BOTHELL, Wash., Sept. 16 (UPI) -- U.S. Army has tapped Lockheed Martin to design, develop, build and test a high-power fiber laser-based system suitable for military applications.
The award from the Army Space and Missile Defense Command is worth $14 million and includes options for the next six years. If all options are exercised the contracts total value would be $59 million.
The Robust Electric Laser Initiative program calls for a fiber laser architecture capable of producing the 100 kilowatts or more of high quality power needed for a broad range of military "speed-of-light" defensive applications on air, land and sea platforms.
Fiber lasers typically require less power and are more compact than chemical, gas and other types of lasers, the company said.
"We have leveraged the laser expertise from across Lockheed Martin to bring this new technology to the Army," said Dan Schultz, vice president of Lockheed Martin Ship and Aviation Systems. "Our system is a compact, lightweight and electrically driven system that can be used in a wide variety of applications and platforms and bring tremendous benefits to the Army and other military customers."
Contract work will be performed at the Lockheed Martin Aculight facility in Bothell, Wash., the company said.
