In the past, traditional U.S. military platforms such as the fifth-generation fighters F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II have utilized unique secure data links, namely the flight internal data link of the F-22 and the Multi-Function Advanced Data Link of the F-35, causing direct communication barriers between these two aircraft.
Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works, in collaboration with the U.S. Air Force and Missile Defense Agency, launched the “Project Hydra” initiative in 2021, which has achieved significant breakthroughs to date. This project leverages the U-2 aircraft as a data relay to successfully establish seamless two-way communication between the F-22 Raptor, F-35 Lightning II fighters, and ground operators.
This development enhances the U.S. military’s readiness for next-generation warfare and supports the Department of Defense’s Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) integrated multi-domain warfare vision.
The project utilizes the U-2’s Open System Gateway and effectively payload, through the Intra-Flight Data Link (IFDL) and Multi-Function Advanced Data Link (MADL), connecting the information of the F-22 fighter aircraft to five F-35 aircraft, enabling data sharing among all airborne systems and with ground nodes. The target tracks are also transmitted via the U-2 to the fighter aircraft’s avionics and pilot displays.
The collected data is directly transmitted to the fighter pilot displays and avionics, greatly enhancing situational awareness.
Jeff Babione, Vice President and General Manager of Lockheed, stated that the Hydra project marks the first establishment of two-way communication during flight for fifth-generation aircraft, while also sharing operational and sensor data with ground operators to achieve real-time capability.
“This higher level of connectivity reduces the time from data to decision from minutes to seconds, which is crucial in countering today’s adversaries and high-end threats,” he said.
Lockheed Martin mentions that with the powerful capabilities of fifth-generation data and demonstrating new command and control systems in various fields, the company continues to prove its readiness to provide unparalleled battlefield awareness and rapid field capability.
The Skunk Works division of Lockheed Martin plays a crucial role in developing advanced, cutting-edge aerospace technologies. One of the most remarkable achievements of the Skunk Works is the SR-71 Blackbird, a long-range high-speed reconnaissance aircraft developed in the 1960s. Originally designed for monitoring the Soviet Union, it relied on extreme speed to evade Soviet air defenses and remains one of the fastest aircraft ever built.
The Hydra project has achieved several firsts: marking the first instance of two-way information communication during flight for fifth-generation aircraft and reconnaissance platforms. It also involves sharing data collected by aircraft sensors with ground forces.
(The article partially references a report by the military website 19fortyfive published on February 14th.)