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Product

Control & signal cableMIL-C-55686 (WF-16/U)2-Pair (4-Wire Full Duplex)4×Sn-Cu + 3×Steel (≥ 1780 N)

WF-16-U MIL-C-55686 WF-16/U Two-Pair Polyethylene Tactical FieldMIL-C-55686 2-pair (4-core) 4×Sn-Cu + 3×steel HDPE/Nylon tactical field telephone cable

WF-16-U (MIL-C-55686, WF-16/U) two-pair (4-conductor) tactical field telephone and data cable (-55 to +80 °C) cabled from two staggered-twist pairs (1 smooth, 1 ridged), each core 4×Sn-Cu + 3×steel (≥ 1,780 N break) with HDPE + OD Nylon walls.

Approved
Outdoor & humid
Ozone, UV & moisture
Anti-torsion braid
Order designation
WF-16/U (RL-159/U Reel)
Outer Ø ≈
5.60 mm
Wall thickness
1.10 mm
Total weight ≈
37.0 kg/km
Min. bend R (fixed)
35 mm
All sizes (3)
Request a quoteDatasheetWhatsApp
Engineering reply in 2 business hoursCut-to-length export drumsEN 10204 3.1 certificate per drum
Mil-Spec
MIL-C-55686
WF-16/U 2-pair tactical wire
Configuration
2 twisted pairs
4 conductors (4-wire duplex)
Composite core
4×Sn-Cu + 3×Fe
7×0.28 mm (~20 AWG per core)
Tensile break
≥ 1780 N (400lb)
Combined 4-conductor assembly
Dual wall
HDPE + Nylon
Waterproof PE + polyamide skin
Field temp.
-55…+80 °C
All-weather RL-159/U reel duty

Typical values for this cable type, based on MIL-C-55686 (MIL-DTL-55686) Wire WF-16/U Two-Pair Tactical Field Cable — confirmed in the datasheet and quotation for your order.

Application fit

Is WF-16-U right for your machine?

Select WF-16/U for 4-wire full-duplex tactical switchboards (SB-3614 / TTC-39), SHDSL/CDI field modems, and dual-redundant artillery/command field trunks.

Trailing & towing

Suitable

Four bimetallic conductors (4×Sn-Cu + 3×steel per core) deliver ≥ 1,780 N (400 lbf) tensile strength for rough field deployment.

Cylindrical / multi-layer drum

Suitable

Staggered pair twist pitches prevent Tx/Rx crosstalk while reeling smoothly on RL-159/U field drums.

Immersion & wet locations

Suitable

HDPE primary insulation and Nylon outer skin operate submerged in mud, snow, or standing water from -55 °C to +80 °C.

Typical machines4-Wire Full-Duplex Tactical SwitchboardsTactical SHDSL, HDSL & Field Ethernet ExtendersCommand Post to Radio-Relay Remote RemotingDual-Channel Range Telemetry & Firing LoopsMobile Airfield & Air-Defense Radar Links

Construction

Layer by layer

MIL-C-55686 (WF-16/U) construction: two twisted pairs cabled together with staggered lay pitches; each conductor is 4×0.28 mm tinned copper + 3×0.28 mm galvanised steel, insulated with HDPE and jacketed with olive-drab Nylon (Pair 2 ridged for tactile identification).

123
Schematic, not to scale — generated from the layer data
#LayerMaterial & reference
14×Sn-Cu + 3×Steel composite coresFour conductors (2 twisted pairs), each stranded from 4×0.28 mm tinned copper + 3×0.28 mm galvanised steelHigh tensile breaking load and low DC resistance for multi-kilometre 4-wire tactical links
2HDPE primary insulationHigh-density polyethylene primary dielectric wall on each of the 4 conductorsMaintains low mutual capacitance and high insulation resistance in wet terrain
3Olive-drab Nylon outer skinExtruded polyamide (Nylon) protective jacket over each conductor (1 pair ridged/color-coded for Tx/Rx identification)Resists jagged rocks, concertina wire, boot traffic, and aviation/diesel fuels

