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The Changing Air-Ground Tactical Data Link Environment – Small Link 16 Terminals are Changing Air SupportNew Classes of User TerminalsChanging Air Support Operations

Pete Camana and Mike KocinAdvanced SystemsViaSat

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Bottom Line Up Front

» Smaller Link 16 terminals are proliferating to satisfy user information needs in smaller platforms or dismounted

» These users are operating closer to the ground/surface and in today’s battlefields are involved in Air-to-Ground Operations (OPs)

› Proliferation of Link 16 is changing how many of the Missions are performed

› But the users must still interoperate with existing systems

» Close Air Support success has two critical components

› Deliver the right weapons onto the right target at the right time

› Avoid Fratricide and collateral damage

» Link 16 is helping to make this possible in a different way

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C2/SA Centric TADIL-J Link 16 Network

» Theater-wide Coverage of Situation Awareness (SA) and Command and Control (C2)

› C2 Aircraft/Ships and Sensor Sources distributing SA and C2 across the Battlespace

› Multitude of Sensor Information Correlated/Managed by C2 Platforms

› Precise Participant Location and ID updates to know where all the friendlies are

» High Importance of Fighter-to-Fighter (F-F) Target Sorting/Sharing

Very Effective in the all Digital Air Battle

Link 16 Network

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Air-to-Air is Well Scripted

» All Locations are relative and Link 16 transferred

› Geo-referenced only if there is an earth fixed user

» Threats, Targets, Friendly Positions all in the same coordinates

» Fighters share system targeting and tracking data

» All know where the targets, friendlies and threats are

» All know Fighter Capability from Status Messages

» All know who is targeted on what by monitoring Fighter-to-Fighter Link 16

Well Practiced

F-15C MPCD with Link 16

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Air-to-Ground Battle Has Been Different

» Dominated by Voice Command and Control

› Ground or Airborne Forward Air Controller Selected Target

› Called Forward Air Controller (FAC), Tactical Air Control Party (TACP), Joint Tactical Attack Controller (JTAC)…

› Confirmed target with Senior Authorities

› Collected Information on Weapons and Status from Possible Aircraft that could support Mission

› Coordinated Target to Aircraft Pilot by description/location

› Often Describing Controllers position and Target relative

� As seen/described from the Controller point of view

› Interaction to be assured Pilot targeting the same as Controller

� Transferring knowledge to Pilot’s point of view from above

� Hear it on the web: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnbQDq7GqCw

Many Instances of Missions not Successful

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Big Thrust to Digitally Aided CAS

» US DoD J6 Deputy Directorate for Command and Control Integration Joint Fires Division took on this Task

› Standardize the Applications of Variable Message Format (VMF)

MIL-STD-6017

› Standardize the Modem functions across MIL-STD-188-220

› Control the 9-Line Targeting message

» Mixture of Voice confirmation and digital data Transfer

» Translation of UTM Coordinates to Lat/Long used in A/C

» For a video example go to:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-w1_lMzybXQ

Saves Writing

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New Equipment is Merging Approaches

» Gateways to support Digitally Aided CAS have been deployed for years to Support Digital Translations

› USAF Air Support Operations Center (ASOC) Gateway provides translation to Link 16, Situation Awareness Data Link and VMF

» Battlefield Awareness Communications Node (BACN) and other Airborne gateways have provided the needed translations

» But with small terminals, Gateways are now deployed across the Battlespace

› USAF Tactical Air Control Party Transportable Gateway (TTG) is being procured

› SOCOM Move Out and Jump Off/Tactical Radio Application eXtension (MOJO/TRAX) is deployed

MOJO MOJO Mini TIGRBACN ASOC Gateway

Getting the Translation Close to the Fight

Battlefield AirborneCommunications Node

(BACN)Tactical Ground

Reporting SystemMove-Out and Jump-Off Move-Out and Jump-Off Air Support Operations

Center

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New Way To Do Digitally Aided CAS

» SOCOM JTACs are experimenting with doing CAS the way fighters do A-to-A

» SOCOM Field Computers and Terminals provide information for Link 16 Messages directly

› Or via a translator from Cursor-on-Target (CoT)

› Friendly Location Information in PPLI format (Digital Smoke)

› Target Locations are not in Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) but in Latitude and Longitude to Link 16 resolution

› Display Fighter Status, position and Targeting to assure exact agreement on Target

» Fighter sees targets and Friendlies on display

› Automatic transfer of coordinates and transmission of Targeting location

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Testing Results

» The new CAS CONOPS has been tested on multiple occasions in Exercises

» No major Aircraft Mission Computer issues identified across multiple US platforms

» Timelines for CAS Attack have been reduced from minutes to 10s of seconds

» Pilots and JTACs report high levels of satisfaction with the process

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USAF JTAC Video

YouTube Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBg4nDmyMdU

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Summary

» Many people have talked about the new users that are coming onto Link 16 with the advent of small Link 16 terminals

› Small ISR Platforms

› Helicopters

› Mobile Ground vehicles

› Dismounted Controllers

» But a Key point is that this expansion of Link 16 uses is opening up new ways to fight the battles of the future

› Transformation of the JTAC Close Air Support process is just

the beginning