Overview of Air Force radiation effects programs in fibre optics

The requirement for developing military systems which are insensitive to nuclear and electromagnetic (EM) radiation effects has been greatly advanced using fibre optic technology. While optical fibres do not exhibit sensitivity to EM fields, exposure to nuclear fields does result in various adverse response phenomena. These phenomena have prompted a systematic investigation of fibre optic nuclear radiation effects by several Air Force Laboratories. The paper discusses these results from a perspective of historical events and by experiments which have influenced incorporation of fibre optics into military inventories. New directions and programs involving space experiments in fibre optics, guided wave and integrated optic technologies are also presented and the role of fibre optics in an in-situ space radiation environment is discussed. (author)