Market for Fiber Optic Test & Measurement Equipment for Avionic Systems

The market for test and measurement equipment and services for military and aerospace is still in the development stage. Test and Measurement equipment developed for the telecommunications field is being used in the military and aerospace field with mixed results. The equipment in the telecommunications field is mostly single mode while the majority of the military and aerospace systems are multimode.

IGIC has produced the only available market research study devoted to Military and Aerospace Fiber Optics in Avionic Systems. The report includes both military and commercial aircraft including fighter aircraft, transport aircraft, UAVs and commercial aircraft. IGIC estimates the total fiber optic market for these two markets at $306 million in 2009, growing to $703 million in 2013. This increase in total market is due to a number of factors including greater acceptance of this new technology driven by the rapid acceptance and developments in the telecommunications field. Other factors include the need to reduce size and weight, the need for higher bandwidth, and the opening of the UAV market. Despite the desire to use more fiber in aircraft, specific military and aerospace requirements present major barriers. These include the unavailability of COTS, lack of hardened components for the military and aerospace environment, available test and maintenance procedures and the availability of low cost, easy to use test and measurement equipment.

Table of Contents:
-1-   Introduction
-2-   Approach
-3-   History of Fiber Optics in Avionics for Military and Commercial Aircraft
-4-   Advantages of Fiber Optics over Existing Copper Media
-5-   Present Fiber Optics in Aircraft

-6-   Potential weight savings using fiber optics in aircraft
-7-   Special Characteristics of Aircraft Wiring
-8-   Military and Commercial Systems that Have Fiber Optic Data Links Installed
-9-   Fiber Optics in Commercial Aircraft
-10- Forecasts of Military and Commercial Aircraft and Fiber Optics Markets
-11- Avionics fiber optics standards 
 

IGIC expects the report to be available by May 15, 2010