Teledyne Selected to Work on Computer Prototype

Teledyne Electronic Systems, a Northridge-based maker of electronic navigation and communication systems, said it has been selected by a federal Department of Defense research agency to design and build a high-performance computer prototype.

The computer would perform a variety of military functions, including processing radar readings, identifying targets and scanning for intelligible radio signals.

The Advanced Research Projects Agency, a Defense Department agency that supports development of military and commercial technologies, has not ordered models of the computer, said Teledyne spokesman Alan Smeyne, but has contributed “several million dollars” to help cover development costs.

Teledyne Electronic Systems is a unit of Teledyne Inc., a Century City-based defense and electronics concern.