RUGGEDIZED OPTICAL FIBER OPTIMIZED FOR MILITARY APPLICATIONS

THIS PROPOSAL DESCRIBES THE PHASE I DEVELOPMENT WORK FOR AN OPTICAL FIBER WHICH HAS PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS ENHANCED FOR MILITARY APPLICATIONS. FUTURE MILITARY APPLICATIONS WILL BE RESEARCHED TO DETERMINE THE TYPE OF FIBER WHICH WILL BE IN GREATEST DEMAND. PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS DESIRED FOR THESE APPLICATIONS WILL BE DOCUMENTED AND TRADE OFF STUDIES PERFORMED TO DETERMINE THE OPTIMIZATION LEVELS ATTAINABLE. A DETAILED SPECIFICATION FOR AN OPTICAL FIBER WILL THEN BE GENERATED AND A PRELIMINARY PROCESS STUDY PERFORMED TO GAUGE THE FEASIBILITY OF MANUFACTURING THE FIBER. ANTICIPATED BENEFITS/POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS - MILITARY SYSTEMS INCORPORATING OPTICAL FIBER WOULD NO LONGER BE DEPENDANT UPON COMMERCIAL FIBER DESIGNS WHICH ARE OPTIMIZED FOR TELCO APPLICATIONS AND ARE OFTEN CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY. STANDARDIZATION COULD BE ACHIEVED, COSTS LOWERED, AND OPTICAL FIBER PERFORMANCE & RELIABILITY IMPROVED.