BAE SYSTEMS Awarded Contract For F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Laser System
19 Sep 2003
BAE Systems Avionics has been awarded a major contract, by Lockheed Martin, to supply the Laser System for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Electro Optical Targeting System (EOTS). The contract will be carried out at Avionics, Sensor Systems Division (SSD) facility in Edinburgh.
The laser will provide the EOTS with a precision range measurement and a laser-guided weapon designation capability. The contract for the design and development of the laser will result in production of several thousand lasers at the world-class facility at Crewe Toll, Edinburgh. Development will start immediately with manufacturing expected to begin in 2006.
Mike Sweeney, SSD Managing Director said, We are delighted to be awarded such a prestigious contract. We have made significant investment in a brand new laser facility at our new site. We are one of the industry leaders in the development of laser technology and this contract is testimony to the expertise we have in SSD.
The contract is expected to sustain at least 100 top engineering jobs at the Companys Crewe Toll site. The business has over thirty years of experience in the design of lasers for many applications such as range finding and target designation.The designs are now largely based on diode pumped solid state lasers with wavelength conversion modules systems.
As part of the 55m redevelopment of the Avionics Groups sites in Edinburgh the existing laser facilities have been replaced with a state of the art Laser Centre of Excellence based on best practice in the defence and commercial sectors. The facility comprises environmentally controlled laser firing rooms, clean rooms and laminar flow workbenches.
About BAE SYSTEMS:
BAE Systems is an international company engaged in the development, delivery and support of advanced defence and aerospace systems in the air, on land, at sea and in space. The company designs, manufactures and supports military aircraft, surface ships, submarines, radar, avionics, communications, electronics and guided weapon systems. It is a pioneer in technology with a heritage stretching back hundreds of years. It is at the forefront of innovation, working to develop the next generation of intelligent defence systems. BAE Systems has major operations across five continents and customers in some 130 countries. The company has more than 90,000 people and generates annual sales of approximately 12 billion through its wholly-owned and joint venture operations.
BAE Systems, innovating for a safer world.
About Avionics Group:
BAE Systems Avionics is the leading avionics company in Europe, and the UKs foremost supplier of electronic systems for civil and military platforms in the air, at sea and on land. With its head office at Basildon in the UK, the Avionics organisation operates across 30 sites in four continents, with concentrations in Scotland, southern England and Australia. The Group employs 6,000 people around the world with 4,900 of these employed in the UK. The Group employs 2,100 people in Edinburgh.
About Lockheed Martin:
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 125,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology systems, products and services.
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