Ukraine Signs on for Link 16, Enabling Close Integration with NATO Air Forces
On May 29 Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Defense for Digital Development, Katernya Chernohorenko, announced that the Armed Forces of Ukraine had signed an agreement to acquire the NATO standard ‘Control and Reporting Center System Interface’ (CSI). This system supports real-time data exchange between a wide variety of weapon systems and sensors using NATO standardized data-links including Link 16.
This will enable Ukrainian F-16s and Patriot systems to communicate more effectively but more importantly it will enable other NATO air forces to integrate directly into Ukraine’s air defense picture. This would enable NATO airborne early warning aircraft to vector Ukrainian F-16s against cruise missile threats and opens the door to direct integration into NATO command and control. Theoretically this could go as far as allowing NATO aircraft to overfly the country with less fear of friendly fire.
In the announcement Chernohorenko stated that the integration was “made possible thanks to the Government Office for Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Air Force and, of course, our partners. Thank you for your joint work.”
Ministry of Defense implements CRC System Interface” (Ukr MoD)
The NATO Communications and Information Agency describes this system as the organization’s “most comprehensive and complete data-link buffer.” and includes ATDL1, Link 1, Link 11A, Link 11B and Link 16. In particular Link 16 enables the control of interceptors, for example AMRAAMs carried by Typhoons could hypothetically be launched at targets spotted by forward deployed Ukrainian F-16s. While highly politically controversial this would enable a NATO anti-cruise missile campaign which remains an option on the table as Putin continues to stall attempts at negotiations. Delegations from Ukraine and Russia will be meeting in Istanbul on June 2, so perhaps the integration is meant as a signal of what is possible if Russia refuses diplomacy.