26 February 2024

RSL Fiber Systems has received a contract through the National Ship Research Program (NSRP) to support the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) and lead a team in the revision and modernization of U.S. Navy ships and submarines lighting. This team includes the Pennsylvania State University Applied Research Lab, Phoenix Lighting, Signal Mate, Ingalls Shipbuilding, Newport News Shipbuilding, Austal USA, NAVSEA 05Z33, and SUPSHIP Gulf Coast.

“Since the DOD-HDBK-289(SH) Navy lighting handbook was last revised nearly four decades ago, lighting technologies such as light emitting diodes (LED), laser diodes (LD), fiber optic remote source lighting, and organic LED have almost completely replaced incandescent, fluorescent, and gas discharge light sources in many commercial and industrial applications” said Giovanni Tomasi, RSL’s CEO and project team lead.  “These lighting technologies can drastically reduce ships’ construction and operating costs, reduce and even eliminate topside issues such as Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) and corrosion, and let ship’s personnel concentrate on critical operations rather than maintenance”.

The objective is to identify and document how new lighting technologies can more efficiently, and cost effectively meet the current functional shipboard lighting needs of the Naval fleet.  This effort will take into consideration the lights’ effect other ship’s systems such as sensors, target acquisition devices, night vision imaging systems, and possible present and future threats. The resultant technology requirements as well as the optimal configuration will be provided as recommendations to NAVSEA.