It was established by the U.S. Department of Defense in 1991 as the military's primary protocol for imagery and signals intelligence.
The FY06 Authorization Act (Public Law 109-163) requires use of CDL for all imagery, unless waiver is granted.
It uses a Ku narrowband uplink that is used for both payload and vehicle control, and a wideband downlink for data transfer.
The TCDL uses both directional and omnidirectional antennas to transmit and receive the Ku band signal.
The TCDL transmits radar, imagery, video, and other sensor information at rates from 1.544 Mbit/s to 10.7 Mbit/s over ranges of 200 km.