Tactical Data Link - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Definition

A Tactical Data Link (TDL) uses a data link

Data link

In telecommunication a data link is the means of connecting one location to another for the purpose of transmitting and receiving information. It can also refer to a set of electronics assemblies, consisting of a transmitter and a receiver and the interconnecting data telecommunication circuit...

standard in order to provide communication via radio waves

Radio waves

Radio waves are a type of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum longer than infrared light. Radio waves have frequencies from 300 GHz to as low as 3 kHz, and corresponding wavelengths from 1 millimeter to 100 kilometers. Like all other electromagnetic waves,...

or cable

Cable

A cable is two or more wires running side by side and bonded, twisted or braided together to form a single assembly. In mechanics cables, otherwise known as wire ropes, are used for lifting, hauling and towing or conveying force through tension. In electrical engineering cables are used to carry...

used by the U.S. armed forces

Military of the United States

The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...

and NATO nations. All military C3 systems use standardized TDL to transmit, relay and receive tactical data.
Multi-TDL Network (MTN) refers to the network of similar and dissimilar TDLs integrated through gateways, translators, and correlators to bring the air, land, and sea common tactical picture and/or common operational picture together.

Change of terminology

The term Tactical Digital Information Link (TADIL) was obsolete (per DISA guidance) and is now more commonly seen as Tactical Data Link (TDL).

Tactical data link character

TDLs are characterized by their standard message and transmission formats. This is usually written as /.

TDL standards in NATO

In NATO Tactical Data Link Standards are being developed by the Data Link Working Group (DLWG) of the Information Systems Sub-Committee (ISSC) in line with the appropriate STANAG

STANAG

STANAG is the NATO abbreviation for Standardization Agreement, which sets up processes, procedures, terms, and conditions for common military or technical procedures or equipment between the member countries of the alliance. Each NATO state ratifies a STANAG and implements it within their own...

Synopsis of TDL links

In NATO, there exist Tactical Data Link standards as follows:

