HHI guaranteed to pay to solve any Link 16 compatibility problems with its NS CMS

If the Philippine Navy (PN) finally acquires the Link 16 Tactical Data Link (TDL) capability in the future and has problems integrating it into the Naval Shield (NS) Combat Management System (CMS) of the Jose Rizal class Ships, the South Korean Shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has guaranteed to pay for any cost involved to solve the problem.

As of now the NS is not yet officially certified to be Link 16 compatible yet, but has shown compatibility with the Link 16 Compatibility Test Tool called Air Defense System Integrator (ADSI) made by Ultra Electronics.

As per previous news reports, the NS CMS plans to try to be officially qualified for Link 16 in 2021.

SOURCES:
* South Korean Shipbuilder to bankroll integration of new PH Warships’ Combat Systems with Link 16
* Philippine Navy’s first brand new Warship comes Home

Check out my Links: https://linktr.ee/rhk111

On the Naval Shield CMS’ Link 16 Compatibility as per the Inquirer – May 2020

A rather long discussion by the Inquirer on the Link 16 Compatibility issue surrounding the Naval Shield (NS) Combat Management System (CMS) of the Jose Rizal class Frigates. Let me try to summarize the major points:

* The President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) sent a letter to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana the Final Acceptance Evaluation be done in the Philippines after delivery of the vessel

* Stipulated in the Contract is that HHI has the sole right to choose the Subsystems which was supposedly opposed by the Navy but accepted by the Department of National Defense or DND (my comments, this is wrong, more on this below after the summary)

* HHI promised in 2017 that the NS CMS will be compatible with Link 16 by 2019 or by the delivery of the first vessel

* The NS CMS has reportedly demonstrated Link 16 compatibility using the Ultra Systems’ Air Defense System Integrator (ADSI) during the Sea Acceptance Tests (SAT) in February 2020

* However, the NS CMS has not yet been given the Link 16 compatibility Certification by the United States (US) Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC)

* The Standard Conformity Tests by the US JITC for the NS CMS for Link 16 compatibility may be done in 2021.

* The Defense Minister of South Korea also wrote to Lorenzana guaranteeing the accreditation of Ultra Systems’ ADSI to Certification to conduct Link 16 compatibility.

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Basically this means that the NS CMS has been proven to be Link 16 compatible using the ADSI, but it has not been officially certified by the US JITC yet. The NS CMS will still have to pass tests made by the US JITC which could be performed next year (2021).

If it passes those tests, only then can the US JITC officially certify it as Link 16 compatible.

As I understand it, the Link 16 Unit themselves cannot be installed on the Jose Rizal class Frigates until the US JITC certifies the NS CMS to be Link 16 compatible. The acquisition and installation of the Link 16 Units themselves will require a separate request from the US.

For now the NS CMS will be able to do all of its functions except share data thru a Link 16 unit. This is important to note, the NS CMS will not be useless without Link 16, it just cannot share data thru it.

As for the PN not agreeing to the Contract stipulation that HHI has the sole choice to choose the Sub-Contractors, this is wrong because former PN Flag Officer in Command (FOIC) Admiral Caesar Taccad agreed to it, he even testified in Congress agreeing to it, and the Inquirer itself reported it. 

It was the next FOIC Vice Admiral Ronald Joseph Mercado that opposed that Contract Stipulation.

SOURCES:
* Philippine Navy’s first brand new Warship comes home
* Hyundai’s pick for Frigate System ‘not bad for Navy’

Check out my Links: https://linktr.ee/rhk111