When secure communications are too secure
 

Northrop Grumman Pitches Global Hawk UAV For Communications Between F-35s, F-22s.

Defense News (8/23) reports that “Northrop Grumman has a pitch to solve communications problems between the F-35 and F-22” by using a Global Hawk UAV equipped with a radio translating between the two fighter jets. Currently, the F-35 and F-22 use different secure data links to communicate, which are not able to interact. Northrop Grumman head of Global Hawk Business Development Mike Lyons said, “We’ve got a solution that we’ve identified and made a pitch to the Air Force. We’re just waiting for the requirements to basically say: ‘Go do [that].’”

So the radios of the F-35 and the F-22 can't talk to each other. There is evidently no way to put an F-22 Radio on an F-35 or an F-35 radio on an F-22 so the bestest solution is to fly a Global Hawk with a radio relay so the two aircraft can communicate.

What could possibly go wrong?


https://s15-us2.ixquick.com/cgi-bin/...ticache=331447

Anyone remember the ATT phone card incident during Grenada in 1987? That was 30 years ago and we still have not learned our lesson. :o

BTW the F-35 and F-22 are built by the same company. :o:o

TL:DR USAF can't be asked to install link-16 emiter (they have receivers on some of the aircraft I think) onto the F22A to give them connectivity to the bulk of the force in permisable enviroments.

Incredible but no doubt Northrop Grumman will benefit financially as a result and the Air Force/tax payer will pick up the tab.

Errr..... Aren't they from the same manufacturer?

Don't the have to already talk to AWACS and such?

How is this even possible?

Intresting news. Has anyone asked Lockheed Martin (manufacturer of F-22 and F--35) is this really unsolvable problem? I mean without third party aircraft.

I fail to see point of stealth if your strike package requires an unstealthy aircraft to speak securely with each other without compromising stealth...

Crass stupidity. :o