Link No	STANAG	Working Title	Final title / description	Communi- cation	Gene- ration	Comments
1	5501	NATO data link between Air Defence Main Control Centres	Link 1 Link 1 Link 1 is a computer network standard developed by NATO to provide information exchange for air defence.- General description :Link 1 is a point-to-point, duplex, non-encrypted, digital NATO Tactical Data Link Standard for the automatic exchange of Track and Strobe data, combined with link and... – Tactical Data Exchange for Air Defence	Point to Point	1st S–Series	Ground Link between NADGE entities limited and not secure
2		Radar to Control Centre Data Link			1st	Cancelled (includes in Link 1)
3		Control Centre to higher HQ Data Links	SHOC Early Warning System	Point to Point	1st	Slow Speed Warning Link from evaluation centres to SHAPE Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe is the central command of NATO military forces. It is located at Casteau, north of the Belgian city of Mons...
4	5504	Ground to Air Data Link	Link 4 Link 4 Link 4 is a non-secure data link used for providing vector commands to USAF and other NATO fighter aircraft. It is a netted, time division link operating in the UHF band at 5,000 bits per second... – TDL for the Control of Military aircraft Military aircraft A military aircraft is any fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft that is operated by a legal or insurrectionary armed service of any type. Military aircraft can be either combat or non-combat:...	Point to Point	1st C/R–Series	Compatible to US TADIL–C to be operated in NATO UHF Ultra high frequency Ultra-High Frequency designates the ITU Radio frequency range of electromagnetic waves between 300 MHz and 3 GHz , also known as the decimetre band or decimetre wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decimetres... (225–400 MHz) RF Radio frequency Radio frequency is a rate of oscillation in the range of about 3 kHz to 300 GHz, which corresponds to the frequency of radio waves, and the alternating currents which carry radio signals... band
5		Fast HF High frequency High frequency radio frequencies are between 3 and 30 MHz. Also known as the decameter band or decameter wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decameters . Frequencies immediately below HF are denoted Medium-frequency , and the next higher frequencies are known as Very high frequency... Automatic Link	Broadcast Broadcast Broadcast or Broadcasting may refer to:* Broadcasting, the transmission of audio and video signals* Broadcast, an individual television program or radio program* Broadcast , an English electronic music band...		1st	Cancelled (see Link 11)
6	5506 (Draft)	Missile Base to Control Centre Link	Link 6 – (NADGE Link) SAM Automatic Data Link	Point to Point	1st	Draft STANAG (US MBDL, ATDL–1, PADIL)
7	5507 (Draft)	ATC ATC - Military :* Air Training Command, the predecessor to Air Education and Training Command in the United States Air Force* New Zealand Air Training Corps* Air Training Corps, United Kingdom... / Defence Link	Link 7 – TDL for ATC	Point to Point	1st
8		HF Automatic Link		Broadcast	1st	Cancelled (see Link 1)
9		SOC / Airbase Link			1st
10	5510	Ship – Ship Link	Link 10 – Maritime Tactical Data Exchange	Broadcast	2nd M–Series	STANAG cancelled (was used by BE, NL and UK)
11	5511	Fast HF Automatic Link	Link 11 – Maritime Tactical Data Exchange	Broadcast	2nd M–Series	Compatible to US TADIL–A to be operated in the HF & NATO UHF RF bands
11B	5511 (Vol. II)		Link 11B – Tactical Data Exchange	Point to Point	2nd M–Series	Compatible to the US TADIL–B Ground to Ground TDL
12		Fast HF Automatic Link				Cancelled (see Link 11)
13		HF Automatic Link		Broadcast		Cancelled (see Link 11)
14	5514	Slow Semi–Automatic Link	Link 14 – Maritime TDL	Broadcast	1st D/M/S/E–Series	Ship–Ship & Ship–Shore (only few applications)
15		Slow Semi–Automatic Link				Ship–Ship, Cancelled
16	5516	High Capacity, ECM Electronic countermeasures An electronic countermeasure is an electrical or electronic device designed to trick or deceive radar, sonar or other detection systems, like infrared or lasers. It may be used both offensively and defensively to deny targeting information to an enemy... Resistant, Multifunctional, TDMA Time division multiple access Time division multiple access is a channel access method for shared medium networks. It allows several users to share the same frequency channel by dividing the signal into different time slots. The users transmit in rapid succession, one after the other, each using its own time slot. This... Link	Link 16 Link 16 Link 16 is a military tactical data exchange network created and used by the United States and adopted by some of its Allies and by NATO. Its specification is part of the family of Tactical Data Links.... – ECM Resistant Tactical Data Exchange	Broadcast	3rd J–Series	Compatible to US TADIL–J (STANAG 4175 – Technical Characteristics of MIDS Multifunctional Information Distribution System Multifunctional Information Distribution System is the NATO name for the communication component of Link-16.One commonly used instantiation of an MIDS is the MIDS Low Volume Terminal which has been funded by the United States, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain and developed by MIDSCO, a joint... )
21	5521 (Draft)	Link in support of ACCS ACCS ACCS is the $500M NATO Air Command and Control System programme, which is intended to replace the existing air command and control systems in Europe from 2009 onwards. At the highest level it comprises the Combined Air Operations Centre from which the air battle is run... – (LISA)		Point to Point	3rd J–Series	Under development (planned to replace Link 1)
22	5522 (Draft)	NATO Improved Link 11 – (NILE)	Link 22 Link 22 During the late 1980s, NATO, agreeing on the need to improve the performance of Link 11, produced a mission need statement that became the basis for the establishment of the NATO Improved Link Eleven Program...		3rd J–Series	Under development (planned to replace Link 1)
	5601	Standard for Interface of Data Links 1, 11, 11B, and 14 trough a buffer				see AdalP 12
	5602	Standard Interface for Multiple Platform Link Evaluation
MIL-STD-6020	5616	Standard for data forwarding between tactical data systems employing Links 11/11B and tactical data systems employing Link 16	MIL-STD-6020, DoD Interoperability Standard: Data Forwarding between TDLs
IJMS		ECM Resistant Communication System (ERCS)	IJMS – Interim JTIDS/MIDS Message Specification	Broadcast	2nd, M–Series	Interim Data Link Standard to be replaced by Link 16
SADL		Situational Awareness Data Link	SADL – Situational Awareness Data Link	Broadcast	1st, K-Series 2nd, K/J–Series	Data link adopted from EPLRS Enhanced Position Location Reporting System The Enhanced Position Location Reporting System is a secure, jam resistant, computer controlled communications network that distributes near real-time tactical information, generally integrated into radio sets, and coordinated by a Network Control Station. It is primarily used for data... to provide A-10s and F-16s data link capability air-to-ground and air-to-air

External links

Federation of American Scientists TDL information page
This article was originally based on public domain text from Army Airspace Command and Control in a Combat Zone, Headquarters, Department of the Army, publication FM 3-52 (FM 100-103), August 2002

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.