Two defense companies with major Huntsville operations have been selected to help develop the U.S. military’s next generation of directed energy weapon systems under a new program that could be worth up to $847 million.
The Department of War announced Thursday it awarded Joint Laser Weapon System (JLWS) Other Transaction Authority agreements to nLIGHT Defense and Lockheed Martin Aculight to accelerate development of high-energy laser weapons designed to counter cruise missiles and unmanned aerial systems.
The initial awards are valued at $86 million, with the overall program carrying a ceiling of $847 million as prototype development advances toward production…