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Northrop Grumman Inks $65 Million Deal to Produce New Datalink System for AH-1Z Chopper

The Bell AH-1Z Viper was a technological marvel in its day, so too is its upgraded counterpart, the AH-1 SuperCobra. But even really, really good military aircraft need some upgrades every now and then, and their datalink systems are no exception.
Northrop Grumman 15 photos
Photo: Northrop Grumman
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That's why Northrop-Grumman's latest $65 contract with the U.S. Military to implement an entirely new datalink system is a much bigger deal than you might realize. Dubbed the Link-16 system, Northrop Grumman announced they'd begin full-scale production on the AH-1Z exclusive hardware imminently. The tech that the Pentagon hopes will last at least until this decade is out.

The Link-16 data system is due to serve as the heart and soul of military communications within the Bell Viper attack helicopter. It allows crews to communicate with a wide array of different air and ground personnel, both American and Allied, using the same communication frequency. As such varied and numerous groups of vehicles use this same frequency, chances are very high that the Link-16 system is adapted to fit on a slew of different air, ground, and sea fairing vehicles.

In a time when geopolitical conditions have deteriorated rapidly in the space of less than a year, such a system would be the backbone of American and Allied communications in any potential future conflict they may find themselves in. Rest assured, this battlefield will include the Bell AH-1Z as well as the Link-16 system in at least some capacity.

"As lead technology integrator for H-1 Avionics, we are expanding our long-standing partnership with the Marine Corps to modernize electronic systems across the fleet through an open systems architecture approach," explained Lindsay McEwen, vice president, navigation, targeting and survivability, Northrop Grumman. "Link-16 full-rate production is the starting point."

This is the second major American military aircraft overhaul entrusted to Northrop Grumman this year. Only a short while ago, the team celebrated being awarded the contract to overhaul and modernize the U.S.'s fleet of E-6B Mercury jets. A long-range command post and communications relay aircraft based on the iconic Boeing 707 jetliner. All in all, it's a pretty fantastic time to be a Northrop Grumman employee, from the most senior engineers to beginning interns.
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