When a special operations team needs real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance in hostile territory, losing connectivity can mean mission failure. As adversaries deploy increasingly sophisticated electronic warfare threats, L3Harris Technologies delivers fiber-optic tether systems keeping warfighters connected when it matters most.
L3Harris fiber-optic tethers provide unjammable communications for drones and subsea platforms, solving the critical vulnerability of radio frequency (RF) systems that adversaries routinely jam in contested environments.
"The threat is no longer theoretical – it is shaping the battlefield in real time. We see adversaries aggressively jamming, disrupting and hijacking RF-controlled unmanned aerial systems at scale, exposing a critical vulnerability in modern drone operations," said Dave Kornick, President, Intelligence and Cyber, L3Harris. "Operational success now depends on resilient command-and-control architectures that can survive in the most contested electromagnetic environments. Our Drone Fiber-Optic Tethers (DFT) provide a secure, physical connection between operator and aircraft, ensuring uninterrupted control, mission assurance and battlefield survivability when electronic warfare conditions are at their worst."
From small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) flying over contested territory to subsea platforms in denied environments, L3Harris fiber-optic tethers deliver mission-critical capabilities for special operations and conventional forces.
Defeating Electronic Warfare in Real-World Operations
L3Harris DFT systems, optimized for missions exceeding 25 kilometers, have been battlefield-tested overseas against active electronic warfare systems. They deliver 10x faster data transfer speeds than RF alternatives while remaining significantly lighter and smaller than competing tethered solutions – providing secure, high-bandwidth communications that cannot be jammed, intercepted or disrupted.
Optimized for missions exceeding 25 kilometers, these National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)-compliant systems are manufactured in Palm Bay, Florida.
Rapid Integration for Existing Platforms
L3Harris developed two media converter systems enabling rapid conversion of existing RF-controlled drones to fiber-optic operation:
- Analog Fly-by-Fiber Systems: Clips directly into National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)-compliant controllers and integrates with any universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter (UART)-controlled RF drone.
- Digital Fly-by-Fiber Systems: Provides low size, weight and power performance with less than 70-millisecond latency.
The L3Harris IPLCS is a fiber-optic tether connecting a torpedo to the origin vessel, providing data in real time. Credit: L3Harris
Proven Across Domains
L3Harris’ Micro-Diameter Fiber-Optic (MDF) Cable delivers data transfer rates over 10,000 times greater than traditional copper systems. MDF technology is a key component of the L3Harris-built Improved Post-Launch Communications System (IPLCS) for the Navy's next-generation MK-48 Mod 8 torpedo.
Multiple U.S. Navy and industry partners have selected L3Harris as their fiber-optic tether provider for maritime and subsea applications, including unmanned surface and underwater vehicle programs.
Investment in U.S. Drone Dominance
As the Department of War intensifies its push for resilient domestic manufacturing, L3Harris is making significant investments to rapidly scale production of American-made next-generation attritable drone technologies and components. These NDAA-compliant systems are manufactured in Palm Bay, Florida and the company expanded its fleet of advanced fiber pack winders throughout 2025 and 2026, with additional capacity growth already underway to meet accelerating operational demand.
These investments are strengthening the U.S. defense industrial base, hardening supply chain resilience against foreign dependency and ensuring warfighters have access to survivable, mission-critical fiber-optic solutions built for contested electromagnetic environments. By scaling now, L3Harris is positioning itself as a strategic leader in the rapidly evolving autonomous warfare ecosystem and a trusted partner in restoring and sustaining U.S. battlefield overmatch.
Platform Integrator. Mission Partner.
Mission partners rely on L3Harris to transform existing RF sUAS platforms into mission-ready systems with fiber-optic command and control. From 3D modeling and prototyping to electrical integration, software development and field flight testing, L3Harris delivers rapid, seamless fiber-optic enablement.
Supported by trained and certified drone pilots, L3Harris brings technical expertise, advanced integration capabilities and NDAA-compliant products needed to meet the most demanding mission requirements.
As electronic warfare threats intensify, L3Harris fiber-optic tethers give American warfighters the secure, high-bandwidth connections they need across air and sea domains.
