Oh, I wasn't familiar with the term. Once I saw "Russian MIGs" (Soviet M
iGs? - Actually Sukhois in both cases) in the text, I figured the rest of the article was just as accurate.
I hadn't given much thought to the HF angle, I'm sort of in an SSB and multichannel rut. One of these days I'll have to give the "ditty chasers" the respect they deserve.
It may be instructive, that the Russians did not try to call the aircraft on shortwave frequencies --- though they do indeed have as much that capability as do we.
I am given to understand, that during World War II, certain U.S. aircraft were equipped to broadcast by shortwave radio, all the way back to Washington, D.C., from anywhere around the globe, in order to send the most urgent messages where undersea cables could not do the job, and base stations were not big enough or were not set up.
From north Africa and the Mediterranean, B-17's with 15kw transmitters were used.
In films of the era, you'll see B-25 and B-25 bombers on raids, and among them on the way out, a B-17 that would turn for home before entering the target area.
Though I also understand that on a few occasions, the B-17's went along for the whole raid and broadcast the raid "live."
Heard inside the Pentagon, by a few listeners.