F-35 Conducts First Classified Data-Sharing with U.K. Command System

Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works and the U.K. Royal Air Force (RAF) Rapid Capabilities Office have completed the first live sharing of classified F-35 data with a non-U.S. Command and Control (C2) system.

In this real-time live fly demonstration, an F-35 flying from Lockheed Martin’s facility in Texas, shared classified data via a Skunk Works’ Open Systems Gateway (OSG) through commercial satellite communications and into an RAF RCO lab in Farnborough, UK, where it was ingested into the Nexus C2 system. This achievement marks a significant step forward in multi-domain integration, enabling F-35 interoperability in real-time with a non-U.S. C2 system.

“Project DEIMOS was a successful U.K. / U.S. trial which demonstrated the ability to take data from a live F-35 and pass this to the RAF’s NEXUS platform for exploitation. This represents a key step forward towards both a future integrated battlespace and Air Command and Control environment,” said Air Commodore Chris Melville, head of rapid capabilities office, Royal Air Force. He also mentioned that the RAF’s collaboration with Lockheed Martin and SiXWorks highlighted how working with industry partners could efficiently advance capabilities.