This SAE Aerospace Information Report (AIR) is devoted to the challenges of applying optics to new advanced RF analog systems only; digital data link applications are covered elsewhere in protocol/architecture specific documents like Fibre Channel, ATM, Ethernet, Sonet, etc.

This document has four main goals:

1. 1
   To completely cover today’s capabilities and limitations of fiber in meeting multiple types of advanced RF system requirements.
2. 2
   To discuss near term advancements being developed that will bring us closer to meeting all the capabilities of current copper coax systems.
3. 3
   To identify the benefits of fiber optics for RF systems
4. 4
   To identify challenges for future development.