11th Corps Signal Brigade participates in Noble Skywave 2026

FORT HOOD, Texas — Soldiers assigned to the 11th Corps Signal Brigade tested their high-frequency (HF) communications capabilities from Fort Hood, Texas… FORT HOOD, Texas — Soldiers assigned to the 11th Corps Signal Brigade tested their high-frequency (HF) communications capabilities from Fort Hood, Texas during Noble Skywave, an international radio competition held Oct. 20-22, 2026. Hosted by the Canadian Armed Forces, the 54-hour global competition challenged military and civilian communicators to establish as many successful long-distance radio connections as possible using single sideband (SSB), second-generation automatic link establishment (2G ALE) and third-generation automatic link establishment (3G ALE) technologies. The competition gave Soldiers an opportunity to practice alternative communication methods that can help maintain connectivity when primary systems are unavailable or degraded.

Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew Helmer, the 11th Corps Signal Brigade command sergeant major, emphasized the importance of HF communications as part of a primary, alternate, contingency and emergency (PACE) plan during large-scale combat operations (LSCO). “The competition provides us, the communicators, with a venue to train on our HF capabilities and some of our transport PACE options,” said Helmer. “If everything goes out in a LSCO fight, what you have is HF secure, reliable, long haul communications.” HF radios can transmit voice and data over long distances, providing another means for Soldiers to communicate when satellite communications and other