AUSTRALIAN RATEL | Prowords
- D. M. Wright
- May 13
- 4 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
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WHAT ARE PROWORDS?
RATEL prowords are standard words or phrases used in military voice communications to ensure secure, accurate, and disciplined radio transmissions. They enhance brevity, reduce confusion, and are critical for secure communication.
THE MOST COMMON AUSTRALIAN RATEL PROWORDS
ROGER
I have received your last transmission satisfactorily.
Do not use 'ROGER THAT'. Nor 'COPY THAT'. Nor anything 'THAT'. You're wasting radio time. RATEL is about being precise and brief.
'COPY' is American, not Australian.
WILCO
I have received your message, understood it and will comply with your order/request.
OVER
This is the end of my transmission to you, and a response from you is necessary.
OUT
This is the end of my transmission to you, and no further response from you is required.
Do not use 'OVER AND OUT'. You either want the other person to respond after you or you don't. It's either 'Over' or 'Out'. Not both.
BREAK
Message begins or ends.
THIS IS
This indicated identity of the calling callsign.
SEND
I am ready to receive your message.
YES and NO
'YES' means yes. 'NO' means no.
Do not use 'AFFIRMATIVE' or 'NEGATIVE'. RATEL is brief.
I SAY AGAIN
This is used by the sending callsign when making repetitions for emphasis, or response to a request to say it again.
SAY AGAIN
Please repeat your last transmission.
Do not use 'REPEAT'. This means you want artillery to fire again.
WAIT
I must pause for up to five seconds before replying. No other callsigns may transmit until I return.
If you need more time, say 'WAIT' again to restart the five second clock.
WAIT ONE
I must pause for a minute and will call you back.
WAIT OUT
I have received your transmission. A further transmission on the same subject will follow later (but I need more time before I can respond properly). Other callsigns may continue transmitting.
RADIO CHECK
What is my signal strength / readability?
READ BACK
Repeat this message back to me.
CORRECTION
An error has been made in this transmission. Here is the correct information.
NODUFF
This is a real incident. Not a drill.
I SPELL
I will spell the next word phonetically.
MESSAGE
A message follows which requires recording.
OTHER COMMON PROWORDS
ACKNOWLEDGE
This is an instruction to the callsign on the net to acknowledge that it has heard a message which might not have been specifically addressed to it.
ALL BEFORE or ALL AFTER
This is used with reference to a catchword or phrase when requesting or giving repetitions or corrections.
WORD BEFORE or WORD AFTER
This is used to identity part of the message.
ANSWER AFTER
This is used to instruct a callsign that joins an established net the order in which to answer calls.
ASSUME CONTROL
This is an order to a callsign to assume control of the net.
CALL SIGN(S)
Call-sign follows.
CANCEL
Cancel the message or part of the transmission.
CLOSE DOWN
Callsigns are called to close down when indicated. Acknowledgements are required.
CLOSING DOWN
'May I close down (until...)'
CORRECT
You are correct, or what you have transmitted is correct.
DISREGARD THIS TRANSMISSION
This is used to cancel a message or transmission.
DO NOT ANSWER
This is used when it is imperative that the called callsigns do not answer a transmission. When this proword is used, the transmission is to end with the proword 'Out'.
EXEMPT
The callsigns that follow are excluded from a collective or all-callsigns call.
FETCH
This is used in conjunction with an appointment titles to indicate who the called wants to speak to.
FIGURES
This is used before sending numbers digit by digit. This is not to be used for callsigns, grid references, time checks and date-time groups.
Instead of saying, 'Sending you 408 (objects)', you say, 'Sending you figures four-zero-eight'.
FROM
This is used by a relaying callsign to indicate the callsign originating the message.
GRID
This is used before any grid reference.
I AM ASSUMING CONTROL
This is used when a callsign takes over the net.
VERIFY
This is a request a callsign asks of another to verify their information.
I VERIFY
That which follows has been verified at your request. This is used as a response to 'VERIFY'.
LONG MESSAGE
A long message follows (which will take more than 30 seconds to transmit).
NOTHING HEARD
This is an indication that no response has been received from a particular callsign.
OUT TO YOU
This is the end of my transmission to you, and no reply is expected. I will now call another callsign. No other callsign may interrupt.
RELAY THROUGH
This is an instruction to a callsign to relay a message through another.
REPORT STRENGTHS AND READIBILITY
This is a call by the NCS* for all callsigns to report how they hear one another.
*An NCS is a Net Control Station. It is the station designated to be in charge or all communications within a specific radio net (a group of stations operating on the same frequency.
SILENCE, SILENCE, SILENCE
Cease all transmissions on this net immediately.
SILENCE LIFTED
Radio silence has been lifted.
SPEAKING
This is used in conjunction with an appointment title to indicate who is speaking.
THROUGH ME
This is an invitation by a callsign to relay through them.
UNKNOWN CALLSIGN
The identity of the callsign I am calling is not known to me.
USE FULL PROCEDURE
Full RATEL procedure is to be used.
WRONG
What has been said is wrong. The correct version is...
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