Military

F-16s Get Digital Treatment With Stauder Tactical Data Link

By Nick Zazulia | January 30, 2018
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Capt. Matthew Feeman in an F-16 Fighting Falcon approaches a Cessna airplane, flown by South Carolina's Civil Air Patrol, to initiate a "head butt" as part of exercise Fertile Keynote Nov. 19, 2009 above South Carolina. A head butt is an action taken by the intercepting aircraft to redirect the intruder in the appropriate direction after other communications, like radio contact, have failed. Captain Feeman is an F-16 alert pilot from the 55th Fighter Squadron (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Michael Cowley)

An F-16 Fighting Falcon in exercise Fertile Keynote Nov. 19, 2009, above South Carolina. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Air Force

Stauder Technologies’ HydeDM tactical data link system is now compatible with the F-16.

The plug-and-play HydeDM 302 provides new messaging standards to upgrade the F-16 for interoperability with NATO and coalition joint tactical attack controller ground kits and other aircraft, according to Stauder. Because of its swap-out nature, the system is advertised as a low-cost, fast and easy way to bring F-16s up to modern standards for digitally aided close air support missions.

The Royal Danish Air Force was among the first to take delivery of the system, having completed test flights and accepted delivery in December.

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