F-22 And F-35 Datalinks Communicate Freely With Each Other During Project Hydra Demonstration Event Written 3 May 2021

The Drive reported that during a demonstration event known as Project Hydra, “five F-35A Joint Strike Fighters and a single F-22 Raptor ‘talked’ with each other using their proprietary stealthy datalinks via a U-2S Dragon Lady spy plane carrying a specialized communications gateway payload.” Skunk Works Vice President and General Manager Jeff Babione said in a statement, “Project Hydra marks the first time that bi-directional communications were established between 5th Generation aircraft in-flight while also sharing operational and sensor data down to ground operators for real-time capability.” Babione added, “This next-level connectivity reduces the data-to-decision timeline from minutes to seconds, which is critical in fighting today’s adversaries and advanced threats.”
Full Story (The Drive)