The F-22 and F-35 Can Now Talk to Each Other, All Because of a U-2

[Grim Reaper 6]

 The Air Force developed the F-22 in the 1980s and 1990s, and worked on the F-35 in the early 2000s. The F-22 uses its own Intra-Flight Data Link (IFDL), while the F-35 uses the Multifunctional Advanced Data Link (MADL). The problem? IFDL can’t communicate with MADL, and vice versa. In a major war scenario, the two planes will frequently fly alongside each other, so this incompatibility is a big problem. The U-2 is especially good at being a flying translator because the Air Force designed it as a high-altitude, long-endurance spy plane. A translator node needs to fly high so it can relay signals between low-flying aircraft that might otherwise be beyond the curvature of the Earth.

The F-22 and F-35 Can Now Talk to Each Other, All Because of a U-2 (msn.com)