Development of a generic fiber-optic cable repair-kit

Repairing fiber-optic cables so they remain operational in a tactical environment has been impossible due to the lack of commercially available repair hardware. Due to this deficiency, action was needed to design, develop, and test prototype repair hardware enclosed in a portable field kit capable of being used in a tactical/field environment. Repair hardware components enclosed in the kit include commercially available tools for removing the cable jacket and fiber buffer, a hand-held cleaver, and mechanical epoxyless splices that fit inside a splice enclosure assembly (SEA). The SEA surrounds and attaches to the repaired fibers (mechanical splices) to protect them from outside physical forces present under tactical usage conditions. The primary design objective was to produce a repaired fiber-optic cable that exhibits the same strength characteristics as unbroken cable. The final SEA design was validated after successfully passing all phases of testing. Prototype kits were produced and transported to the field for additional testing. >