Connectivity Advances Naval Shipboard Electronics

Around the world, maritime vessel design is expanding to include new operational and battlefront technologies. These systems require compatible interconnects with high-speed performance, high-reliability, and the ruggedization features required to endure a military environment.

Around the world, military vessels are undergoing rapid modernization as traditional naval shipboard systems expand to support recent developments in maritime military equipment. Shipboard operational technologies (OT) are responsible for basic functions such as navigation, propulsion control, and overall vessel operation. Warship design must also include secure networks and data links to support military technologies that provide situational awareness, communication, surveillance, electronic warfare, and command and control capabilities supported by drones, satellites, radios, and radar technologies.

The next wave of maritime capabilities will include AI-integrated autonomous navigation, as well as complex military technologies like solid state lasers, radiated energy systems such as the Air and Missile Defense Radar, and mothership platforms for drones and UAVs. This proliferation of technologies reflects the expanded role of naval operations: Beyond defense missions, maritime forces now conduct complex security operations such as counter-piracy, counter-terrorism, drug interdiction, arms embargo enforcement, and security enforcement. These issues impact the design of naval vessels as well as non-military ships that transport critical assets.

Maritime operations require equipment dependability under the most challenging conditions. Interconnected systems that make up OT are part of new ship designs but also must be integrated into existing shipboard systems, as vessels remain in service for decades. While new builds can include the latest lightweight, miniaturized, and high-speed components, upgrades require intermatable and compatible interconnects to interface with existing equipment. Connector suppliers are responding with high-speed, high-reliability, and ruggedized components that can endure a military environment that includes corrosive salt spray and water. To address this need, Preci-Dip has developed enhanced high-corrosion-resistant contacts for naval boarding applications. These contacts feature a plating solution that combines gold and rhodium to deliver exceptional resilience in maritime environments.

In tests, Preci-Dip’s advanced plating material demonstrated resilience exceeding 500 hours of exposure while offering superior resistance to corrosive substances like military-grade hydraulic fluids and jet fuel.

“Clients turn to Preci-Dip for solutions to critical challenges. When it’s corrosion resistance, we can offer this new plating,” says Clément Bidault, technical sales engineer at Preci-Dip, who says that for maritime applications, the majority of the company’s customers come from government and naval sectors. “Customers also come with reliability concerns with competitor connectors, severe space limitations requiring custom designs, or stringent sealing requirements.”

To address unique customer projects, the company designs and builds its own machines, from manual process equipment through semiautomatic machining and assembly to fully automatic, complex systems, said Bidault. Connectors can be created or adapted to serve a specific subsystem, to intermate with existing products in the case of an upgrade, and to move between markets, such as adapting an aerospace product to serve in a naval application. Materials as well as components undergo rigorous tests that ensure performance in naval combat conditions, such as salt spray tests. “We listen closely and deliver customized solutions, integrating cutting-edge processes, premium materials, and advanced designs. The result? Engineered solutions that guarantee unparalleled performance, quality, and durability.”

ITT Cannon’s Marine Bronze material is available across multiple connector lines and offers extreme corrosion resistance, EMI protection, and biofouling resistance.

Material selection is a key consideration in the design and selection of connectors used for naval applications. ITT Cannon’s Marine Bronze is an alternative to the aluminum used in many typical connectors. “We can customize and create Marine Bronze versions of our core circular connectors,” said Richard Miles, ITT Cannon. This material doesn’t require plating, offers good EMI protection, and biofouling resistance. “They are good for ships, submarines, offshore platforms, or anywhere that requires high corrosion resistance.”

MIL-DTL-28840 shipboard connectors

Beyond superior materials, connector choice for shipboard applications can be simplified by relying on standardized MIL-Spec interfaces. While a wide range of MIL-Spec and high-performance interconnects are used across ships, one standard ruggedized product has been favored since the 1970s; MIL-DTL-28840 connectors were developed for the U.S. Navy specifically for use in shipboard applications.

“M28840 connectors were introduced in 1981. Initial suppliers struggled to meet customer expectations, leading Amphenol to begin manufacturing this connector in response to customer demand. This shipboard connector has since become a standard component on virtually all modern naval ships,” said Mathew Tharakan, business development manager, Amphenol PCD.

This high-density circular connector series has a high shock, threaded coupling system with front release crimped contacts, a splined backshell interface, and integrated wire sealing grommet that both add to the environmental and mechanical performance of this ruggedized connector. It is available with an extensive range of shell sizes, pin counts, contact sizes, and configurations to support combat and communication systems in submarines, shipboard applications, and communication systems.

Amphenol PCD offers a complete line of M28840 circular connectors according to MIL-DTL-28840. These shipboard application connectors are precision-machined, highly reliable, and meet superior mechanical shock.

The M28840 circular connector is deployed in shipboard power, navigation and control, communication, and many auxiliary systems. Since naval watercraft are designed for service lifetimes up to 50 years, this standard interface supports upgrades. It is used across older mechanical systems and many eras of electronic technologies, and current designs like Zumwalt-class destroyers, Virginia-class submarines, and Ford-class aircraft carriers, where they support power distribution and mission-critical signal transmission systems. While newer connector types designed for miniaturization are more SWaP-friendly, the M28840’s track record makes it a mainstay of naval design. Improvements such as new platings and materials, improved sealing capabilities, expanding contact performance and layouts, and overall advancements in precision keep this older connector up to date.

To learn more about the companies mentioned in this article, visit the Preferred Supplier pages for Amphenol Pcd, ITT Cannon, and Preci-Dip.

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