New homegrown technology will allow Brazilian Air Force aircraft to exchange data in flight

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) is making progress in developing, manufacturing, and integrating its new data link system within the framework of the Link-BR2 Project.

Between the end of November and December, a series of meetings took place between the FAB and companies involved in the project and the start of the second phase of flight tests of the integrated systems on F-5 Tiger fighter-bombers.

As stated in its official presentation, in October 2020, the Link-BR2 Project “will allow the FAB to communicate in real-time between air vectors and command and control stations.

This communication, carried out through an encrypted protocol and with a high degree of security, will allow the exchange of radar information, exchange of messages, videos, and many other operational applications, allowing the expansion of situational awareness of all network participants, in the air and on the ground”.

In this way, the Brazilian Air Force and companies in the sector have been making in-flight progress tests and testing the various air and ground subsystems that make up the Link-BR2.

In this sense, the Institution held a meeting with representatives of AEL Sistemas, the company in charge of the development, at its plant located in Rio Grande do Sul (RS).

The meetings took place between November 30 and December 2, with the objective of “demonstrating the development, integration and effective delivery of subsystems of the ground segment of the Link-BR2 Project, which allow the establishment of this data link between air and ground networks: the Data Communication Station. Link (EDL COM) and the Command and Control Data Link Station (EDL C2)”.

The function of EDL systems is to establish secure communications between ground and air networks, operating from facilities and equipment deployed in the field. The exchange and sending of information allow the coordination of operations from command and control centers, increasing situational awareness of what is happening in the theater of operations.

In addition to these meetings, the Brazilian Air Force conducted the second phase of flight tests between November 29 and December 10. Three F-5M Tiger fighter-bombers (1st / 14th GAV), equipped with the new data link systems and a Command and Control Station integrated into the network, were used for this purpose.

This test campaign is called Operation Iris by the FAB. During the duration of the tests, “a variety of data link applications, such as voice communication, data exchange via Link-BR2, as well as effective range” were tested.

The test ended with a practical demonstration simulating a tactical scenario. Two F-5Ms intercepted the remaining one while being guided and vectored by the ground station using the Link-BR2 system.

LINK-BR2 SYSTEM

The Link-BR2 is a Brazilian military datalink developed by the Brazilian Air Force and the defense company AEL Sistemas. It was conceived in the early-2010s by the necessity of Armed Forces of a communication system to exchange information between all military of the country. The system entered into operation in December 2020.

The Link-BR2 allows the exchange of data such as radar information, videos, and images with other units of the three branches anytime and anywhere, using an advanced encrypted protocol with a high degree of security. The F-39E Gripen, F-5M, A1-M, and the A-29 Super Tucano will operate this system in the Air Force.

The E-99 AEW&C and facilities in the ground also will be part of the datalink. Other air units are the UAVs and the KC-390 in active service and the future A330 MRTTs to planned service for 2022.

A significant part of the tests campaign was conducted by the Fourteenth Aviation Group (1º/14º GAV) based in the Canoas Air Force Base in the Rio Grande do Sul state.

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