The Marine Corps has successfully demonstrated a two-way connection between the AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter and a ground station using the military tactical data link Link-16, Bell Textron and Northrop Grumman [NOC] said on Monday.
Adding the Link-16 hardware and software to AH-1Z will allow the fleet of helicopters to share information from its sensors to other weapons systems. The flight tests on the AH-1Z will continue throughout this summer and be followed by Link-16 flight testing on the UH-1Y Venom utility helicopter. The Marine Corps expects to begin integrating Link-16 on its AH-1Z fleet in 2022.
Bell, part of Textron Inc. [TXT], manufactures the H-1 helicopters and Northrop Grumman developed the Link-16 system, which includes a digital moving map, new security architecture, and Link-16 and Advanced Networking Wideband Waveform datalinks.
“Northrop Grumman’s Link-16 system will help U.S. Marines today, and well into the future, with critical technology that facilitates coordination, collaboration, and interoperability,” James Conroy, vice president, Navigation, Targeting and Survivability for Northrop Grumman, said in a statement. “By enabling the display and integration of Link-16 data with the H-1 system, pilots of the AH-1Z have greater situational awareness and enhanced survivability.”
The companies said the solution went from concept requirements to design testing in one year.
“The integration of Link-16 aligns with this platform’s ability to adapt to the ever-changing threat and meet the needs of current and future warfighters,” Col. Vasilios Pappas, program manager for the H-1 program, said in a statement.