F-35 and Typhoon share data
Interoperability trials between the UK RAF’s F-35 Lightning II and Typhoon jets have been successful.
According to Air Cdre Harv Smyth, the UK’s Lightning Force commander, lengthy trials with leading partner Northrop Grumman last year have shown that the fifth generation F-35 was able to off-board data to the fourth generation Typhoon without compromising the former’s stealth.
This was despite the transmissions from the F-35 being in J-series (Link 16) format. The involvement of Northrop Grumman suggests that the F-35 participating in the trial would have been fitted with the Freedom 550 Joint Enterprise Terminal.
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