Legacy Radio Waiver Policy and Procedures

1. PURPOSE. THIS IS A HQMC C4, MCCDC, AND MCSC
COORDINATED MESSAGE. THE PURPOSE OF THIS MESSAGE IS TO DISSEMINATE
INFORMATION REGARDING THE LEGACY RADIO WAIVER PROCESS. THE LEGACY
RADIO WAIVER PROCESS IS DESIGNED TO PROTECT JOINT/DOD INVESTMENT IN
FUTURE CAPABILITIES SETS WITHOUT HINDERING TODAY'S OPERATIONAL
CAPABILITIES. 
2. BACKGROUND. JOINT TACTICAL RADIO SYSTEM (JTRS) IS A
CONGRESSIONAL INTEREST, DOD TRANSFORMATIONAL TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM TO
DEVELOP A FAMILY OF SOFTWARE-REPROGRAMMABLE, HARDWARE CONFIGURABLE
DIGITAL RADIO SYSTEMS THAT WILL UTILIZE SOFTWARE COMMUNICATIONS
ARCHITECTURE TO PROVIDE INTEROPERABILITY WITH EXISTING LEGACY RADIO
SYSTEMS AND ESTABLISH A FOUNDATION FOR TACTICAL IP NETWORK
OPERATIONS. THROUGH SOFTWARE, JTRS IS BACKWARDS COMPATIBLE WITH 32
LEGACY WAVEFORMS TO INCLUDE (BUT NOT LIMITED TO): SINCGARS, HAVE
QUICK II, EPLRS, UHF DAMA SATCOM, AND HF (ALE). NEW CAPABILITIES
WILL INCLUDE THE WIDEBAND NETWORKING WAVEFORM (WNW) WITH MOBILE
AD-HOC NETWORKING TO PROVIDE WIDEBAND IP CONNECTIVITY TO THE LAST
TACTICAL MILE. JTRS WILL FORM THE TACTICAL EXTENSION OF THE
TRANSFORMATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS ARCHITECTURE (TCA) TO ACCESS THE
SERVICES OF THE GLOBAL INFORMATION GRID (GIG), AND TOGETHER WILL
ENABLE EXECUTION OF NET-CENTRIC OPERATIONS AND WARFARE (NCOW). IN
SUPPORT OF THIS EFFORT REFS (A) AND (B) ESTABLISHED A MORATORIUM ON
THE INDEPENDENT DEVELOPMENT, ACQUISITION, OR MODIFICATION OF RADIOS
TERMINALS, OR OTHER COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS WHICH USE OVER-THE-AIR
RADIO FREQUENCY (RF) ENERGY (2 MHZ TO 2 GHZ). REFERENCE (C) EXTENDS
THIS POLICY TO ALL SUCH SYSTEMS ABOVE 2 GHZ. SUBJECT TO EXCLUSIONS
CONTAINED IN PARA 5 OF THIS MESSAGE, ACQUISITION OF ANY RF SYSTEM
ABOVE 2 MHZ REQUIRE A WAIVER FROM THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF
DEFENSE, NETWORKS AND INFORMATION INTEGRATION (ASD (NII)). 
3. PER THE ESTABLISHED DOD POLICIES, MARINE FORCES WILL NOT PROCURE
RF SYSTEMS ABOVE 2 MHZ WITHOUT WRITTEN APPROVAL FROM ASD (NII). 
CONTRACTING OFFICERS ACTING ON THE AUTHORITY OF THE MARINE CORPS
SHALL ALSO ABIDE BY THIS POLICY. UNITS IDENTIFYING RF COMMUNICATION
NEEDS SHOULD FOLLOW ONE OF THE PROCEDURES OUTLINED IN PARA 3.1
THROUGH 3.3. ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE IS AVAILABLE AT THE HQMC C4 WEB
SITE (LISTED IN PARA 4), OR FROM HQMC C4 STRATEGIC PLANNING (DSN
223-3468).
3.1 UNS: OPERATING FORCES IDENTIFYING OPERATIONAL ENHANCEMENT
OPPORTUNITIES OR CAPABILITY DEFICIENCIES ARE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT A
UNIVERSAL NEEDS STATEMENT (UNS) VIA THEIR CHAIN OF COMMAND TO THE
DEPUTY COMMANDANT FOR COMBAT DEVELOPMENT (DC, CD). DC, CD, WILL
CONDUCT A DOTMLPF ASSESSMENT AND WILL, IF NECESSARY, PRESENT THE
RESPONSIBLE ADVOCATE'S POSITION CONCERNING THE UNS TO THE MARINE
REQUIREMENTS OVERSIGHT COUNCIL (MROC) FOR APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL. 
