Long-Range (BLOS) range?

• A. 1500-3000 nautical miles
• B. 500-1000 nautical miles
• C. 100-500 nautical miles
• D. 3000-5000 nautical miles

Answer: (A)

Beyond Line of Sight communications let you reach beyond the visible radio horizon by using satellites or relay networks. The distance isn’t limited by the two horizons you’d calculate for direct radio links; instead, it depends on the link budget through the relay system, including satellites or high-altitude relay nodes.

For the Long-Range BLOS range used in this context, the typical operating span is about 1,500 to 3,000 nautical miles. This range reflects practical transoceanic or cross-area links enabled by satellite-assisted communication, where power, antenna gain, and satellite geometry allow messages to cover thousands of miles.

Shorter distances, like 500–1,000 or 100–500 nautical miles, fall closer to line-of-sight communications and don’t require the relay methods that enable BLOS. Extremely long ranges, such as 3,000–5,000 nautical miles, while possible in some systems, aren’t the standard figure used for this item’s BLOS range in typical Navy practice tests.