Customer voice: covering most of the soldier’s connectivity and interoperability needs – the C4ISR and battlefield equipment use case

“Fischer worked closely with our engineering team to design and manufacture data cables for the end users of our C-UAS product. Their industry expertise and extensive catalog of cables, connectors, and components meant their cables met our requirements the first time, without unnecessary rounds of prototyping. Reliable suppliers like Fischer Connectors allow us to deliver the best possible product to our customers.” – Reported by Jeffrey Liow, Business Development Manager at Fischer Connectors APAC

That kind of outcome with a defense technology company* that specializes in counter-drone and electronic warfare solutions starts with a close working relationship between technical teams.

It’s also a direct result of a tactical connectivity offering broad enough that OEM design engineers can find what they need, straightforwardly and efficiently.

* Identity withheld for confidentiality reasons.

From hubs to a full technology platform

Commanders want better information to make faster decisions. The Fischer KEYSTONE tactical hub, released in 2023 (6 ports) and 2024 (4 ports) by Conextivity Group, the Swiss-based technology group behind Fischer Connectors, helps soldiers and commanders stay connected, enabling plug-and-play connectivity with key soldier devices.

KEYSTONE tactical solutions specifically address the connectivity and interoperability needs of dismounted soldiers wearing Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems and battlefield equipment in dynamic operational environments.

Feedback from the field has been consistent: reliability and ease of use are what soldiers notice most. Building on that foundation, the Conextivity R&D Center has developed a broad range of standard and customizable cable assemblies designed to simplify the integration of modern soldier systems.

As Keystone Product Manager Olivier Thormann puts it: “Our goal is to meet strong customer demand for seamless connectivity and interoperability of soldier-worn digital gear. Customers rely on our power and data hubs as robust plug-and-play solutions for key soldier devices that enable real-time communication, intelligence gathering, and precision engagement. Continuous cable assembly development is a must to keep up with the demands of the defense market while maintaining a customer-centric approach.”

Built around a connector engineered for interoperability

The Fischer KEYSTONE hub platform is built around the Fischer UltiMate™ 80 Series connector, providing a common connectivity platform for soldier-worn systems.

The UltiMate 80 product line offers high-performance connectors and cable assemblies  that are intermateable with the U.S. Army’s Nett Warrior interfaces and comply with NATO’s STANAG 4695 for power connectivity and STANAG 4851 for communications, ensuring seamless integration across allied defense systems. It also supports the GOSSRA (Generic Open Soldier System Reference Architecture) initiative, promoting the open architecture and modularity that soldier systems need to stay future-proof and aligned across multinational operations.

Designed in Switzerland, the Fischer UltiMate 80 Series is engineered to outperform baseline requirements, not just meet them: 10,000 mating cycles versus 2,000 for Nett Warrior, IP68 (2 m / 24 hours) sealing versus IP67, 500 hours of salt mist resistance versus 96, up to 10 A of current versus 5 A, and a working temperature range of -40°C to +90°C versus -18°C to +55°C. It complies with MIL-STD-202 and MIL-STD-810, proven under vibration, shock, extreme temperatures, humidity, and salt fog, with 360° EMC shielding to maintain signal integrity and power delivery under pressure.

Available in 6- or 7-contact configurations for wire gauges up to AWG 22, it supports blind mating and integrates easily into soldier-worn cable assemblies, in straight or right-angle overmolded options.

A cable for every device on the soldier

The KEYSTONE portfolio extends beyond hubs and connectors with a wide range of standard and customizable cable assemblies for EUDs, radios, sensors, and other battlefield devices, spanning four categories:

• General purpose and power cables – USB 2.0, USB-C for sink and source mode, RS-232, RJ45, DB9, BB-2590, with right-angle overmolded options
• Radio cables – Silvus, Bittium, L3Harris, DTC CODAN, Thales
• EUD cables – Juggernaut cases
• Device cables – Safran JIM Compact lightweight, multifunctional, long-range binocular system; Vectronix target acquisition systems, including the MOSKITO TI target locator, STERNA True North Finder, and PLRF25C laser rangefinder; MOHOC® 2 (IP and USB)

For OEM design engineers, that breadth is the whole point: a single connectivity ecosystem that already speaks the language of the radios, sights, and EUDs soldiers carry into the field.

Available on the KEYSTONE Configurator

All of it – hubs, connectors, and the full cable catalog – is designed to be configured, not custom-engineered from scratch every time.

The Fischer KEYSTONE Configurator enables OEM design engineers to build and specify complete connectivity solutions online, accelerating system integration and reducing design complexity.

And for anything the standard catalog doesn’t yet cover, cable assemblies can also be customized upon request.

Go to KEYSTONE Configurator

More on Fischer KEYSTONE standard & customizable cable assembly solutions:

• Technical specifications | Catalog: Fischer KEYSTONE™ Tactical Connectivity Solution

• News of July 8, 2025: Fischer UltiMate™ 80: Delivering reliable connectivity for the modern warfighter