Boeing (NYSE: BA) has received a follow-on 15-month contract from the U.S. Defense Department‘s high energy laser-joint technology office to continue developing a prototype optic system for laser weapons.
Boeing said in a release that, along with SAIC (NYSE: SAI), it has completed the first phase of system development. The team will soon test the system for the U.S. Army by using a high-energy laser program.
Adaptive optics were originally developed for astronauts, correcting for blurry images that resulted from wind or other turbulence.
“By minimizing the distortion of a laser beam, much like telescopes can take the ‘twinkle’ out of the stars, we can increase the amount of energy on a specific target, ” said Mike Rinn, Boeing’s vice president and program director for directed energy systems. “This very small, lightweight adaptive optic system will enhance both the range and the power of tactical laser weapons.”
