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Lighting and illumination systems using visible Lasers light sources are being developed under a number of US Navy programs to reduce the ship's costs including acquisition, installation, operation, and maintenance. Recent advances resulting from research initiatives funded thru the Office of Naval Research Mantech program and a Navy SBIR project are making broader applications of this technology feasible, including possible transition into aircrafts for position, landing, anti-collision, cargo loading, wing icing detection, and interior lights. The development of these lasers is being driven by the high definition projection industry, with substantial investments made to bring the technology to broad scale implementation, and with the anticipated increase in product availability and decrease in costs. The laser systems offer significant advantages over fiber optic systems using other light sources including metal halide and LEDs.

Fiber optics has been a viable technology for data communication applications in many environments including aircrafts, providing higher bandwidth, longer transmission distances, EMI/RFI immunity, and lower weight than copper cables. Until recently however fiber optics was not a viable transmission medium to efficiently distribute light for illumination on aircrafts. Fiber optic lighting systems, referred to as the Remote Source Lighting technology have been installed on US Navy vessels including the LPD 17 class, the Italian Multi-Mission Frigate FREMM class, and the DDG 1000 class. Optical fibers can offer advantages over conventional lighting systems that use copper cables due to safety, lower maintenance, EMI/RFI immunity, no possibility of short circuits or sparks, lightweight, and low operating costs. Higher procurement costs, primarily driven by the 37 fibers optical cable, have prevented a broader usage on naval vessels and for other applications including aircrafts.