In the fields of aviation, aerospace, marine, and defense, equipment is subjected to extremely harsh environments—alternating high and low temperatures, severe vibrations, corrosion by seawater/salt mist, high humidity, high pressure, and even electromagnetic interference (EMI)/shocks and mechanical stresses. Any minor failure in connectors, cables, or cable harnesses can lead to system downtime, signal loss, and even safety hazards. Therefore, for these systems, "aviation-grade" and "military specification" cable assemblies are not only a need for optimized design but also the foundation for reliable, safe, and stable system operation. As one of the world's leading interconnect solution providers, TE Connectivity's Aerospace, Defense & Marine (AD&M) product series, with its extensive product portfolio and high-standard design and verification processes, has wide applications in this field. This article will focus on the reliability advantages of TE's aviation-grade cable assemblies in extreme and military environments, and combine with selection and compatibility/alternative solutions to help engineers, purchasers, and system integrators for reference and decision-making.
One, characteristics and advantages of TE aerospace cable assemblies
Comprehensive coverage of aviation/defense/maritime applications: TE's AD&M product line covers a wide range of application scenarios from aircraft, helicopters, drones, to ships, ground vehicles, offshore platforms, space and satellite systems. Whether it is power distribution systems, avionics systems, communication systems, or data transmission/monitoring systems, it can provide appropriate connector, cable and harness solutions.
High reliability and severe environment adaptability: TE's aerospace-grade products have been rigorously tested and can meet a variety of stringent environmental requirements, including temperature, humidity, vibration, salt spray, corrosion, and electromagnetic interference. Owing to these excellent characteristics, TE has been widely adopted in numerous civil and military aerospace projects in China and internationally.
TE offers a diverse range of connection solutions and system-level integration capabilities, from traditional copper wire harnesses, mixed signal/power cable assemblies, to fiber optic connectors, and high-density modular connection systems (such as backplane/module layout/high-speed data transmission solutions). TE provides a rich combination to meet the modern aerospace/defense systems' needs for high bandwidth, high density, and lightweight (SWaP - size, weight, and power).
• Strong global supply chain and support services: TE has production, service, and R&D bases worldwide, and also has production capacity and supply chain support in China. This means that there is ample guarantee for both original factory product supply and system-level integration.
Therefore, choosing TE's aviation-grade cable assembly means selecting a mature path that has been verified by the industry, suitable for harsh environments, and has extensive engineering practice.
Two, selection and compatibility / alternative solutions reference and suggestions
In the design or procurement stage, in order to ensure that the system meets both performance and reliability requirements, while also considering cost, supply chain stability, and post-maintenance, it is recommended to consider the following dimensions:
Environmental and Application Scenario Positioning
Firstly, clarify the environmental conditions under which the system will operate or be exposed to – whether there are alternating high and low temperatures, severe vibration, salt spray/seawater corrosion, high humidity or tidal fluctuations, high pressure/shocks/EMI, etc. For extreme environments such as ocean-going ships, submarines, offshore platforms, ground vehicles, shipborne systems, and spacecraft, priority should be given to TE's aviation/military-grade components (including high-sealing shells, corrosion-resistant backs, waterproof and salt spray-proof, vibration-resistant designs, etc.).
Signal and Power Demand / Data Transmission Rate
If the system includes high-speed data communication (such as radar, communication links, image/video transmission, sensor networks), digital avionics systems, avionics buses, fiber optic/hybrid signal systems, it is recommended to use TE's high-density connectors, fiber optic connectors, and hybrid power/signaling cable assemblies to ensure signal integrity, low interference, high bandwidth, and reliability. For traditional power and control cables, it should be ensured that the impedance, shielding, and grounding design meets EMI/EMC requirements.
System integration and modularization / post-maintenance scalability
For systems that require later upgrades, maintenance, or module replacements (such as shipboard electronic systems, expandable avionics systems, ground vehicles, etc.), it is recommended to adopt TE's modular interconnection systems (including standardized backplanes, multi-core hybrid modules, replaceable subassemblies, and standard interfaces, etc.). This approach is conducive to reducing maintenance complexity, improving replaceability, reducing spare parts inventory, and facilitating system upgrades and expansion.
Balance domestic supply/solutions (if needed for localization)
Under the requirements of cost, policy, or controllability of the supply chain, if considering domestic substitution (or a hybrid solution), it is recommended to first classify according to system functions (high frequency/fiber optic/power supply/hybrid/protection level/temperature resistance/vibration resistance), and then evaluate in accordance with TE's functional characteristics. For key subsystems (data communication, important signals, life support systems, etc.), it is recommended to prioritize the use of TE original components; for non-critical, auxiliary, or low reliability requirement subsystems, domestic solutions can be considered to balance cost and supply chain stability. If the domestic solution cannot fully meet the TE level, a hybrid solution can also be adopted (key components use TE, auxiliary components use domestic).
When selecting alternative and compatible solutions, it should be particularly cautious to evaluate the long-term reliability, signal integrity, anti-interference ability, maintenance convenience, and supply chain sustainability, to avoid bringing later risks due to initial cost savings.
TE Connectivity's aerospace-grade cable assemblies provide solid, mature, and reliable interconnection solutions for aerospace, space, marine, defense, and ground defense systems, thanks to their extensive product line, high reliability, environmental adaptability, modular design, and global supply chain support. Through reasonable selection and compatibility/substitution design according to system requirements, not only can the system operate stably in extreme environments, but also achieve a balance in cost, maintenance, and supply chain.
If you wish to select suitable aviation/military-grade cable components for your system or project, or are interested in domestic alternatives and hybrid solutions, we would be very happy to engage in in-depth discussions with you. We are committed to researching and developing domestic alternatives and application solutions for this brand of components. If you are interested in these domestic alternatives or related products, have procurement needs, or are paying attention to this direction, please contact: Manager Zhang.
18665383950, WeChat number the same). We look forward to in-depth communication and cooperation with more customers and industry partners.
