LINK 16 Mission Assignment API

[WHOGX5]

With the F-16 development focusing on adding LINK 16 functionalty and with the recent release of the TAF mode with LotAtc integration for the Mirage 2000C, I think this is the right time for this request.

As a short background for those who are unaware, the F-16 (and pretty much every other L16 aircraft as well) has the ability to receive mission assignments over LINK 16 from C2 assets much like the M-2000C's TAF works, only a little more modern. It allows a C2 asset to send a plethora of mission taskings via L16 containing everything from A-A targets to attack or protect, A-G targeting showing areas to provide SEAD or CAS in to where and when to refuel or land. Each of these messages have to be accepted or denied by the receiving aircraft who can then respond with whether the tasking has been completed or not. I'll link a video below of the M-2000C's TAF in DCS so you'll get an idea of what it looks like, it's quite similar though a bit more basic. Implementing this functionality would greatly benefit not only F-16 pilots but the entire DCS community.

Firstly it would benefit both those who mainly fly singleplayer as well as those who fly in multiplayer. As seen in the M-2000C, these messages could be sent both by AI units and players providing GCI/AWACS support. With an official implementation by ED this could also be controllable by mission creators allowing these messages to be sent according to the mission designers intent. Having an automated AI system as well would allow this to be used in every single mission irregardless of whether the mission designer told it what to do or whether or not you have another human providing GCI/AWACS for you.

Secondly, it would greatly improve the GCI/AWACS experience in DCS multiplayer as well as remove any language barriers. It would allow whoever is doing C2 to send a so called Handoff message over L16 containing the appropriate mission channel and radio frequency for the recipient to connect to rather than spamming this into text chat. Once connected, the GCI/AWACS can send mission assignments to players who don't even speak the same language as them and still be able to cooperate and organize without any issues. The TAF system for the M-2000C has already been implemented into LotAtc allowing humans to send these messages to players. Giving the same functionality to ED's L16 network would lay the groundwork for a future native DCS implementation of more rigurous GCI and AWACS integration.

And lastly, if this was developed as a framework, these mission assignments could be integrated into all current and future L16 platforms in DCS as well as platforms using other message standards that are incompatible with L16 like the M-2000C, MiG-23, MiG-29, JF-17, etc. who all support the same type of messages, though some in a much simpler form than others.

Here is the video showing of the current TAF implementation by Razbam in singleplayer:

 

[Tango3B]

Yup, I would like to see this as well in all Link 16 capable aircraft. This would greatly add to the overall immersion, I guess. Very good point there, WHOGX5.

[Jordan_111sqn]

Yes, would be awesome, and info of the F16 avionics with this L16 function can be easily found on the internet.

[QuiGon]

This doesn't just apply to Link-16 capable aircraft. I would say it's even more important to the Link-4 equipped Tomcat (it has an enitre panel just for datalinked C2 messages) and especially the sowjet aircraft with their huge dependence on GCI guidance and respective comm links.

Edited February 20, 2022 by QuiGon

[WHOGX5]

1 hour ago, QuiGon said:

This doesn't just apply to Link-16 capable aircraft. I would say it's even more important to the Link-4 equipped Tomcat (it has an enitre panel just for datalinked C2 messages) and especially the sowjet aircraft with their huge dependence on GCI guidance and respective comm links.

 

Yes, I completely agree. I still think though that the F-16 would be the optimal platform for the initial implementation since it's an ED module, plus that it's L16 integration is currently being worked on by the F-16 dev team. But yes, this is definitely something that should be implemented as an API so that it can be expanded to other relevant modules as well.

Edited February 20, 2022 by WHOGX5

[777coletrain]

This would be an incredible addition to DCS