Wire ropes and cables are a staple component of both complex and simple industrial and military applications. Lexco Cable fabricates a number of wire ropes and cables for the United States Armed Forces for personal, structural, mobile, and control system applications.
Lexco Cable is a family-run business founded by a Korean War veteran and is proud to be making quality products for the U.S. Military. This article will discuss a few ways we contribute to our armed forces through our quality product lines of military wire and cable.
Structural Applications
Steel wire rope is an ideal solution for structural applications that require strength and flexibility. The unique properties of a steel wire rope allow it to sway under harsh conditions while carrying massive loads under which a solid steel member might stress and break.
We manufacture military wire and cable products, including flexible and non-flexible cables in a myriad of constructions, jacketed and non-jacketed ropes, wire ropes for aircraft and cargo applications, and a number of studs, eyelets, cable bushings, thimbles, sleeves, clamps, shanks, forks, and turnbuckles. Another application example is lifeline cables (battleship deck railing), which uses
swageless fittings.
These products are made to tight standards to match military performance specifications. These structural components see use in tie-downs for cargo, securing lines for towers or beams, and cross bracing.
Mobile Applications
Wire rope has the strength to carry heavy loads while maintaining flexibility, and thus versatility, for mobile applications. Lexco Cable’s flexible military wire and rope products (tow cable assemblies, shackles, hooks, guy cables for mobile towers) are ideal for mounting around sheaves and winches to be used for the many heavy lifting duties when securing military equipment.
MIL-DTL-83140A 19x7 wire ropes is manufactured to be flexible and non-rotating. This product is specified for use in high-speed aircraft rescue operations as a hoist, and as a winching rope for the lifting and moving of heavy cargo. These wire ropes are used daily on ships and aircraft, enabling the daily operations of extremely complex cargo management systems aboard massive military vessels.
Personal Applications
Not only do we manufacture large wire ropes for use in big systems, but we also manufacture a number of smaller wire cables for use in such things as lanyards and small-scale tethers. Lexco Cable supplies MIL-DTL-83420 aircraft cable for use in military wire and cable lanyards. We also manufacture bungee cords for military helmets.
Lexco Cable’s line of military lanyards includes designs with mounting tabs on both or one end to secure them to a solid surface, looped ends to hook pins, eyelets for more permanent mounting of screws, and various swaged and swageless forks. These lanyards can be used for simple passes and keys, tactical vests, and for attaching rifles to shoulder straps, but they also find use in safety restraints such as valve cap or plug assemblies.
A lanyard is a common term for a simple cable assembly often used for tethering applications. Click here to construct your lanyard.
Control Systems
Push-pull cable systems are a common solution for actuating controls. Push-pull cable systems are flexible and versatile, making them a popular choice when compared to rigid control systems and linkages. 
Push-pull cable control systems can be installed in aircraft for precise control of hydraulic systems, in motor applications to engage and disengage clutch systems, control of intake valves for small motors, and even as an electrical control to power winches
and other heavy equipment.
Lexco Cable specifically manufactures custom mil-spec push-pull cable control systems for applications in military aerospace and vehicle controls. Custom dimensioned parts make sure that the control cables vital in the emergency braking system for aircraft service vehicles are ideal for that job. Additionally, we can make cable assemblies for calibration of tensiometer equipment, safing assemblies for munitions, and push-pull controls for various uses on ground and in air equipment.
Other Applications
It’s important to note that this list isn’t exhaustive, and Lexco Cable is capable of engineering a multitude of high-quality products that aren’t included in this blog. In addition to structural, mobile, and personal applications, we can also make custom slings for lifting special military assets like engines. When it comes to security, we supply materials for cable reinforced barrier fencing, among other applications.
Military Wire and Cable from Lexco Cable
The manufacturing of military wire and cable requires both precision and consistency in the manufacturing process. Lexco Cable’s long history of mil-spec wire and cable manufacturing is a testament to the quality and reliability of our product. If you need a wire rope and cable company with a proven track record of quality and dependability, you’ve come to the right place.
To learn more about the products discussed in this article, and the rest of Lexco Cable’s military wire and cable product line, view our specification sheets.
Lexco Cable is an ISO 9001 certified industry-leading manufacturer of wire rope and cable assemblies, with the engineering capabilities to provide high-quality, reliable wire rope or strand products for nearly any application anywhere in the nation.
