Four Army linguists risk exposure 10 kilometers from the front
By Miriam Adler ·
Linguists operate as biological processors on flat, exposed terrain near the front, using $24,000 electrical kits to stay silent while intercepting enemy signals.
The M-1078 Heavy Humvee is repurposed at the Tobyhanna Army Depot in Pennsylvania into something more than a utility vehicle. According to a program description from the FAS Intelligence Resource Program, the vehicle becomes the prime mover for the AN/TRQ-32A(V)2 "Teammate," a "mobile, groundbased electronic warfare signals intelligence (EW/SIGINT) asset."
In the sterile language of the program record, the Teammate is a tool for "tactical direction finding and intercept." It is designed to listen, to locate, and to relay. It does not operate in a vacuum; it is part of a "netted" operation, weaving together data from other Teammates and various other platforms to pinpoint the origin of an enemy signal. The document describes a world where the air is thick with frequency ranges—HF, VHF, and UHF—and the goal is to strip the invisibility from whoever is transmitting on the other side.
5 to 10 Km from FLOT
The record specifies a precise and precarious geography for the Teammate. It is to be deployed "5 to 10 Km from FLOT," the Forward Line of Own Troops. For those not steeped in military shorthand, this is the edge of the map, the narrow strip of land where the safety of the rear meets the volatility of the front.
To function, the system requires "level terrain with radio line-of-sight to enemy transmitters." This necessity dictates the movement of the crew. They cannot simply hide in a valley or tuck themselves behind a ridge; they must find the flat, exposed ground that allows the antennas to see the electronic horizon. The vulnerability is implicit. To achieve "accurate direction finding," the operators must position their Heavy Humvees in the very places where they are most likely to be spotted.
Document imagery from irp.fas.org From the files: irp.fas.org
4 x 98G (Linguists)
When the document lists the requirements for the system, it does not list people—it lists components. Under the heading "Crew," the record notes "4 x 98G (Linguists)."
This is where the technical specifications meet the human cost. The 98G is a military occupational specialty code, a numerical designation for the human ear and mind capable of translating an intercepted signal in real-time. In the eyes of the program description, these four individuals are as much a part of the kit as the antennas or the prime mover. They are the biological processors required to make the "intercept" meaningful.
There is a coldness to this accounting. The linguists are the ones who must sit in that Humvee, five to ten kilometers from the front line, listening to the voices of an adversary, waiting for the moment a signal becomes a target. The record does not mention their training, their stress, or their consent to operate in the open on level terrain; it simply lists them as the necessary crew for the AN/TRQ-32A(V)2 to function.
A $24,000 Electrical Kit
Precision surveillance requires power. The FAS record notes that technicians at the Tobyhanna Army Depot have been equipping Heavy Humvees with an "electrical environment kit" to handle the demands of newer satellites, radar, and C-E systems.
Each kit carries a price tag of $24,000. For this sum, the Army replaces a standard 200-amp alternator with a 400-amp alternator, doubling the vehicle's power capacity. The kit also includes a tachometer and an hour meter, allowing the operator to monitor the time and power consumed. There is a power interface box for circuit protection and a safety cut-off switch.
The purpose of this investment is specific: it allows the Humvees to "power a C-E system in the field without a generator." In the silence of the front line, a generator is a liability—a noisy, vibrating beacon that warns the enemy of a presence. By integrating the power source directly into the vehicle's electrical system, the Teammate can remain silent while it listens.
This is the reality of modern signal intelligence. It is a combination of high-voltage alternators, linguists reduced to codes, and the search for the flattest piece of ground within ten kilometers of the enemy. The Teammate does not work alone. It forms a network with the PRD-12 backup system, the TRAILBLAZER (TSQ-138), and the QUICKFIX (ALQ-151) to increase accuracy.
The loop is closed in the air. The EH-60A helicopter, fitted with the AN/ALQ-151 (V)2 Quick Fix equipment, utilizes a Host Interface Unit to connect with the All-Source Analysis System (ASAS) Tactical Commander's Analysis Center (TCAC), providing the final link for the Teammate's direction-finding data.