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Tactical data link
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<h2 id="change-of-terminology">Change of terminology</h2> <p>The term <i>tactical digital information link (TADIL)</i> was made obsolete (per <a href="/facts/Defense_Information_Systems_Agency/h0FJXnJj">DISA</a> guidance) and is now more commonly seen as <i>tactical data link (TDL)</i>. </p> <h2 id="tactical-data-link-character">Tactical data link character</h2> <p>TDLs are characterized by their standard message and transmission formats. This is usually written as <Message Format>/<Transmission Format>. </p> <h2 id="tdl-standards-in-nato">TDL standards in NATO</h2> <p>In NATO, tactical data link standards are being developed by the <i>Data Link Working Group (DLWG)</i> of the <i>Information Systems Sub-Committee (ISSC)</i> in line with the appropriate <a href="/facts/STANAG/rkXHBw4p">STANAG</a>. </p><p>In NATO, there exist tactical data link standards as follows: </p> Synopsis of TDL links<table><tbody><tr><th>Link No</th><th>STANAG</th><th>Working Title</th><th>Final title / description</th><th>Communi- cation</th><th>Gene-ration</th><th>Comments</th></tr><tr><td>1</td><td>5501</td><td>NATO data link between Air Defence Main Control Centres</td><td><a href="/facts/Link_1/I4e5BhjX">Link 1</a> – Tactical Data Exchange for Air Defence</td><td>Point-to-point</td><td>1st S–Series</td><td>Ground Link between <a href="/facts/NADGE/2NhaNUhg">NADGE</a> entities limited and not secure</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td></td><td>Radar to Control Centre Data Link</td><td></td><td></td><td>1st</td><td>Cancelled (includes in Link 1)</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td></td><td>Control Centre to higher HQ Data Links</td><td>SHOC Early Warning System</td><td>Point-to-point</td><td>1st</td><td>Slow Speed Warning Link from evaluation centres to <a href="/facts/Supreme_Headquarters_Allied_Powers_Europe/NbaGtA8f">SHAPE</a></td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>5504</td><td>Ground to Air Data Link</td><td><a href="/facts/Link_4/HfhlUPSz">Link 4</a> – TDL for the Control of <a href="/facts/Military_aircraft/hG80LP2F">Military aircraft</a></td><td>Point-to-point</td><td>1st C/R–Series</td><td>Compatible to US TADIL–C to be operated in NATO <a href="/facts/Ultra_high_frequency/S6XDUaDY">UHF</a> (225–400 <a href="/facts/MHz/6Wshj5qm">MHz</a>) <a href="/facts/Radio_frequency/aWku7h4R">RF</a> band</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td></td><td>Fast <a href="/facts/High_frequency/JmDJLR5I">HF</a> Automatic Link</td><td><a href="/facts/Broadcast/AV1f3dGy">Broadcast</a></td><td></td><td>1st</td><td>Cancelled (see Link 11)</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>5506 (Draft)</td><td>Missile Base to Control Centre Link</td><td>Link 6 – (NADGE Link) SAM Automatic Data Link</td><td>Point-to-point</td><td>1st</td><td>Draft STANAG (US MBDL, ATDL–1, PADIL)</td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>5507 (Draft)</td><td><a href="/facts/Air_traffic_control/G2cQebVb">ATC</a> / Defence Link</td><td>Link 7 – TDL for ATC</td><td>Point-to-point</td><td>1st</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td></td><td>HF Automatic Link</td><td></td><td>Broadcast</td><td>1st</td><td>Cancelled (see Link 1)</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td></td><td>SOC / <a href="/facts/Military_airbase/bDV5KnUR">Airbase</a> Link</td><td></td><td></td><td>1st</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>5510</td><td>Ship – Ship Link</td><td>Link 10 – Maritime Tactical Data Exchange</td><td>Broadcast</td><td>2nd M–Series</td><td>STANAG cancelled (was used by BE, NL and UK)</td></tr><tr><td>11</td><td>5511</td><td>Fast HF Automatic Link</td><td><a href="/facts/Link_11/d1cn5QMJ">Link 11</a> – Maritime Tactical Data Exchange</td><td>Broadcast</td><td>2nd M–Series</td><td>Compatible to US TADIL–A to be operated in the HF & NATO UHF RF bands</td></tr><tr><td>11B</td><td>5511 (Vol. II)</td><td></td><td>Link 11B – Tactical Data Exchange</td><td>Point-to-point</td><td>2nd M–Series</td><td>Compatible to the US TADIL–B Ground to Ground TDL</td></tr><tr><td>12</td><td></td><td>Fast HF Automatic Link</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Cancelled (see Link 11)</td></tr><tr><td>13</td><td></td><td>HF Automatic Link</td><td></td><td>Broadcast</td><td></td><td>Cancelled (see Link 11)</td></tr><tr><td>14</td><td>5514</td><td>Slow Semi–Automatic Link</td><td>Link 14 –Maritime TDL</td><td>Broadcast</td><td>1st D/M/S/E–Series</td><td>Ship–Ship & Ship–Shore (only few applications)</td></tr><tr><td>15</td><td></td><td>Slow Semi–Automatic