Supplement: Interconnection
Fibre optics – essential for aerospace and military systems
ODU Connectors have launched a new website dedicated to aerospace and military applications. CIE asks Nick Harper, the MD at ODU-UK Ltd, why they have done this now.
M 28 June 2025
odern military
infrastructure is now totally dependent on real-time, data-driven intelligence, driving targeting and
command & control systems that are linked across every platform. On today’s battlefield, highly interlinked troops, fighter aircraft, drones, ships, submarines and missile systems exchange instantaneous mission critical data. Ruggedised fibre-optic networks support this infrastructure.
Up to now, ODU has not had a major fi bre- optic product-line dedicated to this market, but as we intend to grow our presence, then it was an issue we needed to address. As our strategy in any market is to offer performance improvements then, because of the recent advances in data centre fi bre-optics, new connector options became available. We think this gives us the opportunity to introduce a game-changer. But fi rst, let’s look at the background - the concept of fi bre-optics isn’t new, as this
Components in Electronics
simplifi ed development time-line shows: 1870: John Tyndall demonstrates that
light, fl owing through a stream of water, follows the path of the stream due to total internal refl ection (TIR) - the basic concept of fi bre-optics. 1954: First demonstrations of image transmission via fi bre bundles. 1966: STC Labs demonstrates low loss single-mode fi bre, with optical cladding over a glass core. 1968: UK Post Offi ce pulls clad optical
fi bres from molten glass in a double crucible. 1971: Digital video over fi bre
demonstrated to Queen Elizabeth II at the IEE. 1978: UK Post Office & others commit to developing a single-mode transatlantic fibre cable. 1984: Kyocera introduces ceramic ferrules for connectors that are precise enough for single mode. 1984: British Telecom lays first submarine fibre to carry regular traffic to the Isle of Wight.
www.cieonline.co.uk
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