# Common Data Link (CDL) Specification Development, Validation, Test and Maintenance

**R-2A activity** of project 641334 — Common Data Link (CDL)  
**Program element:** 0305236F — Common Data Link (CDL)  
**Component:** U.S. Air Force · **Budget Activity:** 4  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0305236F/641334/a1  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0305236F

## Summary

This activity requests $11.7M in FY2027, 44% of project 641334, down 9.3% on FY2026. The R-2A exhibit describes it across FY2026–FY2027, including what the FY2027 money is planned to buy.

## What the FY2027 request buys

**FY2027 planned work.** - Will continue development of vendor and government owned reference implementation of the new LPI/LPD/AJ waveform to perform future test and validation to ensure the CDL specification is accurate and can be built by multiple vendors in the future, therefore keeping the market space open. - Will continue evaluation, analysis and study of network management devices, network and waveform configuration tool development; transition improved technologies into CDL Specification baseline that increases data sharing across Service-specific networks. - Will continue development and advancement of dynamical control algorithms to enable terminals to more efficiently use CDL spectrum. This work is also to validate the CDL Common Control Interface. - Will continue to work with CDL industry partners and DoW Services and Agencies to document, validate, and test common terminal control interfaces through use of commercially recognized standards. - Will continue configuration control of the CDL architecture, standards, specifications and reference artifacts to support open interoperability and open competition. - Will continue development of JITC CDL test equipment capable of compliance testing to the latest, validated version of CDL specifications and enhance DoW-wide interoperability testing. - Will continue development of NCDL Aurora waveforms.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** The reduced budgetary allocations for Accomplishments/Planned Programs come from a department of War program funding cut of 20% across the FYDP. The Common Data Link (CDL) program focused on core competencies of waveform specification maintenance and updates, as well as cryptographic core modernization and SERD 2.0 compliance.

## Before the request year

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Continue development of vendor and government owned reference implementation of the new LPI/LPD/AJ waveform to perform future test and validation to ensure the CDL specification is accurate and can be built by multiple vendors in the future, therefore keeping the market space open. - Continue evaluation, analysis and study of network management devices, network and waveform configuration tool development; transition improved technologies into CDL Specification baseline that increases data sharing across Service-specific networks. - Continue development and advancement of dynamical control algorithms to enable terminals to more efficiently use CDL spectrum. This work is also to validate the CDL Common Control Interface. - Continue to work with CDL industry partners and DoD Services and Agencies to document, validate, and test common terminal control interfaces through use of commercially recognized standards. - Continue configuration control of the CDL architecture, standards, specifications and reference artifacts to support open interoperability and open competition. - Continue development of JITC CDL test equipment capable of compliance testing to the latest, validated version of CDL specifications and enhance DoW-wide interoperability testing. - Will publish Network Common Data Link (NCDL) Aurora Mode 501 Specification.

## Funding

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 11.0 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 12.9 |
| FY2027 | Request | 11.7 |

> Prior, current and budget year only — an R-2A activity carries no five-year plan. It sums exactly into its project in the request year and not necessarily in any other.

## Other activities in project 641334

- [Common Data Link (CDL) Technology Advancement](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0305236F/641334/a0) — FY2027 10.2
- Common Data Link (CDL) Cryptographic Modernization — FY2027 4.5

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibit R-2A, PE 0305236F project 641334 (PB PB2027). Narrative is the government's own text.
- **No marks, no contractors at this grain** — congressional marks land on the program element and R-3 performers on the project.
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_activity`.

*HitchAI is an independent intelligence service, not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense. Budget figures are requests/estimates, not obligations.*