Lockheed Martin Aculight and nLIGHT win $86M JLWS laser-weapon awards
The U.S. Department of War awarded initial Joint Laser Weapon System OTA agreements to Lockheed Martin Aculight and nLIGHT Defense for containerised high-energy laser systems.
Why it matters
The initial Joint Laser Weapon System awards are valued at $86 million, with a total programme ceiling of $847 million. The work covers containerised high-energy laser systems for defence against UAS swarms and cruise-missile threats. The awards sit under the SCADE consortium transaction authority and support a next-generation directed-energy architecture for layered air and drone defence.
Evidence notes
- The initial Joint Laser Weapon System awards are valued at $86 million, with a total programme ceiling of $847 million.
- The work covers containerised high-energy laser systems for defence against UAS swarms and cruise-missile threats.
- The awards sit under the SCADE consortium transaction authority and support a next-generation directed-energy architecture for layered air and drone defence.
Company context
Lockheed Martin is a defense and aerospace prime with autonomy and unmanned-systems work across Sikorsky, missiles, mission systems, space and integrated defense programs.