“We’ve waited years”: Expert outlines NATO’s ‘military Wi-Fi’ benefits for Ukraine

This was stated on Espreso TV by military expert Pavlo Lakiychuk, head of security programs at the Center for Global Studies “Strategy XXI.”

“This is something we’ve been waiting for and requesting for many years—even before the full-scale invasion: to equip Ukraine’s Armed Forces with the Link-16 command and communication system. It’s an extremely important system that unites all airborne and naval elements of NATO member states,” he said.

Lakiychuk explained that while each platform has its own receivers, transmitters, and data processing units, they all operate within a single, integrated system.

“Now that we’re joining this network, the first and most important thing is aircraft from our partners—F-16s and French Mirages. Also, the Patriot air defense systems. One of the first losses happened because two NATO systems couldn’t ‘see’ each other. If Link-16 had been in place, both the pilots and the air defense operators would have had full situational awareness. These systems would have operated autonomously without the need for manual coordination,” he noted.

“The second key point for aviation: we’ve long discussed Sweden’s promise to provide us with two Saab airborne early warning aircraft. These are essentially flying radars that not only gather intelligence but also coordinate air forces. The capabilities of Western aircraft increase significantly when supported by this kind of technology,” the expert added.

He believes that equipping Ukraine’s MiG and Su-27 aircraft with Link-16 will be a game-changer that levels the playing field with Russian aviation.

“Link-16 is also a key system for naval units and our Navy—this, too, would be a breakthrough. I truly hope that the licensing agreement already includes, or will soon include, provisions for integrating our systems,” Lakiychuk concluded.

• The last group of F-16 jets has left the Netherlands, marking a key milestone in supporting Ukraine’s air defense against Russian aggression.