This article details SCATANA, a plan developed during the Cold War to manage air traffic and radio navigation aids in the event of a national emergency. It explains how the system worked to shut down civilian air travel and deny navigational information to potential enemies while ensuring the safety of existing flights.
The reliability of ham radio during emergencies makes them an excellent tool, he explained. Within an hour they were able to get someone in Sendai City to talk with them over the radio while others were unable to get through on overloaded phone lines.
"REPORTED BY AMATEUR RADIO"
Earlier Thursday, in a scene straight out of a disaster movie, residents were asked to approach ham radio operators at main intersections or visit local fire stations if they needed help.
