Nichols Martin
The Air National Guard has tapped Sierra Nevada Corp. to equip the security force's EC-130J Commando Solo aircraft with new Link 16 communications.
The tactical datalink update would allow the military reserve's aircraft to communicate on the Link-16 network that provides situational awareness across the U.S. Air Force fleet and other users, SNC said Monday.
Link 16 creates a common operating picture that represents the combined situational awareness of connected parties.Â
Jim Ickes, vice president of programs at SNC’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, aviation and security business unit, said the EC-130J integration effort is the company's first program with the Air National Guard.
The new work builds on SNC's previous integration and engineering effort done under the Airborne Mission Networking program. AbMN is a communications suite that provides interoperability between aircraft including those used by Air Force Special Operations Command.
Link 16 also serves as a precursor to equipping aircraft with AbMN capabilities.
