A Prototype Single-Mode Tactical Fiber Optic Cable,

Abstract : A ruggedized all-dielectric cable with two tightly buffered dual wavelength single-mode fibers was designed to meet the rigors of tactical deployment. The cable was designed against specific requirements to achieve desirable mechanical and optical performance. Testing included environmental attenuation performance over the temperature range of -46 C to +71 C. Mechanical durability tests of cyclic flex, radial compression, knot, cold bending, tensile strength, and impact were performed in accordance with DOD-STD-1678. Laboratory-fabricated cable samples met or surpassed the thermal and mechanical requirements, exhibiting a mean added loss of less than 0.1 dB/km at 130 and 1550 nm over the temperature range of -46 C to +71 C.