New Materials for High Temperature Towlines

The Navy utilizes towed decoys to protect their aircraft. When performing high Angle of Attack maneuvers, the trailing towline is impinged on by the afterburners’ exhaust. This can cause the separation or lack of operation of the decoy. The Navy needs a wire insulation system that can be spooled around a 0.25” radius, be flexible when stored at -60°C to +85°C, and electrically insulate >2500V when exposed for six 30 second exposures at 700°C to 1000°C. The insulation must be thin, as the total towline diameter is 0.062” for up to 5 conductors and an optical fiber within structural braids to hold the 200 pound tensile load. In addition to improvements to the wire insulation, higher temperature capable structural elements to carry the loads at the 700 – 1000°C exposures are needed. In Phase I, Triton Systems will demonstrate the feasibility of an advanced heat tolerant tow cable concept. Phase I will include component level testing of materials systems and a design for prototype towline fabrication in Phase II. During Phase II, Triton Systems will continue to optimize the towline materials designs and produce and test prototypes of the towlines.