Prasun K. Sengupta

Back in the previous decade, the world got its first-ever demonstration of joint forces network-centric warfare (NCW) operations. This was the first time that new-generation common data-links were put to use during Op Iraqi Freedom (OIF) to ensure inter-operability, create common operational battlespace pictures, and increase situational awareness to hitherto unprecedented levels.

ORBIT-supplied RUKMANI VSATs for Data-Linking

Closing the sensor-to-shooter loops with precision and rapidity differentiated OIF from the German ‘Blitzkrieg’ aerospace-air-land coordination. The various OIF campaigns were precise because all objects were digitised and de-conflicted before an engagement. This was a result of real-time blue and red force tracking through a myriad of sensors integrated using near real-time ODLs. The sensor-to-shooter loops were shorter because the sensors and shooters were tightly integrated through a series of stacked data-links in many cases. A combination of video imagery feeds, situational awareness updates and command-and-control data-links created a real-time collaboration environment for prosecuting all the war-fighting operations in which the environment was highly localised and supported a few nodes (for a sensor-to-shooter system), reflecting a near-optimal pairing of sensors and weapons to target.

In effect, airpower was reinforced; the integration of a myriad of sensors, intelligence analysts, planners and decision-makers using data-links reinforced the effective use of joint forces (army, navy and air force) airpower.

The various types of data-links using Time-Division Multiple Access (TDMA) techniques that were employed during OIF included:

• Common data-links (CDL): Used for down linking sensor informatio