Thursday, April 12, 2012

Shock and Awe - The Link 16 gap

Something that has never been fully explained, (to tactical weenies like me), is why the proposed initial delivery of 16 F-35 Lightning II, 5th generation, all-singing-all-dancing, they-don't-get-better-than-this strike fighter, is why that delivery will not be capable of operating in a normal NATO environment.
Also missing is a feature known as a Link 16, which allows highly advanced aircraft to exchange data, such as text messages, with ships and other, older aircraft in real-time.
Not to mention that it displays a full tactical picture to the pilot. That system will not come to the F-35 until the Block 4 upgrade. Lockheed Martin is keeping very quiet but that upgrade doesn't show up until 3 years after the initial delivery - whenever that is.

Well, Link 16, the NATO standard for Tactical Data Link is one of those things that you wouldn't think would be left out - ever. At least not in a brand new airplane.

Our need-to-be-replaced F-18 Hornets already have Link 16.

Nothing else compares to the F-35.


5 comments:

Boris said...

Things that leap to mind.

"You mean there's a catch?"

"Sure there's a catch," Doc Daneeka replied. "Catch-22. Anyone who wants to get out of combat duty isn't really crazy."

There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's own safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he was sane, he had to fly them. If he flew them, he was crazy and didn't have to; but if he didn't want to, he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle.

"That's some catch, that Catch-22," he observed.

"It's the best there is," Doc Daneeka agreed.

Yossarian saw it clearly in all its spinning reasonableness. There was an elliptical precision about its perfect pairs of parts that was graceful and shocking, like good modern art, and at tiems Yossarian wasn't quite sure he saw it all, just the way he was never quite sure about good modern art or about the flies Orr saw in Appleby's eyes. He had Orr's word to take for flies in Appleby's eyes.

- in Catch-22, Joseph Heller

Mark, Ottawa said...

Have a look at a certain "35" link here:

"Why the Canadian Government Wants the P-35/What’s Wrong with Canadian Journalism, Part…

Mark
Ottawa

Boris said...

Mark, that kind of coincidence will have military types thinking the number is cursed.

Mark, Ottawa said...

Well, the P-35 did lead over time to the P-47 Jug (a great plane); the first 35 was also about as good as the Curtis P-36.

Mark
Ottawa

Mark, Ottawa said...

Now hear this:

"Former USAF Chief Not Bullish on F-35 in Medium-Term"

Mark
Ottawa