Navy to ink contract with Northrop for MQ-8C tactical datalink integration, retrofits

The Navy plans to negotiate a contract with Northrop Grumman for the integration and fielding of a tactical datalink onboard the MQ-8C unmanned aerial vehicle.

The contract will "continue Phase I non-recurring design engineering necessary to integrate and field a Tactical Datalink (Link-16) capability into radar equipped MQ-8Cs," according to the public Navy notice published yesterday. "This effort will also include procurement of up to 38 retrofit kits and installs."

Robert Behler, the director operational test and evaluation, heavily criticized the aircraft program in his most recent annual report, stating it was "not operationally effective." Behler attributed the assessment in part to the "poor reliability and inconsistency" of the Tactical Common Data Link.

"The TCDL is the conduit for payload and video control," he wrote.

Following the report's publication, the Navy's program manager, Capt. Eric Soderberg, told Inside Defense most of the issues mentioned in the document had been corrected. He also said the problems did not interfere with the aircraft’s operational deployment.