What is Link-11?

Link-11 is a NATO military tactical data exchange network used to exchange near real-time data among naval ships, aircraft, and land-based stations. It uses a half-duplex HF radio link and a complex message structure (M-series messages) to transmit information such as position, identification, status, and weapons data, contributing to situational awareness and coordination in joint operations. Although largely superseded by newer, higher bandwidth datalinks like Link-16, Link-11 remains in use, particularly where interoperability with older systems is required, or where lower bandwidth communications are the only option.