“Link 16 Interoperability Contract” was signed on February 20, 2009 between the Undersecretariat for Defence Industries (SSM) and STM Defence Technologies Engineering and Trade Co., Inc. (STM) for the purpose of meeting the needs of the Turkish Air Forces.

At the signature ceremony held at SSM’s Conference Hall, Undersecretary of Defence Industries Mr. Murad BAYAR and STM’s Director General Mr. Recep BARUT signed the contract.

As the main contractor, STM will bring to life the Interoperability Project for Link 16, one of the most effective tactical communication systems used in today’s modern warfare area.

Link 16 Interoperability Project will aim to ensure that the Link 16 tactical communication capability of Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) agents is used in the most effective way at national and international level, and to this end improve the interoperability level of Link 16-capable agents. Link 16 Interoperability Project was brought to signature phase as a result of diligent and effective efforts by SSM, TSK and STM. These efforts were intensively supported by SSM’s Department of Communications, Electronics and Information Systems and the Air Forces Command.

Main Project Scope

Within the project scope, the application of interoperability system engineering processes required for 17 different platforms within TSK, with the support of software and database tools, will be carried out by STM. In addition to these applications, the necessary infrastructure for Link 16 analyses, tests and simulations will be built by STM, and consultancy services will be provided in all phases of Tactical Data Link projects. Moreover, trainings on Tactical Data Links that will be required within the project scope will also be provided to TSK by STM.

Project Benefits for Turkish Defence Industry

When the Link 16 Interoperability Project, for which STM will be the main contractor and which will continue for around 5 years, is activated, TSK’s tactical level communication infrastructure will be modernized and will reach an internationally accepted level, as a consequence of which the effectiveness of TSK agents in national and multinational operations will be maximized.

The project will ensure efficient and accurate utilization of the Link 16 tactical level communication capability, which only a handful of countries in the world currently possess, and will enable significant gains regarding Network Enabled Operation, which is the most important military concept today, thereby further increasing TSK’s effective operation power worldwide.

Moreover, within the project scope, STM will build and add to TSK’s infrastructure two Synthetic Ground Interoperability Testing Environment and analysis laboratories which will allow all kinds of simulations, tests and trial runs regarding tactical level communication that will be required by TSK.

On the other hand, the US Lockheed Martin, one of the largest defence industry companies of the world, will be taking part in the project as STM’s subcontractor; STM will get the necessary process consultancy support from Lockheed Martin and will carry out the entire project with national means, relying on the skills and capabilities of Turkish engineers.