The Tactical Frequency Management Problem is an example of the general Consistent Labelling Search Problem where frequencies and other communications data need to be assigned to mobile radio users in a dense deployment on a daily basis, such that the resulting mutual Electromagnetic Interference is minimised. This paper presents a qualitative description of three quite different methods for solving this problem. The first is based on the manual procedure historically used by communications planners. The second is based on a classical heuristic search algorithm employing backtracking and forward checking—a typical Artificial Intelligence approach. The third approach uses an algorithm which is a mathematical analogue to the physical process of annealing a molten metal—heating it and then cooling it so as to let it crystallise into its lowest energy state.