Sumitomo Electric Lightwave’s FutureFLEX Air-Blown Fiber wins Qualified Product Listing for military and Navy shipboard contracts

The Air-Blown Fiber products--having undergone extensive mechanical, optical, environmental, chemical, and flame and smoke testing--meet MIL-PRF-85045 naval sea system requirements and qualifications.

Included in the QPL are the FutureFLEX Air-Blown Fiber Systems’ major components and respective government designations: 7-tube cable (M85045/25-01S), 1-tube cable (M85045/26-01S), 62.5 micron multimode 6-fiber bundle (M85045/27-01), 62.5 micron multimode 18-fiber bundle (M85045/29-0118), single-mode 6-fiber bundle(M85045/27-02), and single-mode 18 fiber bundle (M85045/29-0218).

The one and seven tube cables form the fiber cable pathway through which fiber bundles are blown in and out at speeds of up to 150 feet per minute. The system provides U.S. Navy ships with mission-critical speed and performance for quick fiber installations, upgrades, restorations, and any moves, adds, and changes (MACs) for ship alteration while at dockside or at sea.

The FutureFLEX Air-Blown Fiber System enables fiber to be installed even in highly secure or hazardous areas of the ship. It is also non-disruptive, eliminating the need to access overhead cableways and secure areas, pull floor deck plates/panels, or disturb the watertight integrity of the ship for fiber installations network upgrades, and changes.

“The QPL listing allows Sumitomo Electric Lightwave to serve better the U.S Navy by providing its Air-Blown Fiber technology across all Navy ship classes,” comments Kurt Templeman, Sumitomo Electric Lightwave’s director of enterprise networks.