THE UNS FORM CAN BE DOWNLOADED AT HTTPS:SLASH SLASH
WWW.CDTS.MARCORSYSCOM.USMC.MIL/LOGIN.NSF/UNS?OPENPAGE.
3.2 URGENT UNS: OPERATING FORCES IDENTIFYING IMMEDIATE
REQUIREMENTS IN SUPPORT OF THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR SHOULD SUBMIT AN
URGENT UNS TO EXPEDITE PROCESSING. COORDINATION WITH THE SUPPORTED
COCOM J6 IS ENCOURAGED TO FACILITATE JOINT STAFF J6 VALIDATION OF
THE ASSIGNED MISSION/TASK. FAILURE TO DO SO COULD RESULT IN DELAYS.
ASD (NII) WILL EXPEDITE URGENT WAIVER REQUESTS.
3.3 LOCALLY FUNDED PROCUREMENT REQUEST: OPERATING FORCES WHO WISH
TO PURCHASE LEGACY RF SYSTEMS WITH LOCAL FUNDS ARE NOT EXEMPT FROM
THE LEGACY RADIO WAIVER PROCESS. REQUESTING UNITS SHOULD WORK WITH
THE MCSC JTRS PROJECT OFFICER TO COMPLETE A LEGACY RADIO WAIVER
QUESTIONNAIRE. POC: CAPT CHAPMAN, DSN 378-4360. LEGACY RADIO
WAIVER QUESTIONNAIRES ARE AVAILABLE AT THE HQMC C4 WEB SITE. 
3.4 UPON VALIDATION OF A NEED, A WAIVER REQUEST WILL BE SUBMITTED
TO ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, NETWORKING AND INFORMATION
INTEGRATION (ASD (NII)) FROM THE CG, MCSC VIA MCCDC, HQMC C4, AND
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE NAVY, RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT AND
ACQUISITION (DASN (RDA)). ONCE ENDORSED BY THE DASN (RDA), THE
WAIVER IS CONCURRENTLY FORWARDED TO ASD (NII), THE JOINT STAFF J6,
THE JTRS JOINT PROGRAM OFFICE (JPO), AND THE UNDER SECRETARY OF
DEFENSE, ACQUISITION TECHNOLOGY AND LOGISTICS (USD(AT&L)) FOR REVIEW
AND ENDORSEMENT. ASD (NII) WILL ANNOUNCE WAIVER HEARINGS AS
NECESSARY AND MAINTAINS FINAL APPROVAL AUTHORITY FOR ALL LEGACY
RADIO WAIVERS. 
3.5 UPON WAIVER APPROVAL, PURCHASES SHOULD BE COORDINATED THROUGH
PM COMM, MCSC. MCSC IS THE CENTRAL PROCURING AUTHORITY FOR RADIO
SYSTEMS.
3.6 RADIOS AS A SUBCOMPONENT OF A CAPABILITY ARE NOT EXEMPT FROM
THE WAIVER PROCESS. 
3.7 RADIOS PROCURED FOR SYSTEM DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT AS PART OF A
MARINE CORPS ACQUISITION PROGRAM ARE NOT EXEMPT FROM THE WAIVER
PROCESS. FAILURE TO SUBMIT LEGACY RADIOS WAIVER REQUESTS COULD
POTENTIALLY DELAY MILESTONE DECISIONS.
4. WAIVER FORMS AND EXAMPLES OF LEGACY WAIVERS FOR FREQUENTLY
REQUESTED TERMINALS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE HQMC C4 WEB SITE,
HTTP:SLASH SLASH HQDOD.HQMC.USMC.MIL/C4/JTRS.ASP. OPERATING FORCES
REQUESTING RF EQUIPMENT PURCHASES SHOULD REVIEW THESE EXAMPLES IN
CONJUNCTION WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE UNS OR LEGACY RADIO WAIVER
REQUEST. 
5. EXCLUSIONS. IN ACCORDANCE WITH REF (D), ENTERPRISE LAND MOBILE
RADIOS (ELMR) INTENDED FOR NON-TACTICAL GARRISON USE ARE EXEMPT FROM
THE LEGACY RADIO WAIVER REQUIREMENT. ELMR ARE SUBJECT TO THE
EXISTING IT PROCUREMENT APPROVAL PROCESS OVERSEEN BY DIRECTOR, C4,
IN ACCORDANCE WITH MROC DECISION MEMORANDUM 37-2002.