CHAPTER 3
EMISSION CONTROL
Upon completing this chapter, you should be able to do the following
Identify EMCON and the procedures, including criteria, objectives,
notification, and authority to set EMCON conditions both at sea and ashore.
Identify the procedures, including criteria and actuation of HERO
conditions.
Identify alternate methods of communication during HERO and EMCON
conditions, including electronic systems UHF AUTOCAT, SATCAT, and
MIDDLEMAN and non-electronic relay systems PIGEON POST and BEAN
BAG.
Emission control (EMCON) is the management of
electromagnetic and acoustic emissions. EMCON is
used to prevent an enemy from detecting, identifying,
and locating friendly forces. It is also used to minimize
electromagnetic interference among friendly systems.
EMCON is normally imposed by the electronic warfare
coordinator (EWC) to control all electromagnetic
radiations. Once EMCON is imposed, general or
specific restrictions may be added to the EMCON order,
depending on the operational, intelligence, or technical
factors for the area affected.
For radiomen, EMCON usually means either full
radio silence or HF EMCON. The most secure
communications methods during EMCON reduce, but
do not eliminate, the possibility of identification. It is
assumed that any electromagnetic radiation will be
immediately detected and the position of the
transmitting ship will be fixed by an enemy. You will
find detailed information on the implementation of
EMCON and its degree of adjustment in Fleet
Communications, NTP 4, and Electronic Warfare
Coordination, NWP 10140 (NWP 3-51.1).
SETTING EMCON CONDITIONS
Setting EMCON requires four basic steps: criteria,
objectives, notification, and authority. Details of these
steps are found in the above listed publications. Basic
requirements are listed below.
CRITERIA
To react to EMCON changes, each ship will prepare
an EMCON bill that provides for implementing the
EMCON condition in effect by:
Outlining planning considerations for
establishing the appropriate shipboard emitter
status
Assigning specific duties and responsibilities to
personnel who control electromagnetic or
acoustic emitters
Establishing an EMCON control center with
overall responsibility for shipboard emitter
radiation status
Designating intermediate control stations as
required through which specific equipment is
controlled
Designating individual responsibility for each
shipboard emitter
Providing procedures for intraship reporting,
verification (check off) of emitter status, and
monitoring of own ship’s emitter status.
OBJECTIVES
The objectives of EMCON are to deny the enemy
any way that it may locate your position, to support the
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