A 25-year partnership between Boeing [NYSE: BA] and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) will continue into Boeing's second century, as the AFRL has chosen Boeing for research, engineering, and program management at two of the nation's largest observatories.
The AFRL awarded Boeing's Directed Energy and Strategic Systems (Albuquerque, NM) a $275 million contract -- Research & Development for Advanced Space Superiority Technology & Engineering (RASTER) -- to advance scientific and technical knowledge of ground-based space-superiority capabilities and technology, with work to be performed at Starfire Optical Range, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, and Maui Space Surveillance Complex in Hawaii.
The award was the outcome of a competitive acquisition with four offers received. The three task orders are expected to be completed by Nov. 3, 2020.
Past laser and optics achievements by AFRL and/or Boeing include:
Photonic Frontiers: Ruggedizing high-energy lasers for the battlefield
Adaptive Optics: Laser beam control takes advantage of advanced wavefront sensing
Adaptive Optics: High-power guidestar lasers are ready for next-generation AO astronomy
AFRL scientists create and fabricate first reflective optical limiter
Sources:
1. Boeing Strategic Missile & Defense Systems
2. http://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/713976/source/GovDelivery
