▁T AD IL - J ▁message ▁format ▁forms ▁the ▁basis ▁for ▁the ▁mand ates ▁in ▁the ▁Do D ▁T act ical ▁Data ▁Link ▁Management ▁Plan . ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁benefits ▁to ▁the ▁full - scale ▁implementation ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁key ▁elements ▁of ▁Link - 1 6 : ▁( 1 ) ▁the ▁message ▁" catalog " ▁and ▁( 2 ) ▁the ▁specific ▁radio ▁wave form ▁( i . e ., ▁frequency ▁ho pped , ▁L x - band ▁C PS M , ▁spread - spect rum ▁and ▁Re ed – Sol omon ▁coding , ▁om ni - direction al ▁broadcast ). ▁Link ▁ 1 6 ▁terminal s ▁implement ▁the ▁" NI " ▁node - to - node ▁protocol s ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁one ▁or ▁more ▁of ▁the ▁I CD - comp li ant ▁user ▁interfaces . ▁ ▁Origin ▁and ▁history ▁ ▁J T ID S ▁began ▁with ▁an ▁advanced ▁planning ▁study ▁spons ored ▁by ▁the ▁Air ▁Force ▁Electron ic ▁Systems ▁Division ▁( ES D ) ▁Advanced ▁Pl ans ▁( X R ) ▁at ▁L . G . ▁Hans com ▁Field . ▁ ▁The ▁study ▁was ▁conducted ▁by ▁the ▁M IT RE ▁Corporation ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁and ▁the ▁principal ▁investig ators ▁were ▁Vic ▁Des mar ines ▁who ▁later ▁became ▁M IT RE ▁President ▁and ▁Gordon ▁Wel ch man ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁instrument al ▁in ▁breaking ▁the ▁German ▁En igma ▁machine ▁code ▁as ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁" H ut ▁ 6 " ▁at ▁B let ch ley ▁Park , ▁England . ▁ ▁Gordon