Fiber optic cables help special operators stay concealed.

• Author: Wagner, Breanne
• Position: SPECIAL OPERATIONS

TACOMA, WASH. -- Fiber optic cables that connect tactical radios to antennas up to 10 kilometers away or farther can be useful tools in covert operations, said an industry expert.

The technology replaces shorter, heavier cables that can be more easily detected by enemy forces. "The enemy knows antennas mean command and control," said Raymond Madonna, vice president of Syntonics LLC, a supplier of military communications equipment.

Instead of using one regular coaxial cable for each radio, an operator can use one lightweight fiber optic cable to connect all his radios on the battlefield, said Madonna.

The technology is called the fiber optic remote antenna extension RF-over fiber communications system, or FORAX. The company began supplying the system to the U.S. Special Operations Command in 2005.

The hardware is also installed in national command centers in the Pentagon.

The ability to link battlefield radios to antennas that are located several kilometers away eliminates the grouping of antennas and radios in one spot, Madonna said during a Lodestar Group special operations conference. Clusters of radios and antennas create huge targets for adversaries, he said.

Fiber optic cables can transmit data...