Guidance optical fibers in weapon systems operate under extreme mechanical conditions.To ensure reliability during high-speed deployment,a jacket layer is designed as external protection.However,existing research lacks practical tension detection schemes and analytical methods for evaluating the load-bearing performance of this critical layer.This study first proposes two novel measurement strategies to assess the jacket layer’s load-bearing capacity:a lumped measurement approach utilizing optical fiber dispersion analyzers,and a distributed measurement method based on Brillouin Optical Time Domain Analysis (BOTDA) technology.A dedicated testing apparatus compatible with both measurement principles was developed to systematically evaluate the jacket layer's load-bearing characteristics.Experimental measurements quantified the load-bearing performance of typical guidance fiber jacket layers,with comparative analysis demonstrating the validity of both lumped and distributed approaches.The mechanical interaction between the jacket layer and inner fiber was thoroughly investigated.The results showed a relative measurement error of approximately 0.4% between the two methods under standard axial loads.When subjected to typical axial loading conditions,the strain difference between the jacket layer and inner fiber reached 0.3%,while the jacket layer sustained 5-6 times greater tension than the inner fiber.These findings establish essential design criteria for guidance optical fibers to meet diverse military equipment requirements,providing fundamental insights for optimizing jacket layer performance.The proposed methodology provides actionable design guidelines,thereby steering the development trajectory of guidance optical fibers.