyr” and so on.
What other norms have the military come up with? Spetsnaz callsigns are sometimes assigned according to the personal characteristics of the soldier or his specialty, often from a reduction in surname, name and patronymic. There are different nuances …
Intercept
Many fighters believe that in combat conditions callsigns should be treated carefully. Maybe there should be a little personal in them. For example, intercepting the "Czech" radio, the military even set up the callsigns. But what if the adversary is also familiar with such a system?
And what is this methodology for identifying “travel routes” by callsign? And they simply knew, for example, that Temuchin was from Churek-Martan, and Swimmer was from Babai-Yurt. By radio, the fighter intercepts the message: “First, let's go to the Swimmer and sit with him for a day. At night we go to Temuchin. At this passage they are met.
“Swimmer” was the first guy in the village, and “Temuchin” was known as a music fan, turned a disco of the 80s. For which he received his pseudonym.
Online translators worked in real time only when interacting with artillery and aviation. SpN received transcripts of intercepts two days ago, but this was enough for analysts. The operation was carried out in the form of an ambush.
There are no such analysts in the armies of the likely enemy (and this is about 98 countries). They think that the call sign "Kuzya" came from the surname Kuznetsov. The meanings of the words “seeds 7.62”, “castle”, “tuber”, “cucumbers” are indicated in foreign dictionaries of the army of Russian jargon. In general, many soldiers are thinking about how to secure their airwaves.
It is known that Richard Sorge (Soviet intelligence agent from 1929 to 1944) had the call sign “Ramzai”, Lev Borisovich (German communist, GRU officer, Comintern agent, executed) - “Alex”, Richard Wennikas (GRU resident in Finland, Estonian) - “Bergman”.
Of course, when there are powerful shelling, many forget about nicknames and shout in plain text. It must be added that these middle names are different. The same fighter may have a nickname, for example, “bespectacled man”, and the call sign is completely different.
Description
Many people are interested in knowing what the elite troops are like, how the soldiers who serve in them, pick up the callsigns, where they use them, the selection rules, the specifics … Many say that the letter “P” must be present in the PSO, since it is clearly heard when interference. Callsigns of officials consist of three-digit numbers. They are all described in a background document (TPDL).
The second names of the commanders, their deputies and heads of units, headquarters and units are created from a noun and a number (1-3 digits). They are indicated in the radio data of the division. For example, "Willow-163", "Spruce-4."
The call sign of the control room communication node is a noun. For example, “Focus”, “Ash”. Two sets of call signs are always created - the primary and the spare. The entire procedure for their appointment, as well as the governing documents, are described in the “Manual on the formation of communications in the NE”.
Battalion units do not have their own means of communication, and even call signs are not allocated to units. Therefore, they are appointed only by platoon commanders.
Specialists, as a rule, use primitive schemes. For example, the main one has the call sign “Wing”, and the main group - “Falcon”. Only one or two-syllable words are used, since long nicknames are difficult to pronounce in battle.
Some elite troops use American standard callsigns. In this case, the first letter of the last name in the phonetic Latin alphabet is used: B - bravo, C - Charlie, and so on. The number is then added when the first letters of the surname match. For example, Foxtrot-1, Sierra-2.
In the Russian troops, the callsigns of unit group commanders are very often selected according to the person’s personal qualities - “Leshiy-1”, “Goby-1”, “Condor-1”. If there are few groups, proper names are applied. Very often they use the call sign of the unit with any additional number except one.
Tips
Many fighters say that callsigns should not be created by changing the name and should be easily kept in memory, and it is also impossible for them to reflect the person’s external personal attributes. They argue that most often the second name is the nickname (nickname) of a fighter in everyday life.
Numerical and digital callsigns are usually found in exercises when there are many superiors and observers. It is known that there was an officer of the Ministry of Internal Affairs who fought in Chechnya with the call sign “200” (two hundredth).
Many fighters say that their PSO was invented by the command and changed every three months, and they created nicknames on their own in accordance with personal qualities or surnames.
Fighters also testify that call signs and nicknames are two different things. After all, the TPDL (table of call signs of the officials) that the communication provided to them was completely digital.
In general, callsigns and nicknames are operational aliases. They are formed in completely different ways. But behind every such sign there is a real person, whose fate may interest not only historians or experts, but also anyone who cares.
Gyurza
It is known that the call sign "Gyurza" at the time had Efentyev Alexei Viktorovich. Who is he? This is a Russian and Soviet officer who performed combat missions in Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Nagorno-Karabakh, Kosovo and Chechnya. He successfully carried out his work and for personal courage, this lieutenant colonel of the reserve was introduced to the title of Hero of the Russian Federation, but he was never awarded.
His call sign "Gyurza" during the First Chechen War was known to every resident of the republic. Efentiev made dozens of raids on the rear of the Dudaevites, stormed Bamut and released the Coordination Center surrounded in Grozny. During the last operation, Russian journalists and many top officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the army were rescued.
SpN units
What are special forces units? These are the battalions of the aviation, ground forces and navy, as well as the police, internal troops, and the gendarmerie, which were prepared according to a specific program and are necessary for special tasks using special means and tactics. It is known that call signs for special forces girls are picked in the same way as for boys - there are no differences.
"Cobra"
The call sign "Cobra" was Lieutenant Colonel Erkebek Abdulaev (special forces intelligence officer of the Vympel group of the KGB of the USSR). He published his own autobiography. In the special forces of the KGB of the USSR, such soldiers as he were called "stuntmen."
His biography is similar to the life of most Vympel officers, among whom were Russians, Belarusians, Ukrainians, Uzbeks, Kyrgyz, Azerbaijanis and Georgians, Koreans and Karelians. They all defended the interests of their homeland - performed one task. Each of them was faithful to his duty to the end, although they all had doubts, feelings, and resentment.
"Yakut"
Volodya-Yakut is a Russian fictional sniper, the hero of the eponymous urban myth of the First Chechen War, which became popular due to its high performance. It is believed that this sniper was called Kolotov Vladimir Maksimovich, although in the legend his name is Volodya. It is known that he was a hunter-fishery from Yakutia and had the call sign "Yakut".
