Spectrum Certification AND Supportability Risk: NOT JUST RADIO RED TAPE by JAMES ORTEGA
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Johnathan Davenport, radio frequency transmission NCO with the 131st Com- munications Squadron, observes his post during Northern Strike 25-2 at Fort Custer, Mich., Aug. 5, 2025. Michigan’s unique geography, airspace, ranges, and connection to the warfighting industry make it an ideal environment for all-domain training and operations. Source: U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Phoenix Lietch This image was cropped to show detail and was edited using multiple filters plus dodging and burn- ing techniques.
E very watt transmitted in one corner of a battlespace can degrade another mis- sion hundreds of miles away. The National Telecommunications and Informa- tion Administration (NTIA) manages this shared resource under strict statutory authority, and its annually updated Redbook underscores that spectrum stewardship is non-negotiable. Skipping certification puts U.S. systems at odds with domestic law and host-nation sovereignty. A program that ignores early spectrum planning risks undermining the very operational advantage it promises to deliver.
Three directives lock spectrum compliance into law. Office of Man- agement and Budget Circular A-11 re- quires programs to address certifica- tion before they even request funding. DoW Instruction 4650.01 forbids any
radio frequency (RF)-emitting system from passing Milestone B without both a spectrum certification and a spectrum supportability risk assess- ment (SSRA). Finally, NTIA’s Redbook details the engineering data needed
to prove coexistence with incumbent systems. None of these documents is advisory; each carries statutory force. Treating them as flexible only guaran- tees delays and cost growth when re- ality inevitably catches up.
34 | DEFENSE ACQUISITION | November-December 2025
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