Faster and more resilient communications for NATO Naval Forces

For armed forces on joint and allied operations, the ability to share vast amounts of tactical information in the battlespace is crucially important.

By 2025, the new Link 22 tactical datalink will replace Link 11, the digital radio link standard currently used by NATO and its allies.

Operating in the HF and UHF frequency bands, Link 22 will enable naval units to communicate in real time and adapt to a situation as it unfolds so they can accomplish decisive missions effectively.

Link 22 will soon be a vital capability, enabling all components of a NATO naval force to take part in the connected collaborative combat of tomorrow.

Together with Atos, Thales is supporting the transition to collaborative combat in a secure environment through the development of advanced Link 22 functionalities for Thales’s TopLink tactical datalink processor. TopLink is already in service with a dozen countries and also manages tactical messages for airborne units using the Link 16 and Joint Range Extension standards.

To deliver a highly capable, dependable and competitive solution, Atos is contributing its expertise in Link 22 datalink management, while Thales brings its experience in critical multi-link systems to the table.

The agreement builds on a partnership that began in 2009 for initial testing of France’s Link 22 capabilities.