The Boeing/Lockheed Martin/TRW Team SBL IFX joint venture has received a $97 million USAir Force contract to continue work on the Space-Based Laser Integrated Flight Experiment, planned for 2012.
The contract covers continued risk-reduction work on the laser, beam control and beam direction for the space-based anti-missile system. SBL is jointly funded by the USAF and the Ballistic Missile Defense Organisation as an element of the US ballistic missile defence plan. Following conclusion of the SBL IFX programme the US Department of Defense will consider the deployment of a constellation of SBL satellites.
Source: Flight International