Retrofitting data links and agreeing fleet standards

Could data links be retrofitted to Type 31 and Type 32 ships?

Yes. The harder question is specifying and funding the interoperability needed to share targeting information with British and allied ships.

Data links could be retrofitted to British ships, but the purpose of integration needs to be specified. One proposal is for British radars to support missiles carried by allied ships, without requiring Britain to buy those missiles itself. A domestically developed cooperative-engagement system would need funded interoperability with NATO partners as well as British ships. Common standards should be part of the initial contract, because adding them after delivery can become an expensive upgrade. The comparison with incompatible health-service systems illustrates the cost of leaving integration requirements unspecified.