The Boeing Co. announced it was awarded a US Army contract valued at approximately $7 million to begin developing a truck-mounted laser weapon system that destroys rockets, artillery shells and mortar rounds. Under the contract, awarded Friday, Boeing will develop and complete a preliminary design of a rugged beam control system (BCS) on a heavy expanded mobility tactical truck. The High-Energy Laser Technology Demonstrator (HEL TD) Phase I contract contains options that would call for Boeing to build and test a significant component of the HEL TD system, comprised of the BCS integrated on a vehicle platform, and to refine requirements for the entire HEL TD system. The options would increase the contract cost to approximately $50 million. The HEL TD program is intended to demonstrate that a mobile, solid-state laser weapon system can effectively counter rocket, artillery and mortar projectiles. For more information, visit: boeing.com