Dear Editor,
I recently investigated an issue with an AN/TSC-154A Secure Mobile Anti-Jam Reliable Terminal-Tactical—SMART-T. It had a digital data transmitter—a DDT—and cable damaged during antenna stowage.
This happened because the ground rod cover door was left open during antenna stowage, which allowed the door to catch on the RF-IN cable to the SMART-T’s DDT.
The end result was a broken cable at the DDT’s cannon plug connector.
Unfortunately, it isn’t the first time I’ve seen this happen. It’ll be a problem until units ensure that all operators are properly trained.
Soldiers need to know the extent of damage this door can cause if left open. When the DDT is damaged, the mission stops until the DDT is changed out. Plus, it’s costly to fix,
as each DDT costs nearly $200,000.
Continuous checks and corrections can help prevent the problem. It’s up to operators and each Soldier’s supervisor to train and to check for proper antenna stowage and
deployment.
Joe Sheffield, LHT LAR
JBLM, WA
Editor’s Note:
Consider the message transmitted, Joe.