Test and Evaluation of Tactical Datalinks

Abstract

The number and variety of tactical datalinks is growing at a tremendous rate as almost all USAF platforms intend to integrate one or more systems. Datalink gateways are then required to allow platforms to talk to one another. Thoroughly testing these systems is critical to future net-centric warfare and requires two major realizations. First, proper instrumentation is required to find errors in implementation of messages as consistency of data throughout a system of systems. Second, MIL-STD compliance testing is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for interoperability testing.