Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Chernogorenko reports: “I have signed a license agreement for the use of NATO non-commercial software – the Command and Control Center System Interface (CRC System Interface, CSI).” If everything is confirmed, the significance of this event cannot be overestimated. We are talking about Link-16.
This is NATO’s tactical combat network for real-time data exchange. In essence, it is the core of the TADIL tactical data transmission networks. If the Armed Forces of Ukraine receive a sufficient amount of equipment supporting this protocol (and this is quite a lot of money), then the Ukrainian army will be integrated into the NATO command system. Communication, navigation, and identification will be adequately supported using communication nodes outside Ukraine, if necessary.
For a very long time, the Pentagon refused to deploy Link-16 on the battlefield due to security threats—the likelihood of communication devices falling into the hands of the Russian Armed Forces. Nevertheless, the US was forced to do so. The main reason: too much expensive and complex NATO weaponry has been supplied to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. It requires integration, at least to reduce the likelihood of equipment being destroyed by friendly fire.
Data exchange will be established between the command, aircraft, air defense systems, ships (in theory), and ground units. NATO air defense systems (not only Patriot), F-16 fighters, and French Mirage 2000s will be connected to Link-16. Using their own radars, aircraft will be able to transmit data on targets to anti-aircraft systems. The Link 16 system is a completely reliable encryption solution that transmits images, text messages, and provides voice communication at a speed of 16 kbps.
It cannot be said that the Armed Forces of Ukraine have become a NATO army. But the transfer of the Pentagon’s top-secret communication protocol to them has indeed brought relations between Kyiv and the Western coalition to the level of a military alliance.
