The Boeing Company has been awarded a U.S. Navy contract valued at up to $163 million, with an initial task order of $6.9 million, to develop the Free Electron Laser (FEL) weapon system, which will transform naval warfare in the next decade by providing an ultra-precise, speed-of-light capability and unlimited magazine depth to defend ships against new, challenging threats, such as hyper-velocity cruise missiles.

Under the task order, awarded April 13 by the Office of Naval Research, Boeing will complete the preliminary design of the electric-powered Free Electron Laser, the key step toward building a FEL prototype for realistic tests at sea. Boeing will partner with U.S. Department of Energy laboratories, academia and industry partners to design the laser.

“This contract award is significant because it will be a cornerstone of the Navy’s plan to incorporate directed energy systems into its future all-electric ship architecture,” said Greg Hyslop, vice president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems.

FELs are capable of achieving the megawatt power the Navy requires for ship defense. They operate by passing a beam of high-energy electrons through a series of powerful magnetic fields, causing the intense emission of laser light.

“Boeing has researched free-electron lasers since the early 1980s, and we believe this technology is now ready to move from the laboratory to a prototype suitable for testing,” said Ed Pogue, Boeing FEL program manager. “The Free Electron Laser program will enable U.S. Navy ships to deliver nonlethal or lethal effects on a target with unprecedented speed, precision and power and minimal collateral damage.”