Fly-by-fibre drones are less vulnerable to jamming, EMI and unreliable performance
Wireless disruption in drone operations is driving renewed interest in fibre-based communications, leading ATGBICS—now an Astute franchise—to develop a bidirectional optical transceiver platform designed for defense drone deployments in contested electromagnetic environments.
The network connectivity specialists recently completed a fly-by-fibre programme for a defence-focused UAV manufacturer using custom 1×9 BiDi through-hole transceivers. According to an ATGBICS case study, the system was developed to maintain communications integrity where conventional RF links faced disruption, interception or jamming.
BiDi Fibre Architecture Reduces RF Exposure in UAV Operations
The programme centred on bidirectional fibre communications using paired BiDi optical transceivers capable of transmitting and receiving data over a single fibre channel. The architecture reduces cable mass and connector count compared with duplex fibre arrangements while avoiding RF emissions associated with traditional wireless telemetry systems.
ATGBICS stated the design used through-hole components to improve mechanical retention under sustained vibration and shock loading. The transceivers also underwent environmental validation across multiple operating conditions before approval for production deployment.
The company said the final configuration included “a controlled BOM for consistency and traceability”. ATGBICS also confirmed supply planning for 500 transceiver pairs to support deployment schedules and programme continuity.
Defence Drone Programmes Increase Focus on Hardened Optical Links
The use of fibre-guided and fibre-linked systems has accelerated across defence drone development as electronic warfare conditions intensify in Ukraine and other active theatres. Fibre communications provide immunity to RF jamming and make signal interception significantly more difficult during low-altitude or autonomous operations.
According to a Royal United Services Institute assessment of battlefield electronic warfare trends, Russian and Ukrainian forces continue expanding GPS denial and RF disruption capabilities across frontline zones. This has increased demand for alternative communications architectures in UAV and loitering munition programmes.
ATGBICS’ implementation focused on maintaining long-distance data integrity while simplifying integration into existing drone control systems. They described it as a “fully validated solution” following testing across several hardware configurations.
Controlled Component Supply Remains Central to Defence UAV Production
Supply assurance has become a critical factor for defence electronics manufacturers facing extended lead times on optical and networking components. Through-hole optical modules remain less common than surface-mount alternatives, particularly for ruggedised aerospace and military systems requiring long operational life cycles and repairability.
The ATGBICS programme included controlled sourcing and traceability measures intended to support qualification consistency between production batches. This remains particularly relevant for defence manufacturers operating under fixed programme certification requirements and export controls.
The broader defence optics market has also tightened as governments expand procurement of autonomous systems, ISR platforms and electronic warfare countermeasures. Optical communications hardware capable of resisting vibration, thermal cycling and EMI exposure continues to command longer procurement cycles than standard commercial networking components.
ATGBICS said its supply chain planning allowed delivery continuity for the UAV programme while maintaining approved component consistency throughout manufacturing.
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