TDL System Integration
Abstract
Tactical Data Links (TDL) System Integration provides for the study, analysis, enhancement, development, integration, demonstration, joint/coalition/NATO interoperability exercises, costing, test, trials, and evaluation of TDL as a subset of the broader aerial layer network. TDLs are used in both peacetime and combat environments to exchange information such as character-oriented and fixed-formatted messages, data, radar tracks, target information, platform status, imagery, free-text messaging and command assignments. TDLs provide interoperability, local and global connectivity, and situational awareness to the user when training or fighting under rapidly changing operational conditions. TDLs increase mission effectiveness by providing enhanced air domain situational awareness, positive combat identification of aircraft in the network, fusion/correlation of on- and off-board sensor data, digital sharing of machine to machine target and threat information and, thereby, enabling time critical targeting and other mission assignment tasking. TDLs are used by all service, NATO, and coalition theater C2 elements, weapons platforms, and sensors. The number of Air Force platforms hosting TDLs has expanded from C2 aircraft (E-3, E-8, E-11A, EQ-4B, etc.) to the fighter, bomber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), tanker, airlift and other tactical fleets (F-15, F-16, F-22A, Rivet Joint, B-1, B-2, B-52, KC-46, etc.), as well as precision guided munitions. Utilization of TDLs in joint and international environments requires the integration of terminals into host platforms and interoperability of TDL networks across all deployed joint/Coalition/NATO platforms. USAF mandates require additional studies and analysis in order to meet frequency reprogramming and cryptographic requirements. High Capacity Backbone (HCB) effort implements an incremental approach for deploying resilient reach back connectivity to DISN services and in-theater rear echelon organizations through dedicated aerial gateways and opportunistic airborne nodes. The HCB Transport supports a robust deployable ground infrastructure required, through reach back, range extension and payload control. It will use an open system approach composed of non-proprietary government and commercial interface standards. Link 16 Enhancement will develop and field advanced signal processing capabilities on 4th and 5th generation platforms to address threats in the contested and highly contested environments. Efforts in this project include waveform and integration activities. Waveform: Waveform activities include, but are not limited to, enabling and supporting Joint Interoperability of Tactical Command and Control Systems (JINTACCS), joint/Coalition/ NATO Interoperability, Link 16 enhancements, and development of a next generation waveform and/or advanced tactical data link. Funding will provide training, logistics development, testing and certification of individual TDL implementations to joint/allied standards, establishment of service-wide network management procedures/ operations, and system-wide enhancements/testing, demonstration and experimentation. Integration: Integration activities include but are not limited to, Data Link Test Facility (DTF), MIDS JTRS, Air Force Participating Test Unit (AFPTU), Interoperable System Management and Requirements Transformation (iSMART), Network Centric Capability Assessment (NCCA), NATO interoperability, Coalition interoperability, , integration analysis of C2 of JALN, Combat Cloud, Protected Tactical Waveform (PTW), second generation Anti Jam(AJ) Tactical Ultra High Frequency(UHF) Radio for North Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO) (SATURN) and analysis of integration on platforms of existing TDN systems, system-of-systems analysis. Funding will ensure continued enhanced interoperability of Air Force/joint/Coalition/NATO assets through efforts such as early systems engineering for program requirements analysis and architectural design development/coordination of all TDN standards and management capabilities, configuration management, platform/system interoperability assessments, development of government reference architectures, integration of cyber technologies, interoperability certification testing, and flight testing, demonstration and experimentation. Activities also include studies, prototypes, analysis (engineering and cost), demonstrations and experiments to support both current program planning and execution and future program planning efforts for Tactical Data Networks (TDN), to include but not limited to development of joint concepts for C2, Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) follow-on analysis, advanced gateway planning, development/integration of Advanced Battle Management systems (ABMS) capabilities, across all aerial network and tactical data networks enterprise platforms including (but not limited to) E-11 Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN). Activities will also include joint/Coalition/NATO Interoperability that provides program office system engineering to support Foreign Military Sales (FMS). Agile Communications include the capability to share tactically significant information within/to/from highly contested environments in support of the Air Superiority 2030 Flight Plan. Agile Communication efforts provide for pre-Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) and development activities. Agile Communications supports the application of open standards & advanced apertures over an Enterprise-wide Aerial Network, enabling all platforms to share combat-relevant data/info to, from & within the Highly Contested Environment (HCE). This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to support, manage, execute, and deliver weapon system capabilities across the BACN platforms, aerial network, and tactical data network enterprise. The use of such programs funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program element 0605827F, 0605828F, 0605829F, 0605831F, 0605832F, 0605833F, 0605898F, 0606398F. In PY 0.9M was expended for civilian pay expenses in this program element, and in CY 0.9M is forecasted for civilian pay expenses in this program element.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Project
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2023
- Source ID
- 655050_0604281F_5_3600_PB_2023
Related Documents
- Root: Tactical Data Networks Enterprise
- Child Accomplishment: Tactical Data Networks (TDN) Integration
- Child Accomplishment: High Capacity Backbone (HCB)
- Child Accomplishment: Protected Tactical Waveform (PTW)
- Child Accomplishment: Agile Comms
- Child Accomplishment: Link 16 Enhancements
- Child Accomplishment: SFF/DACAS Modernization and System-of-Systems (SoS) Enterprise Integration
- Child Cost Item: 2a96db83956d631e0482138ff7af2752
- Child Cost Item: 39962e8dd3ce59eadb23714897a771d8
- Child Cost Item: 6bce70347a1050ccef45f82e21597456
- Child Cost Item: 4a64a66fe47ca4f9eaf088b075fec5ee
- Child Cost Item: cdbf5fb3b335246f87ea232916d3b4d1
- Child Cost Item: f9c9305472cf596ba149282ac59db60a
- Child Cost Item: 1e1b63ab713aef2b58cc4396f94434fa
- Child Cost Item: a04b3710b1b4ad02279de2d0e795e9b9
- Child Cost Item: 663ed3dcb1459f3d602c8a3702aaf0ae
- Child Cost Item: c478be90458ab1fccb06f3b0119205f7
- Child Cost Item: 254fe60450eaddb8f150b4bbfe9e5e81
- Child Cost Item: 5692c6c906544836a91379c7dd76adc8
- Child Cost Item: 65ee317ccdfd84466721e7bf055b85ab