Photo By NAWCAD Visual Information | An engineer from the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) demonstrates...... read more read more
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The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) is expanding naval aviation’s fiber optic repair capability by 400 percent, turning a supply chain weakness into in-house Navy capability that keeps strike and patrol aircraft mission ready.
"Modern military aircraft are highly advanced digital systems, and fiber optics are a critical part of how they operate,” said NAWCAD Commander Rear Adm. Todd Evans. “Building this repair capability in-house improves readiness and keeps our aircraft on mission instead of waiting for maintenance.”
When an aircraft’s fiber optic lines are damaged, the crew cannot send or receive vital, real-time mission data. Historically, these complex cable repairs required relying on a single external commercial source, creating a significant logistics bottleneck that stretched turnaround times and kept aircraft grounded.
To solve the challenge, NAWCAD engineers created a new standardized training and certification process that verifies the safety and effectiveness at Navy fiber repair sites. A NAWCAD lab was the first in the Navy to achieve the new standard, creating an official model for future repair sites to follow.
The breakthrough dramatically increases the variety of fiber connections the Navy can fix in-house, quadrupling repair capability to keep many of the Navy’s most critical aircraft flying, including the P-8A Poseidon, F/A-18 Hornet, EA-18G Growler, F-35 Lightning II, MQ-4C Triton, E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, E-6B Mercury, and KC-130J Super Hercules.
Recognizing the value of the in-house capability, NAWCAD secured $150,000 to stand up a dedicated Fiber Research and Development Lab. The new facility will ensure Navy maintainers stay ahead of emerging fiber technologies as data demands grow across military aviation.
NAWCAD employs military, civilian, and contract personnel to operate test ranges, laboratories, and aircraft in support of test, evaluation, research, development, and sustainment for all Navy and Marine Corps aviation platforms. Based in Patuxent River, Maryland, NAWCAD also has major sites in St. Inigoes, Maryland; Lakehurst, New Jersey; and Orlando, Florida.
| Date Taken: | 08.05.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 08.05.2026 11:49 |
| Story ID: | 571633 |
| Location: | PATUXENT RIVER, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 32 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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