WF-16/U (RL-159/U 1.0 km Reel)

Standard MIL-C-55686 2-pair (4-conductor) tactical field wire supplied on RL-159/U steel field reel

WF-16/U Bulk Drum (1.0 km / 1.6 km)

Continuous-length MIL-C-55686 2-pair tactical field wire on export wooden drums

Technical data

Ratings & operating limits

Typical values: Typical values for this cable type, based on MIL-C-55686 (MIL-DTL-55686) Wire WF-16/U Two-Pair Tactical Field Cable. Values for your order are confirmed in the datasheet and quotation.

Electrical

Max. DC loop resistance
≤ 148 Ω/km per pair at +20 °C
Near-end crosstalk (NEXT)
≥ 65 dB at 1 kHz (staggered pair twist)
Attenuation at 1 kHz
≤ 0.95 dB/km dry · ≤ 1.9 dB/km wet
Dielectric withstand
1,500 V AC RMS / 500 V operating

Thermal

Tactical operating temp.
-55 °C to +80 °C (-67 °F to +176 °F)
Cold-bend mandrel test
-55 °C without cracking

Mechanical

Conductor construction
2 pairs (4 cores) × (4 Sn-Cu + 3 steel strands)
Assembly breaking load
≥ 1,780 N (400 lbf) total 4-core cable
Overall cable diameter
Approx. 5.6 mm (0.22 in) cabled 2-pair
Cable weight
Approx. 36–38 kg/km (130 lb/mile)

Resistance

Abrasion & cut resistance
Extruded polyamide (Nylon) outer skin
Water, oil & fungus
Submersible HDPE/Nylon tactical construction

Reference standards

Military specification
MIL-C-55686 (Wire WF-16/U)
NATO Stock Number (NSN) ref.
6145-00-179-8306 (WF-16/U)
RoHS & REACH
RoHS 3 & REACH compliant

Identification

Pair identification
Pair 1 smooth OD · Pair 2 ridged/contrasting
Surface legend
MIL-C-55686 WIRE WF-16/U TWO-PAIR TEBAOFLEX
Customs tariff (HS)
8544.49

Sizes

3 standard configurations (WF-16-U)

Engineering dimensions, conductor stranding, mass and electrical ratings for WF-16-U per MIL-C-55686 (MIL-DTL-55686) Wire WF-16/U Two-Pair Tactical Field Cable.

Dimensions & weights
Order designationCross-section / sizeConductor buildWall ≈
mm		Outer Ø ≈
mm		Metal
kg/km		Weight ≈
kg/km		Min. bend R
fixed mm		Enquiry
Standard WF-16-U configurations
WF-16/U (RL-159/U Reel)2 PR × 20 AWG (4Cu+3Fe)Solid / Stranded Cu1.105.6016.337.035
WF-16/U (DR-8 Reel)2 PR × 20 AWG (4Cu+3Fe)Solid / Stranded Cu1.105.6016.337.035
WF-16/U (1609 m Drum)2 PR × 20 AWG (4Cu+3Fe)Solid / Stranded Cu1.105.6016.337.035
  • Typical values for this cable type; dimensions and weights for your order are confirmed in the quotation.
  • Outer diameters and weights are nominal engineering values for WF-16-U subject to standard manufacturing tolerances per MIL-C-55686 (MIL-DTL-55686) Wire WF-16/U Two-Pair Tactical Field Cable.

Quality & approvals

Testing & inspection

Routine tests on every production length, sample and type tests per batch — documented on an EN 10204 3.1 inspection certificate.

