Aviation radio communication that operates in the HF band (roughly 3–30 MHz). HF is used for long-range, beyond-line-of-sight communication by bouncing signals off the ionosphere, making it especially useful over oceans, remote regions, or areas without VHF/UHF coverage.
Key characteristics:
- Very long range:
Signals can travel hundreds or thousands of miles by reflecting off the ionosphere, enabling contact far beyond the radio horizon. - Variable propagation:
Signal quality depends heavily on:- Time of day (day vs night)
- Solar activity
- Frequency selected inside the HF band
This makes HF less predictable than VHF/UHF.
- Use cases in aviation:
- Oceanic and remote-area ATC (airliners, long-range transports)
- Strategic military communications (command & control over large theaters)
- Backup communication when SATCOM or other links are unavailable
- Limitations:
- More static and noise than VHF/UHF
- Slower, less clear voice quality
- Requires careful frequency management and sometimes manual tuning to find a “good” band
Application in DCS World
Most DCS combat aircraft modules focus on VHF/UHF/FM radios and do not fully simulate HF long-range propagation. Some modules may include HF radio panels visually, but there is no ionospheric bounce model or realistic HF range behavior:
- HF in DCS typically behaves more like a simple line-of-sight radio if modeled at all.
- There is no true global, over-the-horizon comms the way real HF provides.
For training purposes in DCS, HF is best treated as real-world background knowledge: cadets should understand what HF is and where it fits in the spectrum, but expect most practical in-sim comms to be on VHF, UHF, and FM with SRS or the built-in radio system.