scope:

This standard establishes mandatory requirements applicable to satellite communications (SATCOM) terminals required to access pre-assigned (PA) or demand-assigned (DA) user-to-user communications (UCOM) services that operate on either 5-kHz or 25-kHz ultra high frequency (UHF) SATCOM channels. The time-division multiple-access (TDMA) frame structure, timing requirements, and protocols for accessing the UCOM and overhead services are defined herein and represent the minimum requirements that must be implemented. Requirements in this standard may be exceeded by equipment developers to satisfy specific Department of Defense (DoD) requirements, provided interoperability is maintained. For example, the incorporation of additional standard and nonstandard interfaces is not precluded. MIL-STD-188-181 defines the modulation types and rates, forward error correction (FEC), interleaving, user-traffic communications security (COMSEC), and performance parameters that apply to the bursts employed for each transmission employed in this standard. MIL-STD-188-182 complements this standard by defining the orderwire (OW) messages and protocols required by a terminal to participate in UCOM services operating in demand-assigned multiple-access (DAMA) mode on 5-kHz and 25-kHz UHF SATCOM channels.