BAE Awarded Contract for Laser System

BAE Systems Avionics of Basildon, UK, will design and develop the laser system for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter electro-optical targeting system under a contract from Lockheed Martin of Bethesda, Md. The laser will provide the system with the capability for precision range measurement and laser-guided weapon designation. As part of the contract, several thousand of the lasers will be produced at the company's Avionics' Sensor Systems Div. facility in Edinburgh, UK, supporting at least 100 engineering jobs. Development has begun, with manufacturing expected to follow in 2006.