Chapter 4. Network-Centric Warfare: A Battlefield Connected by Data Links

Network-centric warfare: Battleground connected by data link at an altitude of 30,000 feet. The sun was sinking below the horizon. The sky outside the cockpit was turning dark blue. Then the radar warning receiver let out a sharp beep sound. It means there is someone. My heart started racing and my palms began to sweat. Where is the red flag? There was nothing on my radar screen. At that moment, a new symbol appeared on the display. It was about 120 kilometers away from me and I had not seen it before. This information was not on my radar. It was a target captured by the E-3 Sentry, an early warning aircraft flying 200 kilometers behind.

The position, speed, and direction of the enemy aircraft picked up by the early warning aircraft's powerful radar were transmitted to my fighter via a data link. I can now see enemies that I could not see before. My eyes were no longer alone. This is the essence of network-centric warfare. In the history of warfare, information has always been as important as weapons. No, maybe it was more important than weapons. Think of a medieval skirmisher. They risked their lives to infiltrate deep into enemy territory to understand the enemy's movements. The informed commander was able to prepare an ambush or secure a route of retreat.

The problem was the speed at which the information was conveyed. By the time the skirmishers rode up and reported, the situation on the battlefield could have already changed. The era of voice walkie-talkies was not much different. During World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, pilots communicated with each other through radio. “Spotted an enemy flag at 3 o’clock!” These cries came and went. However, this method had fundamental limitations. The first problem was that only one person could speak at a time. If multiple pilots try to report at the same time during a melee, the frequencies get mixed up and nothing is heard.

The second problem was the time it took for it to pass through the human tongue and ears. The few seconds it takes to hear, understand, and act on what the other person said. In the world of supersonic fighter aircraft, seconds can mean the difference between life and death. The 1991 Gulf War showed the world a new paradigm in warfare. U.S. and coalition forces achieved a crushing victory over Iraqi forces. The secret to this victory was not just better fighter planes or more powerful missiles. The real difference was in the way information was shared.

The US military connected all friendly platforms on the battlefield through a tactical data link called 'Link-16'. Fighters, bombers, ships, and ground units are all tied together into one huge network. Let me briefly explain what Link-16 is. While walkie-talkies in the past converted a person's voice into radio waves, a data link is a direct conversation between computers. There is no need for the pilot to verbally explain, "The enemy plane is at 3 o'clock, 80 kilometers away, and 20,000 feet high." The information captured by the radar is converted into a digital signal and transmitted simultaneously to all allies connected to the network.

Latitude, longitude, altitude, speed, direction, and even identifying information as friend or foe. Information that would take tens of seconds to explain verbally is conveyed in the blink of an eye. The birth of this technology dates back to the 1990s. US Navy Admiral William Owens introduced the concept of “systems of systems” in 1996. The proposal was to integrate sensors, command and control systems, and precision weapons into one. Soon after, Admiral Arthur Severowski coined the term “network-centric warfare.” His core argument was clear. The sharing of information leads to an exponential increase in combat power.

This means that 1+1 can become 10, not 2, and can become 100. Let's look at the technical characteristics of Link-16 a little further. This system uses time division multiple access method. It involves dividing the time into very small chunks and allocating them to each participant. It is similar to a meeting where several people take turns speaking. However, because the order changes hundreds of times per second, it feels like all participants are talking at the same time. It is also resistant to enemy radio interference by using frequency hopping technology.

Because the communication frequency is constantly changing, even if an enemy tries to shoot a jammer, they will not be able to hit it. The moment you feel the effects of network-centric warfare from the cockpit is dramatic. In the past, what my radar showed was everything in the world. It seemed to me that there were no enemies beyond the radar's visible range. But the moment the data link is connected, my field of view expands hundreds of kilometers away. What my fellow fighters saw, what the early warning aircraft saw, what the Aegis ships saw at sea, and even what the radar stations on the ground saw - all integrated into my display.

It's like looking down on the battlefield through God's eyes. This technology also significantly reduces the risk of friendly fire. In a melee situation, it is difficult to distinguish friend from enemy. There are many tragic cases of friendly fire in history. However, as peer identification information is shared in real time through Link-16, this risk has been dramatically reduced. my anger

If the symbol on the face is blue, it is a friend, and if it is red, it is an enemy. Because the computer identifies it, the room for mistakes is reduced. In December 2024, surprising news was delivered. The Norwegian Air Force's F-35 and P-8 maritime patrol aircraft successfully established Link-16 communication via a satellite in space. Until now, Link-16 has only worked for line-of-sight communications, that is, within a distance within which people can see each other. Because the Earth was round, there was no direct communication with allies beyond the horizon. However, this limitation was overcome by using the U.S.

Space Agency's low-orbit satellite constellation as a repeater. Now it is possible to share tactical information in real time with allies on the other side of the world. Let me give you a historical analogy. Think of the longbowmen of medieval England. Although the skill of an individual archer was important, the true power lay in the volley of fire. At the commander's signal, hundreds of archers simultaneously fired arrows. When arrows filled the sky and rained down on the enemy lines, the coordinated power of the group, not the power of individual arrows, dominated the battlefield. Network-centric warfare is a modern-day salvo.

The coordination of connected forces, not the performance of individual fighters, determines victory or defeat. However, networks are not omnipotent. Data links become targets for enemy electronic warfare attacks. Communication may be lost if the enemy exerts strong radio interference. Additionally, as more information becomes available, the pilot's cognitive load also increases. With dozens of symbols on the screen, you have to make split-second decisions about which are immediate threats and which can be ignored. You can drown in a flood of information. This is where artificial intelligence enters the scene.

AI analyzes and prioritizes massive amounts of data flowing through the network. Threats that need immediate response are raised to the top, and information that can be ignored is filtered out. A division of targets across the squadron may also be proposed. If a network is a neural network, AI is the brain that controls that neural network. AI will become indispensable in the future joint full-domain command and control system. The Republic of Korea Air Force is also joining this trend. By equipping the F-15K and KF-16 with Link-16, the ROK-U.S. joint warfare capability was achieved.

Link-K, a proprietary data link system, is also being developed. The KF-21 Boramae was designed from the beginning with network-centric warfare in mind. In the future, the KF-21 and the unmanned Loyalist Wingman will be connected by a data link to perform cooperative operations.

The beginning of network-centric warfare was not simply the development of communication technology. It was a fundamental shift in the way we view war. From objects to systems, from firepower to information, from platforms to networks. This paradigm shift has set the stage for artificial intelligence fighter jets to be active.