$44 million defense contract has Camas-based laser manufacturer nLIGHT looking to grow

High-Energy Lasers: The U.S. Military Wants New 500-kW Systems for Cruise Missile Defense Against Iran, Russia, and China

The story racing around the internet says the Pentagon just launched a $627 million laser program. The reality is bigger and more interesting. On July 9 the Defense Department picked two vendors, nLIGHT and Lockheed Martin, under the Joint Laser Weapon System, with an $86 million initial award and an $847 million ceiling. The logic is magazine math: lasers promise a deep magazine at pennies per shot. The catch is history, since battlefield laser…

$44 million defense contract has Camas-based laser manufacturer nLIGHT looking to grow

Camas-based laser manufacturer nLIGHT expects to expand its local workforce thanks to a massive defense contract announced Thursday.