HAVELSAN secures NATO contract for automated tactical data link planning tool

A concept graphic of the NATO's tactical data link system and Havelsan's software within it. (Havelsan)

Turkish defence software house Havelsan has signed a contract with the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) to deliver an automated Joint Interface Control Officer (JICO) Tactical Data Link (TDL) network planning tool.

Following approval by NATO's Investment Committee, the agreement towards the alliance's Tactical Data Link Management Center (TDLMC) capability was signed in December 2025, covering the procurement of what NATO designates the “JICO Automated TDL Tool”. The software is intended to be integrated into NATO's inventory and deployed across allied assets, supporting joint and combined operations across air, land and maritime domains.

The software enables the pre-planning and management of alliance platform communications, specifying data links, frequencies, encryption, and network design across NATO's Link 11, Link 16, Link 22, Variable Message Format (VMF), and Joint Range Extension Applications Protocol (JREAP). By orchestrating these heterogeneous links, the software is intended to enable the planning of TDL Operations to exchange a coherent common operational picture among TDL capable platforms while optimising scarce radio-frequency resources.

According to Havelsan the software is designed to enhance the effectiveness of combined operations by enabling secure, continuous, and real-time information exchange among air, land, and maritime assets via TDLs.

For more please see: USAF developing mobile Link 16 ground station