The Air Force, through the Data Link Management Cell (DLMC) of the Air Command, hosted the first ‘Link 16 Network Design Workshop’ (L16NDW), organised by the Integrated Multi-Link Facility (IMF)/AIRCOM TDLM Branch, which took place between 28 and 30 October at the Portuguese Air Force Association's facilities in Lisbon.

Twenty-three NATO Tactical Data Link (TDL) Network Designers participated in this meeting, including two military personnel from the national DLMC. Exclusively for Network Designers, this meeting was an excellent opportunity to foster direct dialogue, strengthen collaboration and share experiences and knowledge, resulting in added value for technical and operational growth, promoting interoperability between platforms and the resilience of TDL networks.

The participation of the Air Force DLMC in L16NDW ensures the alignment of national requirements with NATO interoperability standards, reaffirming the commitment to maintaining a standard of excellence in TDL Network Design. In addition, it strengthens international cooperation, building bridges with other nations to facilitate the acceptance of national platforms and their specificities during deployments and joint exercises. At the end of the meeting, it was unanimously decided to organise the next L16NDW in Portugal again.