Textron Systems Corp. of Wilmington, Mass., has been awarded a $49.9 million contract for laser-radar research from the US Air Force Research Laboratory's Directed Energy Directorate based in Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. The five-year project will be a continuation of work preformed by the company in Maui, Hawaii.

Textron will work to improve coherent laser-radar systems used to gather information on objects in space from the directorate's Maui surveillance site. It also will demonstrate technologies to better identify the functions of various satellites and to develop a high-resolution active imaging system inside a ball turret for use on tactical aircraft to direct and fire a laser.