Link 16 is a type of
military tactical data exchange network used by
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It's
standard specification is part of the family of
Tactical Data Links (TDLs).
With Link 16,
military aircraft as well as
ships and ground forces may exchange their tactical picture in near-real time. Link 16 also supports the exchange of text messages, imagery data and provides two channels of digital voice (2.4 kbit/s and/or 16 kbit/s in any combination). Link 16 is defined as one of the digital services of the Multifunctional Information Distribution System (
MIDS) in the
NATO Standardization Agreement STANAG 5516. MIL-STD-6016 is the related
United States Department of Defense Link-16 standard.
It is a
TDMA-based
secure, jam-resistant high-speed
digital data link which operates over-the-air in the
L band portion (969–1206 MHz) of the
UHF spectrum. By definition, this limits the exchange of information to users within line-of-sight of one another, although recently emerging technologies provide the means to pass Link 16 data over various long-haul protocols such as
TCP/IP and UHF SATCOM. It uses the transmission characteristics and
protocols, conventions, and fixed-length (
TADIL-J) or variable length(
VMF) message formats defined by MIL-STD 6016, STANAG 5516 (formerly the
JTIDS technical interface design plan). Information is typically passed at one of three
data rates: 31.6, 57.6 or 115.2
kilobits per second, although the radios and waveform itself can support throughputs upwards of 238 kbit/s.
Link 16 information is primarily coded in so called
J.-series messages, i.e.
binary data words with well-defined meanings. These data words are grouped in
functional areas, and allocated to
network participation groups (virtual nets), most importantly:
- PPLI, or Precise Participant Location and Identification (network participation groups 5 and 6),
- Surveillance (network participation group 7),
- Command (Mission Management/Weapons Coordination) (network participation group 8),
- (Aircraft) Control (network participation group 9)
- Electronic Warfare & Coordination (network participation group 10).
Link 16 is intended to replace or augment many existing (or legacy)
Tactical Data Links (TDLs) as the NATO standard for
data link information exchange. Link 16 equipment will be located in ground, airborne, and sea-based
air defense platforms and selected
fighter aircraft. The U.S. industry is now developing a new Link-16 SCA compliant radio
MIDS-JTRS which currently is projected to implement nine various tactical waveforms, including Link 16.
Some examples of platforms currently using the Link 16 capability are:
F/A-18 Hornet,
F-15 Eagle,
F-16 Fighting Falcon,
Eurofighter Typhoon,
Dassault Rafale,
Panavia Tornado, U.S.
carrier battle groups,
E-2C Hawkeye, French, Spanish, Norwegian and German
frigates, Greek
Embraer R-99A Airborne Early Warning & Control aircraft,
E-3 Sentry,
E-8 Joint STARS,
Boeing RC-135 Rivet Joint,
MIM-104 Patriot,
Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD),
Short Range Air Defense (SHORAD),
Joint Data Network (JDN),
Joint Tactical Ground Station (JTAGS), and Joint Land Attack/Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensors (JLENS). The U.S. Army is also integrating Link 16 into select
command and control (C2) elements of its
UH-60 Black Hawk fleet, and intends to pursue future fielding to
AH-64 Apache and other aviation assets.
The MIDS program is managed by the International Program Office located in
San Diego,
California. In the United States, the lead Air Force command for the MIL-STD-6016 standard, plans, and requirements is the
Air Force Global Cyberspace Integration Center at
Langley AFB, with JTIDS program execution managed by the
653d Electronic Systems Wing at
Hanscom AFB near
Boston,
Massachusetts. The MIL-STD-6016 Standard
configuration management custodian is the
Defense Information Systems Agency.
See also
