MIL-STD-188-242

Abstract

The purpose of this document is to promulgate technical design and engineering parameters in the form of mandatory system standards and optional design objectives that are considered necessary to ensure interoperability and to promote compatibility and commonality among tactical single channel very high frequency (VHF) radio equipment. It is also the purpose of this document to establish a level of performance of tactical single channel VHF radio equipment considered necessary to satisfy the requirements of a majority of users. The technical parameters promulgated by this document represent, in general, minimum interoperability and performance characteristics which may be exceeded in order to satisfy specific requirements. For example, other signal levels may be added to the minimum mandatory interoperability characteristics as stated in the note of 5.1.3.7. <br>Standards contained in this document have been based on measured performance of existing VHF radio equipment according to the definition of system standards as stated in Federal Standard (FED-STD) 1037. Consequently, it is not the purpose of this document to establish all standards considered necessary to ensure interoperability of future VHF radio equipment that is currently being designed and developed. However, this document provides guidance to the designers of future VHF radio equipment by standardizing the technical characteristics of existing VHF radio equipment to facilitate the necessary design decision required to achieve interoperability between existing and future VHF radio equipment. <br>It is not the purpose of this document to serve as a stand-alone, comprehensive reference containing all technical parameters and other details required for the design of new equipment or the preparation of specifications. Therefore, parameters for such items as size and weight limitations, connectors, cable assemblies, or power supplies are not contained in this document. These parameters and other design details have to be established, based on specific requirements, and have to be carefully tailored in accordance with the policies of DoD Directive (DoDD) 4120.21. <br>This document is not intended to be an engineering textbook or a reference handbook for VHF radio equipment. It is assumed that users of this document have a basic technical background in the design and engineering of VHF radio equipment. This document also is not intended to inhibit advances in communications technology. Such advances are encouraged by including designs objectives which should be achieved if economically feasible. Additionally, such advances are facilitated by standardizing upper or lower limits rather than fixed parameters values and by not specifying the technology that should be used in the design and development of VHF radio equipment to meet the required standards. <br>This document applies to the design and development of new single channel VHF radio equipment for tactical communications. This document applies also to the operation of existing single channel VHF radio equipment for tactical communications. In a few cases, reference is made to other documents which provide standards for specific applications. <br>The parameters and other requirements specified in this document are mandatory system standards (see Appendix A) if the word "shall" is used in connection with the parameter value or requirement under consideration. Nonmandatory design objectives are indicated by parentheses after a standardized parameter value or by the word "should" in connection with the parameter value or requirement under consideration. For a definition of the terms "System Standard" and "Design Objective" see FED-STD-1037.