scope:

Effective immediately, this instruction applies to the Office of the Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV), the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), the Commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC), and all U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps activities, installations, commands, and units.

Purpose.

Enabling access to the electromagnetic spectrum (spectrum) for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps is a complex, perpetual challenge requiring coordinated actions throughout the Department of the Navy (DON). The proliferation of wireless technologies continues to dramatically reduce the available spectrum to support Navy and Marine Corps forces globally. This trend is particularly acute for systems that operate in the radio frequency portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. The Department of the Navy recognizes that the "spectrum landscape" has changed dramatically within the last few decades not only from the increased commercial use of spectrum, but also from the requirement to conduct coalition and domestic support operations. To this end the Department recognizes that spectrum supportability and spectrum access are key enablers to successful Navy and Marine Corps net-centric operations. This instruction implements, within the DON and its military services, applicable provisions of references (a) through (i).

This instruction establishes and aligns DON responsibilities for the policy and management of electromagnetic spectrum with the Department of Defense (DoD) and the "Assignment of Responsibilities" identified in reference (i).