The U.S. Missile Defense Agency awarded Lockheed Martin a nine-month, $9.4 million contract to develop a Low Power Laser Demonstrator (LPLD) missile interceptor concept, the agency announced Oct. 5. "Our Low Power Laser Demonstrator concept puts advanced beam control systems and a fiber laser on a high-performance, high-altitude platform to maximize risk reduction value over the demonstration period," said Sarah Reeves, director in Strategic and Missile Defense programs at Lockheed Martin. Read more
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| Since 2013, the MDA has been using General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Reapers with a chin-mounted electro-optical/infrared passive sensor to demonstrate its low-power laser demontrator concept (Credit: General Atomics) |