ADatP-3 (Allied Data Publication Number 3) / NATO Message Catalogue (APP-11)

The ADatP-3 standard specifies character formatted oriented messages and is used by NATO nations and Allied Forces to exchange structured information. ADatP-3 is also used within national systems and may be released to other countries on request.

NATO messages that conform to the ADatP-3 rules are contained in APP-11(C), currently with over 300 messages to choose from, and have a wide number of the information exchange requirements satisfied by Formatted messages, which are also reflected to as Message Text Formats or simply MTFs. MTFs are only concerned with the information that needs to be communicated, presenting it in a logical, well specified and unambiguous layout. MTFs are unconcerned about the transmission medium (provided plain text can be passed) and, because of the high highly efficient information payload to overhead ratio can be transmitted as effectively over HF teletype or Fax as over the latest NEC networks.

The content of the NATO Message Catalogue APP-11(C) has been developed by military operators who are experts in their field through a spiral process over the last 20 years. Messages are regularly maintained to keep pace with the latest tactics and doctrine. Some of the most widely used messages include the Air Tasking Order (ATO) and Airspace Control Order (ACO), OPTASK and OPSTAT messages as well as logistic and the latest set of CBRN messages. 

Since 2008 the ADatP-3 MTFs can either be represented as slash delimited textual messages or as XML messages, with a clear mapping between the two, making the message set Network Enabled Capability ready. Prior to 2008 the messages were only available as slash delimited textual messages. Since 2008, the APP-11 message catalogue (the message definitions) is delivered as XML-MTF schemas. Prior to 2008 the message catalogue was distributed as textual reports, database backups and as proprietary Systematic IRIS mission files used by IRIS products.

Description of message releases:

BASELINE 10.0.1 – released 1997:

Baseline 10.0.1 contains 226 MTFs. The entire baseline was classified; although only a minor part (10) were actually classified. Systematic is not aware of any systems still using this baseline.

BASELINE 11 – released 1999:

Baseline 11 contains 324 MTFs. This was the first baseline that was produced in both a classified and an unclassified version. The unclassified version contains 275 MTFs.

Baseline 11 was also the first baseline that was produced both in a current version, which contains the messages for immediate operational use, and a “future” version, which contains 10 MTFs that were meant for implementation trials in the NATO ACCS system. A number of the Baseline 11 Current and Future messages are still being used in operational systems.

BASELINE 12 – released 2002:

Baseline 12 contains 342 MTFs, of which 28 are classified and 11 are contained in the future version.
Systematic are not aware of any systems still using this baseline.

BASELINE 12.2 – released 2004:

Baseline 12.2 contains 346 MTFs, of which 16 are classified. The future version was not included in this baseline since no changes were made in the future MTFs since Baseline 12.
Systematic are aware that messages from this Baseline is quite widely implemented

Maritime Amendment Package (MAP) – released 2006:

The Maritime Amendment Package contains updates to 29 unclassified MTFs for maritime use. These are still being used in a large number of maritime systems.

With the change of the ADatP-3 specification in 2008, the operational release of messages were contained in APP-11(C)

APP-11(C) Original – released 2008, effective Jun 2010

APP-11(C) Original also known as “baseline 13.1” contains 351 MTFs . This is the first fully unclassified release and also the first release or messages delivered as XML-MTF schemas.

APP-11(C) Change 1 – released 2010, effective 1 Jan 2011:

APP-11(C) Change 1 also known as “baseline 14” contains 367 MTFs. This is the current complete set of all XML-MTFs. Having de-risked early adoption of XML-MTF Systematic anticipated that this version of the message catalogue will have wide adoption by all communities.

APP-11(C) Change 2 – projected for release 2011:

It is anticipated APP-11(C) Change 2 will be released in late 2011 and be effective from early 2012. A limited set of new and urgently required messages for use in current operations will be included in this change. It is understood by Systematic that this release will include an XML-MTF schema agreed by all nations for the NFFI message to replace the temporary schema in STANAG 5527.