The Israeli airforce prefers a home grown communications system for F-35

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The Israeli airforce (IAF) wants a locally made communications system on its F-35 stealth fighters.

Pentagon officials have long identified the F-35 joint strike fighter as key to the future of America’s defense, in large part due to stealth capabilities that should allow the plane to travel in contested environments that older fighters would struggle to penetrate.

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According to Defense NEWS The problem is, these planes need to talk to each other without sacrificing stealth. To tackle that problem, the F-35 has incorporated Northrop Grumman’s Multifunction Advanced Data Link (MADL), a system that’s undergoing testing in the California desert.

MADL is a digital waveform designed for secure transmission of voice and data between F-35s, with the potential of linking F-35s to ground stations or other aircraft, Northrop said.

What makes MADL more than just a communications tool is its ability to connect with other planes and automatically share situational awareness data between fighters. The more planes in the network the greater the data shared and the more comprehensive a picture is formed.

Israel has insisted to have a locally made communications system on its F-35.

Rafael is developing one and it will combine some systems that the Israeli company developed in recent years. One is the Airborne Data Link System that provides the ability to accurately process and distribute real-time information to all airborne and ground units and provide total visibility in the theatre of operations.