F-35 data shared in-flight with Dutch C2 system during Ramstein Flag exercise
NewsApril 15, 2025
LEEUWARDEN AIR BASE, Netherlands. The Royal Netherlands Air Force and Lockheed Martin Skunk Works demonstrated the first live, in-flight transfer of classified F-35 targeting data to a non-U.S. command-and-control system during the Ramstein Flag multi-domain operations exercise, the company announced in a statement.
During the exercise, Dutch F-35s detected and identified simulated targets in an anti-access/area denial scenario and relayed targeting information through the Multifunction Advanced Datalink to Lockheed Martin’s Open Systems Gateway. That gateway transferred the data into the Netherlands’ Keystone command-and-control environment, which then passed the information to a rocket artillery platform. The system engaged and confirmed destruction of a simulated target within minutes, the statement reads.
According to the company, this marks a milestone in enabling real-time interoperability between the F-35 and allied command-and-control systems. The Open Systems Gateway is designed to extract and relay sensor data from the F-35 to ground-based air and missile defense systems for coordinated engagement, the company says.
The demonstration was conducted in coordination with United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA), the statement adds.
