Korea develops indigenous tactical data link

Korea has developed its own tactical data link system to improve interoperability between its ground weapon systems, the state procurement agency said Monday.

The state-run Agency for Defense Development (ADD) unveiled the Korean Variable Message Format (KVMF) after six years of research and development based on VMF already used in the U.S. Army, the Defense Acquisition and Procurement Agency (DAPA) said.

VMF is designed as a common means of exchanging digital data across an interface that could be between combat units at varied organizational levels and applicable to a broad range of tactical communication systems.

"The technology will be applied to 40 kinds of ground tactical weapon systems by 2014 to provide integrated combat capabilities for ground troops," Hwang Jae-joon, a senior researcher at the ADD, said.(Yonhap)