FiberLink: all benefits of fiber optic transmission along with broad format support and reliable performance

FiberLink Meets Government/Military Need for Secure, Real-Time Video and Data

Why are our FiberLink products found in government and military installations including submarines, training centers, rocket launch facilities, aircraft carriers, UAVs, and field operations in active war zones? Because they deliver all the benefits of fiber optic transmission along with broad format support and reliable performance.

FiberLink got its start in security and intelligent transportation, where fiber allows for secure, low-latency, long-distance transport of data and high-resolution video. This capability quickly made FiberLink solutions a popular choice for audio, video, and data transport in government/military facilities and deployments.

Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, our VGA-over-fiber products were a particularly popular choice for military training centers, where the units facilitated video transport for the many VGA computers used across various bases. While many of those VGA systems remain in use at military facilities (and many others), many have been replaced by our DVI capable FiberLink systems. Today the FiberLink family supports nearly every type of video, audio, and data signal from 4K/3G/HD/SD-SDI to composite video, DVI, and RGBHV.

As opposed to transport over copper, which comes with distance and bandwidth limitations, as well as vulnerability to EMI and electronic interception, fiber naturally addresses key requirements in government and military applications. It enables isolation of signals between conference rooms just feet apart, and between military facilities many miles apart, such as U.S. and its allies’ foreign bases during various conflicts. Instantaneous communications and videoconferencing support joint training, coordinated troop movements, targeted rocket launches, and other time-sensitive activities.

Because fiber allows for real-time transport of data, it also can be used during warfighting to bring data from aerostats, the tethered blimps that gather imaging and other data about enemy installations and activity, to the ground for accurate decision-making in the moment. A new generation of smaller FiberLink systems is a common choice for modern UAVs, as well.

At various test ranges and launch facilities, FiberLink transports high-resolution images (up to 4K) from a broad array of cameras to give operators a real-time look at every detail. For rocket and shuttle launches at various bases, FiberLink enables monitoring of video and data in a control room that might be miles away. For PTZ cameras mounted on an aircraft carrier at sea to monitor aircraft movement on different decks, FiberLink supports comprehensive control and monitoring with high-resolution images. Even submarines take advantage of FiberLink. The light weight of fiber makes it an obvious choice for RS data communications and intercom across the watercraft.

Artel has continually invested in the FiberLink family to ensure it addresses the latest requirements of users across many different sectors, including government and military. These are just a few examples — the ones we can talk about! — of how FiberLink is currently being deployed. Keep an eye out for the next post in this series, which explores the ways FiberLink has enabled significant improvements to video and data transport for healthcare.

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