What is Vayulink?

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About Vayu Link-

• Vayulink is effectively a data link system which connects all entities, combat and non-combat, through a single link.
• It has been developed by Wing Commander Vishal Mishra, a helicopter pilot with the Indian Air Force (IAF). 
• He said it will not only help enhance battlefield transparency through identification of friendly forces in a combat situation — whether airborne or on the ground — through secure, jammer-proof communication, but will also arm pilots with accurate weather data before they fly.
• The Vayulink system was showcased by the IAF at the Aero India 2023 show in Bengaluru recently.
• With more emphasis on future joint battles and the military opting for more indigenous weapon systems, this homegrown solution is expected to benefit all users in a joint battlespace by providing real-time combat identification. 
• It will improve mission execution capabilities and reduce weather-linked accidents.
• It  will facilitate better coordination during complex operations and curb instances of mistaken fratricide as happened in Budgam in the aftermath of the 2019 Balakot air strikes.
• It integrates inputs available from multiple sources in a joint battlefield and provides near real-time data to operators, thereby vastly improving their situational awareness and consequently aiding in effective decision making.
• The IAF has already deployed the system on a trial basis at forward locations in the Western and Northern sectors.  
•  The system can help you get the position of all friendly forces in a battlefield or even those in support roles. When in use in a complex combat situation, the system can help all aircraft see each other’s position and location of ground troops.
• The system can have a range of applications and is not confined to one service, but can integrate all combat entities through a single link. 

• It has also been inducted into the Army under the name Trishul link.

• It is learnt that the system can also curb Budgam-like cases of mistaken fratricide by bringing in battlefield transparency that will enable the ground crew to identify friendly forces and be aware of their exact positions.
• After the Balakot air strikes in 2019, the IAF had shot down its Mi-17 V5 helicopter at Budgam by mistake, killing six personnel on board. 
• The helicopter’s IFF (Identification of Friend or Foe) system was also switched off, which had led to gaps in communication between the helicopter crew and the ground forces.
• The existing IFF systems is only applicable to an aircraft and requires radars to function. 
• On the other hand, the Vayulink system can be carried by an aircraft, individual troops or armoured vehicles on ground, distinguishing them from their enemy counterparts. 
• Secondly, the IFF system has limitations with respect to the line of sight.
• The Vayulink system can also arm the pilot with real-time weather details before flying, thereby preventing accidents.

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