  1. ConductorClass 5 stranding
  2. Spark test100 % in-line
  3. Lay-upCores, earth, fillers
  4. SheathingInner, braid / screen, outer
  5. Electrical testsAC voltage, resistance
  6. DimensionsOD, wall thickness
  7. Inspection documents & dispatchDrum & dispatch
Testing & inspectionTest value / referenceFrequency
Routine tests
Dielectric spark / high-voltage withstand test100 % in-line spark and AC/DC dielectric withstand per MIL-C-55686 (MIL-DTL-55686) Wire WF-16/U Two-Pair Tactical Field CableEvery manufactured length
Conductor DC resistance & continuity checkWithin maximum 20 °C resistance limit specified for WF-16-UEvery spool or drum length
Sample tests
Insulation resistance & dimensional verificationWall thickness, concentricity and insulation resistance per MIL-C-55686 (MIL-DTL-55686) Wire WF-16/U Two-Pair Tactical Field CablePer production batch
Environmental, mechanical & EMC qualificationQualified to MIL-C-55686 (MIL-DTL-55686) Wire WF-16/U Two-Pair Tactical Field Cable thermal, mechanical and environmental performance criteriaType qualification

Inspection certificate

Issued with every drum, listing the routine test results for that length.

Product approvals

MIL-C-55686 (MIL-DTL-55686) Wire WF-16/U Two-Pair Tactical Field CableCE (2014/35/EU) & RoHS 3 (2015/863/EU) CompliantREACH SVHC Compliance Verified

Company certificates

ISO 9001ISO 14001ISO 45001VDE marks approvalUL / cULCE · LVD / EMC

Marking & supply

Ordering & delivery

Sheath marking

MIL-C-55686 WIRE WF-16/U TWO-PAIR TACTICAL FIELD TEBAOFLEX
Delivery form
Export wooden drums, tactical reels or coils
Standard lengths
100 m · 500 m · 1000 m (or custom cut lengths)
MOQ
100 m (stock sizes) · 300–500 m (custom build)
Lead time
2–4 weeks ex-works
Incoterms
EXW, FOB, CIF, DAP

Technical documents

Downloads

PDFWF-16-U MIL-C-55686 WF-16/U Two-Pair Polyethylene Tactical Field – technical datasheet3 sizes · construction, technical data, approvalsXLSXWF-16-U spec data (Excel)All 3 sizes with dimensions and data, for your BOM or quotation
Revision
2026-10-20
Updated
2026-10-20

FAQ

Questions engineers ask first

Not covered here? Send your drawing — an engineer replies within 2 business hours.

How is WF-16/U constructed compared to single-pair WD-1/TT?
WF-16/U (MIL-C-55686) consists of two individual twisted pairs of WD-1/TT-type bimetallic wire (4 tinned copper + 3 galvanised steel strands per conductor, HDPE insulation, Nylon jacket) cabled together with different pair twist pitches so Pair 1 (Transmit) and Pair 2 (Receive) can run in a single four-wire cable without crosstalk.
How do field technicians distinguish Pair 1 from Pair 2 in the dark?
In WF-16/U, one pair has smooth Nylon jackets while the second pair has raised longitudinal ridges (and/or a contrasting tan/brown tracer) so operators can separate Transmit and Receive pairs by touch at night.
Why do tactical digital switchboards and modems require two pairs (four wires)?
Four-wire tactical telephones (such as TA-838 / TA-1042), radio-wire integration units, and multi-channel digital trunks use separate Transmit and Receive pairs to prevent hybrid echo and double the data bandwidth.
When should I step up from WF-16/U to WF-8/G?
Step up to WF-8/G when the 4-conductor tactical line requires an overall braided copper EMC shield and a heavy polychloroprene rubber outer sheath for road crossings and high-RF command-post perimeters.

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03Message for our engineers

WF-16-U MIL-C-55686 WF-16/U Two-Pair Polyethylene Tactical Field

Selected sizes:


Reel & motion:
- Reel type: 
- Drum core diameter (mm): 
- Cable length on drum (m): 
- Travel speed (m/min): 
- Max. acceleration: 
- Cycles per hour: 
- Length and quantity: 
- Ambient temperature: 
- Exposure (outdoor, water, oil, abrasion): 
- Destination country: 
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