Rockwell Awarded $22-Million Contract

Rockwell said Tuesday that it has been awarded a $22-million government contract to help design an aircraft-based laser weapon system.

The 33-month contract with the U.S. Air Force Phillips Laboratory will allow the Seal Beach-based aviation, electronics and high-technology company to contribute to the development of the Air Force’s proposed Airborne Laser system, which would be used by military jet pilots to shoot down enemy ballistic missiles with the speed of light.

Other designers of the project include Hughes Electro-Optical Systems and Loral Federal Systems.