Raytheon awarded phase II DARPA deal

TEWKSBURY, Mass., Oct. 30 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy has awarded Raytheon a phase II contract as part of a Defense Advanced Research Project Agency project to enhance missile performance.

U.S. company Raytheon was awarded the contract from the Office of Naval Research to continue work on DARPA's Nanocomposite Optical Ceramics project.

Under the $6.9 million phase II contract, Raytheon's Integrated Defense Systems unit will work with industry and academic researchers to develop next-generation missile performance capabilities using new nano-composite optical materials.

"This contract will further optimize the most promising nano-composite materials and fabrication methods identified during phase one," Michael Del Checcolo, Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems vice president of engineering, said in a statement.

"Continued development of this advanced technology will provide substantially increased performance and improved reliability for missile systems while also keeping solutions affordable for our warfighters."