Link</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Ship–Ship, Cancelled</td></tr><tr><td>16</td><td>5516</td><td>High Capacity, <a href="/facts/Electronic_countermeasures/fu0m3qqp">ECM</a> Resistant, Multifunctional, <a href="/facts/Time_division_multiple_access/ue5UzN7B">TDMA</a> Link</td><td><a href="/facts/Link_16/FFNNRHel">Link 16</a> – ECM Resistant Tactical Data Exchange</td><td>Broadcast</td><td>3rd J–Series</td><td>Compatible to US TADIL–J (STANAG 4175 – Technical Characteristics of <a href="/facts/Multifunctional_Information_Distribution_System/R4aRGa4K">MIDS</a>)</td></tr><tr><td>21</td><td>5521 (Draft)</td><td>Link in support of <a href="/facts/Air_Command_and_Control_System/1vSNa1XJ">ACCS</a> – (LISA)</td><td></td><td>Point-to-point</td><td>3rd J–Series</td><td>Under development (planned to replace Link 1 and Link 11B)</td></tr><tr><td>22</td><td>5522 (Draft)</td><td>NATO Improved Link 11 – (NILE)</td><td><a href="/facts/Link_22/a51rNEWB">Link 22</a></td><td></td><td>3rd J–Series</td><td>Under development (planned to replace Link 11)</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>5601</td><td>Standard for <a href="/facts/Interface_(computing)/zdfp8unT">Interface</a> of Data Links 1, 11, 11B, and 14 through a <a href="/facts/Data_buffer/tVy4j2Dc">buffer</a></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>see AdalP 12</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>5602</td><td><a href="/facts/SIMPLE_(military_communications_protocol)/jx92r4EF">Standard Interface for Multiple Platform Link Evaluation (SIMPLE)</a></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Enables transmission of J-Series (TADIL-J) messages over <a href="/facts/Internet_Protocol/Qq6VeEal">IP</a>-based protocols</td></tr><tr><td>MIL-STD-6020</td><td>5616</td><td>Standard for data forwarding between tactical data systems employing Links 11/11B and tactical data systems employing Link 16</td><td>MIL-STD-6020, DoD Interoperability Standard: Data Forwarding between TDLs</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>IJMS</td><td></td><td>ECM Resistant Communication System (ERCS)</td><td><a href="/facts/JTIDS/FqaJ3FT2">IJMS</a> – Interim <a href="/facts/JTIDS/FqaJ3FT2">JTIDS/MIDS</a> Message Specification</td><td>Broadcast</td><td>2nd, M–Series</td><td>Interim Data Link Standard to be replaced by Link 16</td></tr><tr><td>SADL</td><td></td><td>Situational Awareness Data Link</td><td>SADL – Situational Awareness Data Link</td><td>Broadcast</td><td>1st, K-Series 2nd, K/J–Series</td><td>Data link adopted from <a href="/facts/Enhanced_Position_Location_Reporting_System/CqVYMnwF">EPLRS</a> to provide A-10s and F-16s data link capability air-to-ground and air-to-air</td></tr></tbody></table> <p>Beyond NATO countries, NATO partner countries have also developed some degree of interoperability with these standards since the 2014 Partnership Interoperability Initiative.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Battlefield_Airborne_Communications_Node_(BACN)/boKkXt1T">BACN</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Global_Information_Grid/5KK7ejPl">Global Information Grid</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/F-22_cockpit/uGSDLBu9">Inter/Intra Flight Data Link (IFDL)</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/JREAP/MCe6B7ex">JREAP</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/MANDRIL/wwJGA94C">MANDRIL</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Multifunction_Advanced_Data_Link/1oFoxy7X">Multifunction Advanced Data Link</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Network_emulation/6tcTrr9W">Network emulation</a> for simulation / emulation of tactical data links</li> <li><a href="/facts/STANAG_5602/jx92r4EF">SIMPLE</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Tactical_Common_Data_Link/A1RyuAyG">Tactical Common Data Link</a></li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li>Federation of American Scientists <a href="http://www.fas.org/irp/program/disseminate/tadil.htm">TDL information page</a></li> <li>This article was originally based on public domain text from <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20060513232515/http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/lps24911/FM%203-52%2020020801.pdf">Army Airspace Command and Control in a Combat Zone</a>, Headquarters, Department of the Army, publication FM 3-52 (FM 100-103), August 2002</li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>"Partnership Interoperability Initiative". <a href="https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_132726.htm" target="_blank">https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_132726.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>