A private network in the sky: New F-35 data link enables stealthy communications between fighters

摘要

Pentagon officials have long identified the F-35 joint strike fighter as key to the future of America's defense, in large part due to stealth capabilities that should allow the plane to travel in contested environments that older fighters would struggle to penetrate. The problem is these planes need to talk to each other without sacrificing stealth. To tackle that problem, the F-35 has incorporated Northrop Grumman's Multifunction Advanced Data Link, a system that's undergoing testing in the California desert. MADL is a digital waveform designed for secure transmission of voice and data between F-35s, with the potential of linking F-35s to ground stations or other aircraft, Northrop said.